Category: NLT Resources

Lent Week 3: Readings from the Mosaic Bible

Exodus 17:1-7 • Psalm 95 •Romans 5:1-21• John 4:5-42

Sometimes it’s hard for us to get a solid grip on holiness. We’re far removed from the Temple, which gave concrete expression to God’s holiness. We don’t have archived video of the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed himself to his closest disciples. We lack tangible representations of holiness.

Still, is it possible that, like the saints before us, we can experience holiness? Maybe, more than we realize or care to admit, God’s holiness is all around us. If that’s the case, the implications could be vast.

If holiness is no longer a place in the Temple or a sacred ark, what is holiness? Where is holiness? And who is holy?

Suggested Readings : Psalm 11 • Psalm 93

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!—Isaiah 6:3

“When we speak of grace, we think of the fact that [God’s] favourable inclination towards the creature does not allow itself to be soured and frustrated by the resistance of the latter. When we speak of holiness, we think, on the other hand, of the fact that His favourable inclination overcomes and destroys this resistance.

To say grace is to say the forgiveness of sins; to say holiness, judgment upon sins. But since both reflect the love of God, how can there be the one without the other, forgiveness without judgment or judgment without forgiveness?

Only where God’s love is not yet revealed, not yet or no longer believed, can there be here a separation instead of a distinction. In this case forgiveness would be inferred in abstracto from sin, and judgment from condemnation. It would not be God’s judgment in the one case or God’s forgiveness in the other.

If we speak in faith, and therefore in the light of God and His love, and therefore of God’s forgiveness and judgment, as our insight grows we shall distinguish, but we shall certainly not separate, between God’s grace and God’s holiness.

The link between the two is decisively summed up in the fact that both characterise and distinguish His love and therefore Himself in His action in the covenant, as the Lord of the covenant between Himself and His creature.” -Karl Barth (Switzerland/1886-1968)

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many.
But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of
righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin
and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.—Romans 5:17

Meditation

Prayer To The Holy Spirit
Breathe in me,
O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me,
O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart,
O Holy Spirit,
that I love only what is holy.

Strengthen me,
O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then,
O Holy Spirit,
that I may always be holy.
—Augustine of Hippo (Algeria/354–430)

Holy God
by Keith Potter
In the season of Lent we remember the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made, the forgiveness that was paid for with his life. We confess that our sins have gotten in the way of a relationship with God.

However, our confession will be thin and hollow unless we understand how great and holy God is. We are forever underestimating the seriousness of sin and its effects, making us unlike God and unfit for his good fellowship. Our efforts at forgiving ourselves and others will be thin and hollow as well unless we understand how God’s grace so completely covers us through Jesus Christ, making us righteous in God’s eyes and fit for his good fellowship.

So in this season, we meditate on God’s holiness and wonder what it would be like to be filled only with loving intentions and healthy motivations, like our God.

In Isaiah 6, we discover that the story of the great prophet starts with a grand vision of God on his throne, surrounded by angelic beings. Day and night, these attendants cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).

Isaiah’s response?

“It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Isaiah 6:5).

Seeing God gave Isaiah eyes to see himself. Unclean. Badly acculturated in the filth of his surroundings. Anything but holy.

So God touched Isaiah. He enjoys forgiveness and cleansing and a new readiness. God calls out for a human agent.

Isaiah responds, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

That can be our story. In light of God’s holiness, we come undone. “Woe is me! I’m an unclean person among unclean people. Now that I really see you, Lord, I see myself. Help!”

And God does help, with a grace greater than our sin. If his holiness is great, his grace is somehow overarching, for it covers every sin of ours that must offend the purity of his holiness. “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3).

“He that sees the beauty of holiness, or true moral good, sees the greatest
and most important thing in the world . . . Unless this is seen, nothing
is seen that is worth the seeing; for there is no other true excellency
or beauty.” —Jonathan Edwards (USA/1703–1758)

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now— when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.—John 4:23

“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:103, NLT

Chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and peanut butter filled eggs all make Easter baskets a tasty surprise, but why not give the young person in your life the sweetest gift, God’s Word. From kids to teens and beyond Tyndale Bibles offer engaging Bibles that help your loved ones savor God’s Word.

Hands-On Bible
What if you could not just read but also taste, feel, and smell Bible truths? What if the Bible was filled with games, crafts, and even snacks to make Bible stories come to life? Wouldn’t that make it the coolest Bible around? Enter the Hands-On Bible! This Bible takes you beyond just reading to truly experiencing the Bible through activities that you can do together with your child, making Scripture relevant, fun and memorable.

Boys Life Application Study Bible
Packed full of notes and features, the Boys Life Application Study Bible is easy to use and helps answer the questions preteen boys may have about God and life. The notes help them learn to think biblically about real issues they face, such as self-esteem, friendship, and peer pressure. Discovering God’s will for their lives has never been this much fun!

The Epic Bible
Get swept away by God’s awesome story in this riveting graphic Bible. The Epic Bible tells the central story of the Bible, with dramatic, full-color art created by some of DC and Marvel’s best comic book artists. Whether you’re reading the Bible for the first time or looking for a fresh perspective, The Epic Bible’s cinematic storytelling will make God’s Word come alive.

Girls Life Application Study Bible
A one-of-a-kind discipleship resource, the Girls Life Application Study Bible helps girls draw closer to God and establish healthy relationships with those around them. Over 800 Life Application notes plus full-color features are designed to help girls learn more about the Bible, understand the big story, meet Jesus, know what it means to follow him, learn how to share their faith with others, and gain practical faith and relationship skills that will help them live out what they believe.

Inspired for Girls and More!
Inspire Bible for Girls is designed to draw girls deeper into God’s Word and to inspire creativity and connection with God! It includes over 500 beautiful full and partial-page Scripture line-art illustrations to color are attractively displayed throughout the Bible. In addition, there are over 300 devotionals, journaling prompts, and interesting Bible facts to enhance girls’ coloring and creative journaling journey through the Bible. Girls can leave traces of their faith throughout their Bible for a unique treasure that will truly inspire!

But don’t forget our other titles in the Inspire Bible line. These best-selling coloring and journaling Bibles are perfect for girls and people of all ages.

Streetlights New Testament

The Streetlights New Testament is an interactive, digital experience that cuts through misconceptions about the Bible. It encourages readers to listen to, read, and study it with fresh ears and hearts. It includes access to the Streetlights Audio Bible, and features like profiles, book introductions, and devotionals that encourage youth and young adults to go deeper into God’s Word in a way they can understand.

Teen Life Application Study Bible
The Teen Life Application Study Bible is filled with features designed to meet the challenges and needs of today’s high school students. Combining traditional study Bible features like book introductions, textual notes, person profiles, and maps with application-oriented features focusing on choices, real-life issues, and real-life stories of actual teens, the Teen Life Application Study Bible helps answers the tough questions and ground teens in their faith.

A Few Other Ideas:

Maybe you are looking for an Easter gift for a young adult or someone else in your life. Here are a few ideas:

Filament Bible Collection
These beautifully crafted Bibles offer a simple and engaging reading experience. But just scan a page with your phone or tablet and it opens an app filled with thousands of study and worship resources and content curated to the page you are reading.  

Immerse: The Reading Bible
Ever had a book you just couldn’t put down? Immerse: The Reading Bible takes away all the distractions and gets you right into story. With no chapters and verses and a cover that feels more like a novel than a Bible it’s like reading the Bible again for the first time. Start falling in love with the Bible all over again

Art of Life Bible
The Art of Life Bible weaves the beautiful NLT text into a rich tapestry of artwork illustrating many living things mentioned in Scripture. Captions highlighting their significance and wide-margin design offer readers a unique way to meditate on Scripture focusing on God’s creation. Featuring 450 original hand-drawn illustrations in a unique style this Bible encourages contemplation and visual interaction with the Word.

Lent Week 1 Resource from the Mosaic Bible

Read: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 • Psalm 51• 1 Peter 3:13-22 • Matthew 4:1-11

The season of Lent walks us through the grief of Jesus’ last days before his crucifixion. As we read Jesus’ personal conversation with his disciples in the upper room, we imagine the joy of friendship coupled with the sadness of a friend’s imminent betrayal. As we enter into the darkness of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and beating, we weep with those first Christians, and in our efforts to save Jesus from ourselves, we grieve in our Peter-like betrayals.

The tradition of Lent—a forty-day sacrifice—is one way of mourning the death that sin has caused in our lives. As we see Jesus perfectly withstand Satan’s temptation in the wilderness, we admit our own shortcomings, our own inadequate sacrifices. This period of “giving up” has a profound way of recalling our desperate need for Jesus Christ.

“ All God’s plans have the mark of the cross on them, and all His plans have death to self in them.” —E. M. Bounds (USA/1835–1913)

“Remember what I say: if you would cleave to earthly pleasures, these are the things which murder souls. There is no surer way to get a seared conscience and a hard impenitent heart, than to give way to the desires of the flesh and mind. It seems nothing at first, but it tells in the long run. Consider what Peter says: “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). They destroy the soul’s peace, break down its strength, lead it into hard captivity, make it a slave.

Consider what Paul says: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:5). “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Once the body was a perfect mansion of the soul; now it is all corrupt and disordered, and needs constant watching. It is a burden to the soul—not a helpmeet; a hindrance—not an assistance. It may become a useful servant, but it is always a bad master.

Consider, again, the words of Paul: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14). “These,” says Leighton, “are the words, the very reading of which so wrought with Augustine, that from a licentious young man he turned a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.” John Charles Ryle (England 1816-1900)

“People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word
that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” —Deuteronomy 8:3

“The Blood deals with what we have done, whereas the Cross deals with what we are. The Blood disposes of our sins, while the Cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.” —Watchman Nee (China/1903–1972)

Meditation

AWE – F U L L
Great and holy God
awe and reverence
fear and trembling
do not come easily to us
for we are not
Old Testament Jews
or Moses
or mystics
or sensitive enough.
Forgive us
for slouching into Your presence
with little expectation
and less awe
than we would eagerly give a visiting dignitary.
We need
neither Jehovah nor a buddy—
neither “the Great and Powerful Oz” nor “the man upstairs.”
Help us
to want what we need . . .
You
God
and may the altar of our hearts
tremble with delight
at
Your visitation
amen.
—Frederick Ohler (USA/Contemporary)

Hollow Sacrifice
Eileen Button
Like many Catholic children, I gave up sweets for Lent. I remember creeping downstairs on Easter morning, hoping to be greeted by a marvelous chocolate bunny. After surviving the torturous season of sacrifice, I could barely wait to nibble the cottontail’s long, delicious ears.

I would sometimes be disappointed to find a hollow chocolate cross in my basket instead. Propped in green plastic grass stood a milk chocolate version of my Savior’s object of torture. I couldn’t eat it. It felt blasphemous to do so. While it was almost impossible to endure the long, sweet-less days of Lent, the triviality of my “sacrifice” always shocked me when I was confronted by that chocolate cross on Easter morning.

The season of Lent is puzzling to many. Denying ourselves our favorite treats or habits—even for a short time—seems archaic in our I-want-it-now culture. Lent is a plodding, definitive crescendo that leads up to the cacophonous noise of Good Friday and the gorgeous aria of Easter. It’s a season marked by deliberateness and intentionality.

But we often get in the way of our own best intentions. When fasting we might be tempted to feel a sense of pride about our sacrifice. The very thing we relinquish sometimes clamors inside us as a “need” to be met. Instead of focusing on Jesus Christ, our attention can dangerously be drawn to the very thing we’ve voluntarily surrendered.

Even so, the practice of Lent can be a valuable discipline. It’s difficult to grasp what our sense of entitlement does to our bodies and souls. Our culture worships at the feet of pleasure. As we “shovel it in,” we can become desensitized to our needs—the real hungers in our lives. Observing Lent can help us wrestle with the causes of our perpetual consumption. When we decide to relinquish what fails to truly satisfy, we come face-to-face with some tough questions. Can we believe Jesus when he says, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”? How can we make room for the Savior in our lives? Can we grasp the reality of Good Friday and live within its irony?

Lent challenges us to consider the honest answers to these and other soul-searching questions. It invites us to jump off the hamster wheel of consumption and experience the pinch of abstaining from thoughtless indulgence.

Perhaps I was offended by a hollow chocolate cross for another reason: The outside of our lives might look pretty, but we can be tragically empty. Occasionally, the reality of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and the power of his love break through our hardened hearts. The realization causes us to gasp. The hollow parts of our souls can be filled.

S H O W M E T HE S U F F E R IN G O F T HE M O S T M I S E R A B L E
Show me the suffering of the most miserable;
So I will know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others;
For you are present in every person.
Help me to take responsibility for my own life;
So that I can be free at last.
Give me honesty and patience;
So that I can work with other workers.
Bring forth song and celebration;
So that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish and grow;
So that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice;
For they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us;
So we can change the world.
Amen.
—César Chávez (USA/1927–1993)

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”—Psalm 51:17

“Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!” Deuteronomy 1:21, NLT

Recently, we received a question from a reader asking why the translation team for the New Living Translation chose to use the word occupy instead of possess. Here is the answer from our Bible editorial team.

This is a very interesting question. In comparison to the handful of other English Bible translation I checked, “occupy” appears to be a unique translation of the underlying Hebrew word, yarash, by the NLT translators at Deut 1:21 (and elsewhere). The Hebrew dictionaries I referenced indicate a range of possible English translations for this word, for example “to seize, dispossess, take possession of, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir,” depending on context. One note on “occupy” from the NLT Study Bible at Deut 1:8 could also be helpful to us: “The land was already Israel’s because God had promised it to the nation’s ancestors centuries earlier. . . . Israel was not seizing new territory from its rightful owners but was taking possession of land occupied by squatters.” From this, I think we can assume the NLT translation team felt that “possess” and “occupy” are really close synonyms. In terms of the range of meaning of the English words, per M-W.com, definition 3a of occupy is “to take or hold possession or control of” and the example provided is in a military context. It seems like English translations that employ possess are taking advantage of M-W.com definition 2a of that word, which means “to seize and take control of.”

In light of all this, my best guess would be that the NLT translators wanted to make sure the English readers understood the nuance of not only ownership (because Israel already owned this land whether they were living in it or not) but also the importance of them physically living in the land, thus occupying it. One important thing to note about the NLT translators is that they place a very high value on making sure that their translation communicates whole ideas to contemporary, American English speakers in terms they understand well. For English usage today, I think “occupy” has strong military associations (I think of “troops occupying the West Bank” and other similar examples), so it would bring the military aspect of the conquest to the forefront in the mind of the reader. It seems like “take possession of” could sound archaic, or even a bit vague, to the ear of modern English readers, or it doesn’t quite fully convey the military context of the Bible’s use of yarash.

Learn more about the New Living Translation.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT

Notes from the Life Application Study Bible

Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. Obeying these three commands—be joyful,
never stop praying, and be thankful—often goes against our natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see people in a new perspective, and we will have an easier time being joyful and thankful.

God commands us to never stop praying. To spend all our time on our knees would be impossible, but we can have a prayerful attitude at all times, regardless of our posture or the place. Such an attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing his presence within us, and determining to obey him fully. Then we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. Regular times of prayer will lead to God’s transforming power in our lives. A prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer but should be an outgrowth of those times.

Have you ever grown tired of praying for something or someone? Paul said that believers should never stop praying. God always hears us and always answers. He is sovereign and has a plan. Sometimes he answers us with a yes or no, but often he tells us to wait. Praying and waiting humble us before God and teach us to rely on his plan instead of our own.

Paul was not teaching that we should thank God for everything that happens to us but in everything that happens to us. Evil does not come from God, so we should not thank him for it. But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God’s presence and for the good that he will accomplish through the distress.

Valentine’s Day is a great time to share what you love. And we LOVE Bibles!!! There are so many wonderful Bibles out there, but we have a few that make our hearts so happy. We love them so much that we just can’t help but share them! Here are a few of ours. What are yours?

Maissie Currently I love the Immerse Reading Bible. It is easy to read and understand. There is something special about reading the Bible like a novel without the distraction of verse numbers, chapters, and notes. Reading Immerse reminds me that God is the Author both of the Word and of my life.

Ready to experience Immerse like Maissie?

Callie I’m so excited to own the Art of life Bible! While I wouldn’t say I am a Bible journaler per say or even artistic, I love jotting down my reflections in the margins of my Bible. This Bible gives me extra room to do this alongside new content that I can’t wait to dive into. Who’s ever wondered what the trees and plants look like in the Bible that God talks so vividly about? Or wondered why God goes into such detail on specific animals? I know I have, and it’s always fascinating when someone connects the dots on what the Bible is describing and why it’s important. It’s going to be a great way for me to explore the Bible in a fresh way.

See why Callie loves the Art of Life Bible

Kim One of my favorite Valentine’s Days was when a married friend surprised me with a care package in the mail that included the sweetest note and some personalized items, including a CD with hand-picked worship songs. It touched my heart so very deeply. I would love to do the same for my close single friends and surprise each of them with a Valentine’s care package including a greeting card with a heartfelt prayer-note and either the THRIVE Creative Journaling Bible (for those who would like the blue interior and wide margins for note-taking or creating original art) or the THRIVE Devotional Bible for Women (for those who would prefer a traditional setting without wide margins—and a pink interior). Both Bibles are the same other than those two unique features—the interior second color and the margin width. I think my friends would love this Bible because it is filled with daily readings that encourage us to keep our eyes on Christ and thrive in him. As Sheri Rose Shepherd, the author of the devotionals, says: “God paid much too high a price on the cross for us to live powerless lives.” I pray this Bible would be a daily, tangible reminder to each of them that they are so very loved by God and that they can trust him with their hearts! ❤

Learn more about the THRIVE Bible and see why Kim can’t wait to share it with those she loves!

Dave It has been a joy for me to read through the Bible over many years and I LOVE our New Living Translation One Year Chronological Bible .  For me, this has been the best way for me to understand the big story of God laid out in order. As the Bible Acquisition Director for Tyndale I’m also really excited about a project we’re working on right now to create a One Year Chronological Study Bible……stay tuned for more details in the months ahead about this amazing new resource.

Want to read through the Bible in one year like Dave? See all our One Year Bible options.

Blaine My favorite for 2021 is the Mosaic Bible.  I love the finish on the leatherlike edition with the classic celtic cross design. In the front of the Bible there is a 340 page section of beautiful ivory paper. This section features 52 meditations, each with full-color artwork, thought-provoking writings from historical as well as contemporary scholars, prayers, poetry and space to write my reflections as I meditate and pray. Each week’s theme compliments the Church calendar which helps me stay in rhythm with my fellow believers.  The Bible text is only interrupted by the center column references which are there when I need them but easy to ignore as I read scripture.  A very nicely done Bible in my opinion.

Want to read the Mosaic Bible with Blaine in 2021? See more

Jim There is so much to love about the Life Application Study Bible that it’s hard to know even where to begin. This Bible has had a special place in my heart for over 20 years. I learn something new every time I pick it up! And it is always relevant to what I am facing today.

See why so many people, like Jim, love the Life Application Study Bible.

The Other Jim I once had a Sunday School teacher who, when I – or another student – forgot to bring a Bible to class, would say: “that’s great; you must have it memorized.” I didn’t, but I’ve used his line since then.  And it leads me to my recommendation of a Bible I love. I love the HelpFinder Bible because of its extraordinary 352-page Index-on-steroids.  The index is an amazing guide when you’re looking for biblical counsel on more than 200 topics from Abilities to Worth, including Faith, Humility, Rejection, Sexuality, Success and Vulnerability, and so much more.  Each topic in the Index has questions and answers and biblical references. And alongside the Bible text there are short teachings on many of the topics. It’s a terrific, helpful, must-have Bible for everyone from new believers to Bible veterans.  Unless you have the Bible memorized!

Think you could love the HelpFinder Bible? Learn more

Evie I have been loving the Swindoll Study Bible. My parents were huge Swindoll fans so I have memories growing up listening to him on car rides or hearing my parents discuss Swindoll’s thoughts on different Scripture passages. I feel like he’s my spiritual grandpa. But it wasn’t until I started reading the study Bible on my own that I understood his significant impact on my parent’s walk with Christ. It’s truly like sitting by a beloved mentor as he helps to bring God’s truth and the amazing intricacies of Scripture into a way I can understand and grapple with. One of my favorite features is the Holy Land Tour. It’s like being on a trip to the Holy Land with Chuck Swindoll (#lifegoals)!

Want to go deeper into God’s Word with Chuck Swindoll too?

Recently, we received a great question from one of our NLT readers. We though you would be interested in the response as well.

Question:

Why do you list Manasseh as a tribe of Israel in Revelation 7v6? Shouldn’t it be Dan (Genesis 35v23-26)?If not ,why is Dan no longer listed as Jacob’s son/ Israel’s tribe in Revelation? Where does God or anyone else ,for that matter, replace Dan with Manasseh in Scripture?

Answer:

This is a good question, since the list of Israelite tribes given in Revelation 7:5-8 doesn’t completely line up with the various lists that appear in the Old Testament, though even these are not completely consistent (see Genesis 35, 1 Chronicles 4-7, Ezekiel 48). The tribe of Joseph was divided into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48), as Joseph received a double portion in the allotment of land in the Promised Land. In the list given in Revelation 7, Joseph is listed along with Manasseh, but Ephraim is not mentioned. Since Joseph would have included both Ephraim and Manasseh, it appears that Manasseh was included as a replacement for Dan, which was excluded from list.

Though we don’t know the exact reason why Dan is not listed, commentators suggest it was done to remind readers of the story in Judges 17-18. The tribe of Dan did not find the land that God allocated for them acceptable, so they stole idols from a home in the land of Ephraim, took over a portion of the land allocated to the tribe of Naphtali, and instituted idol worship in the land of Israel during the time of the judges. The tribe of Dan was symbolic of Israel’s failure, which is likely the reason they were excluded from the list in Revelation.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23, NLT

Key Verse Activity from the Hands-On Bible.

Everyone has sinned.

Read Romans 3:23 out loud several times until it’s stuck in your brain. No matter how hard we try, we just can’t be as good as God. It’s kind of like this!

1. Draw a bullseye target on a sheet of paper. Tape the paper to a wall.
2. Use more paper to make paper wads or paper airplanes.
3. Step as far away from the target as the room allows, and try to hit the center of the target with your paper wads or paper airplanes. Play several rounds.

If you think of God as the center of the target, we just can’t hit the target every time. But that’s ok. Do you know why? Because of Jesus!

Jesus took the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross.  After we believe in Jesus, God helps us to choose to follow Jesus so we can be on target.

That’s the only way to hit God’s target. To believe in Jesus.

Learn more about the Hands-On Bible

Every year for 20 years, Hank has read through a One Year Bible. But reading these Bibles goes beyond personal edification or completing a resolution. They are his legacy to spur others on in their Bible reading and inspire them to grow in their relationship with Christ.

“I love the Bible. It’s such a joy to read it, and I just want everyone to have that joy and understand what it can give you,” said Hank.

“For 20 years I have read through a One Year Bible, and each year I dedicated it to a family member. The notes in the margin were personal, such as ‘This is my prayer for you.’ I’ve underlined, circled, and highlighted many passages, letting them know what inspires me. It is my legacy to them,” said Hank.

Through these Bibles, Hank has encouraged a love for God’s Word in others. Sharing his struggles, joys, failures, and triumphs as he moves closer to God has been a comfort and a catalyst for his family members to grow deeper in their understanding of God through his Word.

“When I give it to them and they read it, they always come back saying, ‘I didn’t know you were going through that’ or ‘when you wrote this it helped me to better understand what I was facing.’ The Bible gives me joy whenever I read it, and I get joy by sharing it with others. The more you get into it, the more your joy will grow,” said Hank.

In 2020, Hank read through The One Year Pray for America Bible.

“I especially love the prayers that have to do with that day’s reading. . . . I also love the prayers you’ve inserted throughout the Bible, such as a prayer by Dr. Pridgeon for the anniversary of 9/11,

or the prayer by the Rev. Samuel Smith spoken July 4, 1831, or the broadcast by FDR on D-Day on radio, June 6, 1944. What a wonderful Bible!” said Hank.

We are excited to hear what Bible he will be using in 2021!

What Bible will you be reading through this year? Still not sure which one is right for you? Check out all our One Year Bible options.

The Bible is a huge book. It is made up of lots of smaller books which are made up of stories, letters, poetry, prophecy, and more. The Bible can look overwhelming when we start thinking of it as something other than a beautiful story of God’s love and redemption. When we try to dissect it into categories, it sounds more like a textbook than a life-giving word from our Savior.

That is one of the reasons I like reading through the Bible in a year. It’s important for us to go deeper—learn more about the different stories, trace how the prophecies thread through the different books, see why poetry is important, and so much more—but we can’t lose sight of the overarching story. Using a daily reading Bible helps you to stay connected to the bigger message while discovering areas where God is leading you to dive deeper.

The One Year Bible reading plan is one of the most beloved ways to read through the Bible in a year. It was created to help people move beyond roadblocks and into daily conversation with God through his Word. Understanding each person is different, The One Year Bible offers different ways to read through the Bible in a year.

There are daily reading plan versions that have a portion from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs for each day’s reading.

Want to read the Bible in the order the events occurred? There are chronological plans.

Enjoy note-taking, coloring, art-journaling? The journaling editions come with wide-margins, and some editions include beautiful line-art for coloring.

Our newest addition to the One Year family is our “pray for” series. The One Year Pray for Bibles include prayer prompts at the beginning of each day’s reading to help us focus our prayers on pressing issues, allowing us to intercede for others. In the newest edition, we have teamed up with the amazing staff at Joni and Friends to pray for the sanctity of all life with The One Year Pray for Life Bible.

Want to learn more about The One Year Bible? You can see all the options and find the one that’s right for you at theoneyearbible.com.

One more thought: Though not a traditional One Year Bible, the new Daily Reader’s Bible offers another way to read through the Bible in a year. Each day’s reading consists of Scripture from three categories—story, teaching, and wisdom—that are grouped together by theme. Learn more about this Bible at thedailyreadersbible.com