Audio Bibles and Translations

The two most frequent questions I get asked about the Bible Reading Challenge, apart from ones that I've already addressed here, are:

What Translation should I use?
and What if I would like to listen to the Bible - instead of reading it?

First I'll address the second question: Listening to the Bible is a wonderful thing. You can listen online, get a CD to play in your car, or download an MP3 to your iPod. There are many different translations available by a variety of speakers. Two sites I would recommend for listening online would be:

Bible Gateway
Faith Comes By Hearing (although you have to download and install a special player on your computer for this one).

If you would rather have a CD, or download an MP3, just type "audio bible" into your favorite search engine - and you'll get a multitude of links. One new audio Bible with an all-star cast is The Word of Promise.

As for which translation to use - there are many good ones. I personally use the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), the NLT (New Living Translation), and The Message (by Eugene Peterson). I haven't decided which I'll use for this Challenge (I still have a few days left...)

My advice for selecting a translation is very simple: Find one that you can understand. That's it. It is rare to find a published Bible that has incorrect translations (although they do exist) - so the emphasis should be on your understanding and comprehension. If you have a hard time reading 17th century English, then don't use the King James. If you think a Bible's wording should be proper and dignified, don't use The Message. Find one that you prefer, possibly by using an online resource (like Crosswalk and Bible Gateway), and then read it. Don't let the choices overwhelm you and keep you from reading, though.

Speaking of being overwhelmed - once you decide on the translation, the next choice you'll need to make is whether you need a plain Bible, a Study Bible, or one written for Left-Handed Truckers (just kidding - I hope...). I generally prefer a Bible with few, if any, notes. To me, a lot of notes are just a distraction from the real Words on the page. Always remember that while the verses are inspired by God, the notes, commentaries, and even chapter headings may be incorrect or misleading. While they can often be helpful - I would encourage you to form your own opinions about the meaning as you read the Bible - instead of relying on someone else to tell you what it means.

The bottom line, though, is to just read the Bible. Don't let any of these decisions be an excuse to keep from reading. Just read the Bible - and see what God will do in and through you.

Why are we being Challenged To Read the Bible in a Year?

Many people have asked me why I am challenging the church to Read through the Bible in a year. The most frequent concern seems to be that many people will not participate - or that they will give up before the end. To me, though, while this may be true for some, that doesn't mean I shouldn't challenge them anyway.

Take the following:
Many Christians do not consistently read the Bible
Many more only read the passages they enjoy or understand
Most have never fully read through the Bible

To me, this is a sad state for Christianity. Why aren't we reading the Word of God? Why aren't we making it a priority in our lives?

The lack of Bibles cannot be an issue - not in 21st century America - when most families (even non-Christians) have more than one Bible in thier house.

The lack of time cannot be an excuse either - as we find time for everything else we want to do, such as watching TV, going to the movies, surfing the web, or even reading other books and magazines.

The only excuse that might hold any validity for me - is the people who say that they don't understand the Bible - therefore they don't read it. I agree that many parts of the Bible are hard to understand - I have trouble with many passages - that's part of why I set up this blog - to talk about the hard issues.

But let's look at this excuse from another perspective: Would you avoid your spouse - or one of your best friends - simply because you didn't understand something they said? Well - some people will - but most of us will ask that person what they mean - we'll investigate further - we'll learn more about them - until we do understand. Shouldn't the same be true for God? Shouldn't we seek to understand what he's telling us?

Personally, I believe that as we read through the Bible, pray for insight and understanding, and talk about our questions and concerns and joyful findings with our Christian brothers and sisters, that we will grow closer to God and more fully understand his will for our lives - and how that will impact our community and our world.

I'm praying that God will bless our church as we read through the Bible. Will you join me in that prayer? AMEN.

Bible Reading Schedule

This is the PDF version of the Bible reading schedule that we'll hand out in worship in August. You'll notice that there are 2 readings each day - one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. You'll also notice that there are no readings scheduled for Sunday. This gives you the opportunity to skip a day without getting behind.


Bible Reading Challenge Schedule PDF