We love hearing stories from people using the NLT! Kristy sent us her story of discovering how readability doesn’t mean being watered down. We love how excited she is to share God’s Word with those she loves!
This version is fantastic. I am not a big fan of watering down the scripture and making it easy to read because so many times things are lost. I have been reading the Bible for 52 years. I have a deep burden for the church because so many people don’t take time to read the Bible because it takes such mental effort, and experience to be able to figure out what a verse means. Today in my regular Bible study I compared Ephesians 1 to my current translation that I use, and your translation was so close to what mine said that I became very excited, because I have grandchildren that would read the Bible if it was something that could hold their attention, and understand. I am very excited to share this new to me, translation with my family. I did notice one thing that wasn’t included in Ephesians 1 that I read was the actual reference near the end of the chapter to Psalms 8. And it may not be necessary, but I love to see the new covenant scriptures tie to the old covenant scriptures because that was the basis of the teaching all of the disciples had until Jesus came and added to that teaching. To me it seems to bring the Bible as a whole into importance, when the new teaching quotes the old teaching. To me it provides kind of like an “aha moment” look and see God knew what he was doing all along . Again, I love it, I’m so excited to share it with my family and my church family.
-Kristy C.
My Story:Life Application Study Bible In Africa
What a joy to hear from our brother in Africa! Thank you for sharing this encouragement with us!
“I feel moved to inform you that Life Application Study Bible has been a tool which helped me shape a great deal of servants here in Africa and thoroughly furnished my life in a way I can not explain thank you.”
Mapendo Songoro
When the Fears Don’t Go Away
“The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “’Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’” Matthew 8:25, NLT
“Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. As experienced sailors, they knew its danger; what they did not know was that Jesus could control the forces of nature. We often encounter storms in our lives where we feel God can’t or won’t work. When we truly understand who God is, however, we will realize that he controls both the storms of nature and the storms of the troubled heart. Jesus’ power that calmed this storm can also help us deal with the problems we face. And he is with us. Jesus is willing to help if we only ask him. We should never discount his power even in terrible trials.”
Reflection from Evie, Bible Team Marketing Coordinator
It was the third e-mail in a month from our daughter’s middle school. “Violence has been threatened against the school, but we are handling the situation and the person who initiated the threat is not on campus.” That was basically all we got. We spoke to Els about the situation and she didn’t seem overly concerned. In what is unfortunately our reality we moved on thinking it was “just” a social media prank. We prayed with her, told her to pay attention to her surroundings, and to share with her teachers and us if anything didn’t feel right or she was scared.
But at dinner the next night Els said, “My friend was shaking she was so scared. She was on the bus when she heard a boy say, ‘Don’t come to school during 5th–7th period today because I’m going to shoot up the school.’”
As any self-proclaimed protective momma bear would, I ran
around the table hugging her as a million thoughts consumed me. How can we
homeschool her? What is wrong with that school? Wait until the principal gets
an earful from me! Who is that kid? I am talking to his parents! But in the
midst of my chaotic thoughts her sweet voice broke through. “It’s okay, Mom.
God knows what’s going on. It’s going to be okay.”
Taking extra time to tuck her into bed that night, I glanced
around her room. There were porgs, cuddly droids, and strange looking animals
from a galaxy far, far away spilling from her bed to the floor. The half-read
giant encyclopedias filled with information about strange looking creatures
with even weirder names were hastily placed on surfaces throughout her room. She
was just a kid. She shouldn’t have to worry about her safety. I took comfort in
knowing that in just a few days we would be able to get away to Disney World. She
needed an escape—I needed an escape—from the fears of violence at school. And
the chance to be immersed in a Stars Wars land—I couldn’t wait to see her face!
The day arrived to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It was still dark when we boarded a bus from our resort to head to the park. Els seemed quiet, and we thought she was just tired from such an early morning. As we made our way toward the immersive land she started walking slower and then stopped. “Mom, I don’t want to go!”
“What? You love Star Wars. You are going. You’ll love it!”
“No. Kylo Ren is there. I’m not going.”
Our brave, mellow preteen broke down sobbing. She panicked. We
couldn’t get her to move. She just sobbed saying, “I’m scared. I’m too scared.”
I had never seen her so upset and honestly didn’t know what to do. She was
paralyzed with fear.
With a lot of convincing and some bribing about blue milk we finally got her to move. As we walked into this totally immersive experience, I prayed that Kylo would stay in his own galaxy far, far away and we wouldn’t lose Els’ trust. She was shaking from fear when we noticed one of the characters working on a ship.
We started talking to him and I explained how our daughter was very scared of the First Order (the bad guys). I asked if he had any tips for avoiding them while we visited his planet (I totally bought into the whole immersive thing). He said, “Oh yes! I’m finishing here. Let me grab my tools and I’ll take you to the Falcon.” He jumped over the low wall and encouraged us to follow him. “Hi, I’m Immanuel. Don’t worry, I know all the best hiding places. I will get you there safely,” he said smiling at Els. He guided us through the entire extremely detailed and beautiful imaginary world. As he ran ahead to check that everything was safe and then signaled for us to follow, I watched Els’ fears fade. Her eyes began to sparkle as fear lost its grip and enjoyment and excitement grew.
When we neared the Millennium Falcon, with his reassurance that we were safe, our hero left us extremely thankful. (Sorry Han Solo—Immanuel is now my favorite Star Wars character!) My mom in all her wisdom turned to Els and said, “Do you know what Immanuel means? It means God with us. What you were afraid of never went away. Your fears were always around you, but you could get through it because Immanuel was with us. If we are walking with God, it doesn’t matter what’s going on around us. We can be confident knowing he is with us.”
When I think about those weeks and my mom’s words, I am
taken to the boat where Jesus and the disciples are traveling across the lake.
While Jesus naps, a storm hits and the disciples are paralyzed with fear.
“The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save
us! We’re going to drown!’ Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so
little faith!’ Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly
there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ they
asked. ‘Even the winds and waves obey him!’” Matthew 8:25-27, NLT.
It wasn’t like the disciples hadn’t seen Jesus perform
miracles before that moment. They had seen him heal numerous people, including
Peter’s mother-in-law. They had heard his powerful teaching, and they were
still afraid. Many of them were seasoned fishermen who had been in loads of
storms, and yet it was at this moment that they panicked. It was a fear they
knew and understood. So much of what they were hearing from Jesus they couldn’t
fully understand, but this . . . this they knew.
What they didn’t fully understand yet was the power of
Immanuel. They knew to run to Jesus to be saved, but that deeper trust of being
confident in his presence was still being formed in them.
So what about my life? The things I’m afraid of won’t disappear. My stomach still churns each time I see an e-mail pop up from Els’ school. Els is still afraid of Kylo Ren. But when we learn to bask in the understanding of Immanuel, when we know that he has the power and compassion to walk with us through the unknown and the known fears, we can go forward with confidence. We can experience an overwhelming peace knowing he can bring calm to any storm.
365 days from now you will look in the
mirror and see a better person—if you will show up every day. The choices you
make over the next 365 days will determine the story of your year.
Use the daily readings from The God of Your Story in conjunction with the One Year Bible to enjoy and appreciate the entire Bible without getting lost—and, perhaps for the first time, to hear the Bible speak to you on its own behalf. You may be surprised to discover that the God of the Bible is also the God of your story! Will you find Him where He’s speaking?
Make the Bible a daily decision. The adventure awaits.
Watch this video and hear from from Brian about his journey beginning with the One Year Bible to becoming the author of the God of Your Story.
As the son of a marine, Joshua grew up moving from military
base to military base. Rarely having time to catch his breath, let alone put
down roots, he moved from one location to the next feeling alone and unable to
connect, especially when it came to church. From talking to the base chaplain
to going to local churches, he kept getting discouraged and gave up on church for
several years. Until he found Cherry Point Baptist Church, a loving community that
encouraged him to find out why he believed what he believed.
“After I was saved, I wanted to learn all that I could about
the Bible. When I heard about the New Living Translation (NLT) my curiosity was
piqued. Reading the NLT has brought a sense of vividness and clarity. I have
read lots of translations, but keep coming back to the NLT,” said Joshua.
Joshua’s enthusiasm for God’s Word continues to grow and he
can’t keep it to himself. He leads a multigenerational Bible study at his
church and has become an active member in a local community feeding program.
“We live in a world filled with competing ideas. Not only reading
but understanding the Bible helps people find their way. If they aren’t in the
Bible, they are putting themselves at risk. I know, because it happened to me,”
said Joshua.
From past experiences Joshua learned the importance of
discernment and finding truth in God’s Word, not in the world around you. In
his Bible study he helps others understand that too. It’s not only about reading
the Word, it’s about studying it and applying it to our lives.
“Readability helps a person to understand what God is
telling them. If a translation is hard to read and understand, I’ve seen people
struggle when asked to read aloud or feel frustrated that they don’t
understand. I’ve had that experience in my own study, finding myself mentally
rephrasing or using a dictionary to try to understand some of the words. I
wonder how many people have given up reading the Bible when faced with these
issues?” said Joshua.
Making sure that doesn’t happen has become paramount to Joshua.
The NLT is used every week in the Bible study Joshua leads to make concepts
clear and help people feel confident while reading God’s Word. He has also found
that the NLT is a great way to engage with people who attend a local feeding
ministry.
Called Loaves and Fishes, this ministry invites community
members to a free meal. Volunteers bring hot meals and desserts and they talk
to people around the tables. The evening includes a short devotional, Scripture
reading, and a time of prayer.
“I started attending as a visitor, and now I’m a volunteer. I
give the devotional, but I also hand out plates, set up the tables, and help
wherever I can. Just being a listening ear or extra pair of hands to someone
who needs it is a powerful ministry,” said Joshua.
“Reading the NLT gives me a sense of peace. I feel I can turn off the distractions of the world around me and just pray, read, and ask God for wisdom,” said Joshua.
Video Story: Immerse Brings Unity to Multilingual Congregation
One of the most beautiful aspects of being a part of God’s
family is that no matter our background, race, culture, nationality, or education
level, we are all children of God. The Bethesda Community Church in Fort Worth,
TX, is a thriving multigenerational, multicultural, multilingual congregation. Though
united in love for God and each other, the congregation of English and Spanish
speakers were looking for a way to grow together in community as well as in
understanding God’s Word. Immerse: The
Bible Reading Experience was a perfect fit. With all six volumes and
resources available in both English and Spanish, the Bethesda family is growing
close to God and each other by studying his Word.
Hear from members of the Spanish congregation about their
experience. (The video includes English speakers and has English subtitles when
the speaker uses Spanish.)
Reader Story:”It’s Like I’m Sitting Across the Kitchen Table from Jesus”
What joy to hear how the NLT is bringing people closer to Jesus. So close it’s like they’re sitting across the table from him. Read these thoughts from our friend Virgie as she shares what the NLT means to her.
I love the NLT! It was introduced to me back in 2010 when I recommitted my life back to Christ. I had been a fallen believer for almost 20 years, before I started hearing the voice of the Lord profoundly whispering in my ear, that it was time to turn back to my first Love, Jesus
At that time, I had fallen so hard I didn’t think I was worthy of His unconditional love, grace and mercy but He profoundly showed me one morning in the book of Psalms 147:3, “He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds.” NLT
I took this scripture and ran with it, holding it like a baton, everything that was broken inside me had been healed and He still binds up my wounds.
The NLT speaks to me, like I’m sitting across the kitchen table from Jesus, I love the NLT. – Virgie C.
What Is Your Story?
Our lives are filled with moments. Moments of joy. Moments
of sadness. Moments of agony. Moments of exhilaration. Moments when life is
mundane, and sweet moments of simplicity and rest. All these moments are integral
to our individual stories. Stories that intersect and diverge from others. Stories
that have peaks and valleys. A story of God’s love and grace through it all.
I think that is why this video so resonates with us. We can
see parts of our own stories; we can connect to the joy and to the pain. God
has given us himself and his Word not for a season, but for our whole lives.
And it goes far beyond that: The Bible is for all times. Through its pages, we
are connected to those who have gone before us, and it is up to us to pass it
on to those who will come long after us.
Yes, I give permission to share my story on the NLT blog.
Joshua Holman
My name is Joshua. The Bible has been a part of my life since childhood. The Living Bible was one of the first adult-level books I had. My grandfather gave me the Bible in the late 1980s. Although it was nice, I always thought the Bible was another book on the shelf. Eventually I started taking the Bible seriously, getting saved in the spring of 1994. I used The Living Bible for the first few months; it made Scripture clear. In the early part of 1996 I heard about a new version called the New Living Translation; I wrote Tyndale, requesting more information (this was before social media).The company sent me a booklet about the NLT. Reading the booklet with its questions, product details and text samples piqued my interest. My parents gave me a copy for my birthday in the summer of 1997. I really enjoyed my new Bible, taking it to school and my local youth group.
In time I moved to various military bases, leaving the church behind. While living in Hawaii I found myself looking for information about the Bible on the internet; this lead back to the NLT. I started to read it again, using it as part of the Online Bible (this was before Bible apps). After another series of moves, I started going back to church. After looking at various versions, I came back to the NLT. It helps me in two ways. I teach a discipleship group (i.e., Sunday School). The group is multi-generational; the attendees range from Gen Xers, millennials to older adults. The clarity of the NLT helps in teaching; It brings understanding to the weekly lessons. I participate in a ministry that serves hot meals to the needy in the community; a prayer and a devotional are said before dinner. The NLT has been a blessing in speaking to the attendees.
My favorite edition is the Filament Bible; the single column layout gives me a reading experience that’s free of distractions. The study notes and other helps are an invaluable resource in study. The devotionals and other digital content serve as a great resource in putting the pieces together in reflecting on the bigger picture of the Bible. As I look back over these 30 plus years, I am grateful for the bountiful blessings that the NLT (and The Living Bible) has yielded. The NLT has become the translation I use as I head towards eternity, walking with Jesus.
The picture attached to this story shows:
The Living Bible my grandfather gave me (late 1980s)
The NLT my parents gave me (summer 1997)
My Filament Bible
Combining Two Loves
For decades people who loved to color had to find excuses to
participate in their favorite pastime. Coloring with children or grandchildren
was considered acceptable, but coloring on your own—that’s for kids. At least it
was until research found that coloring as an adult isn’t childish at all. In
fact, it has great health benefits, including reducing anxiety and improving motor
skills, vision, focus, and even sleep habits. No one was happier to freely be
able to express herself through coloring than Lynnee.
“I just love coloring. I have always loved coloring,” said
Lynnee.
Though coloring was giving her a sense of calm and she truly
enjoyed it, she still felt something was missing.
“I knew there were journaling Bibles with space to create art, and I was looking for one when I stumbled upon the Inspire Bible.”
As a Bible reading enthusiast, she was excited to see two of
her loves combined into one—a Bible that helped you meditate on God’s Word
through coloring and art journaling.
“This Bible is such an awesome tool of inspiration and just
keeps me going back for more of God’s Word. It has brought me deeper in my
understanding,” said Lynnee.
While Lynnee colors a verse, she meditates on it, asking God
to speak to her through his Word. Then she reads the broader passage to gain a
deeper understanding by reading the verse in context.
“It has brought reading the Word of God to a whole new level for me,” said Lynnee. “It is such a cool way to journey through Scripture in an artistic way. So grab one and start your colorful journey with Jesus.”
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