Bible App

Photo Credit:  Fountain Hills Christian Center, Arizona (website)

Last year I made a goal to read through the Bible chronologically. I got as far as the 2 Chronicles in the the Old Testament. I've probably read the Bible several times over since I was a child but I've never done it chronologically and I've always felt there was something missing as a result. I've renewed my commitment to reading through the Bible chronologically in 2014.

One thing I discovered is that I really like to "read" the Bible by listening to it and reading along silently or out LOUD,  rather than just reading the Bible like I would any other book.   I used the on-line resource Bible Gateway last year to hear someone read the Bible out loud.

The problem is that in order to listen to the day's readings it took me a good hour and more if I want to include time for praise, prayer and study.  What happened is after spending time doing Bible readings I would then sit at the computer to do other things.  This led me to sit at the computer for too long each day.  I was also a "captive" to my headset at the computer for listening to the Bible readings for the day. Ultimately the lack of flexibility about where I could do my readings (I prefer my desktop to my laptop for ease of use), led to my inability to sustain a reading schedule.

Recently, I wrote here, about how I picked two words to help guide me through the year and help to set the tone and direction for where I want to go with my goals for the year.

The words are "simplify" and "streamline".

In 2014,  I plan to resume my readings and "simplify" and "streamline" by using a "new to me" and free Bible app on my cell phone.  I've downloaded the app and I listened to 6 chapters of the Book of John.  I enjoyed it as much as listening on my desktop or laptop and I also love the freedom and flexibility that listening to the Bible on the cell phone brings. Listening on my portable cell phone is much easier than listening on my desktop computer. Also I can make notes about where I left off in my readings (literal notes rather than bookmarks) instead of keeping track on a separate paper or computer document.

It took me a short while to discover that I can read the Bible chronologically using the app, instead of using one of the Bible Study Plans or devotions.  I still have to navigate through the app and figure out if there is a way to mark where I've left off each day beyond making a note.

If you don't already use a Bible app, and want to, you can use one of the many Bible reading and study plans and different study helps. You can also choose from different versions of the Bible.  For now, I prefer the King James Version (KJV) though I know many people don't use this Bible any longer. {I always find it difficult when Churches I attend use different Bible versions to what I prefer reading when they are giving the Sunday Sermon because the language in the KJV is so different. Maybe when I get more proficient on the app, I can simply read from it at Church too.}

There are a number of free Bible apps for smart phones.  The one I'm using is called You Version.

 Have any of you tried it?
I'd love to know what you think of it.