I have never been convinced that giving away free Bibles is the complete way to get someone into the word. The truth is that most of these books go home and sit on the bookshelf, unopened. Why? I don't think it is from a lack of desire to learn, or a lack of understanding. I think it is from lack of a good plan. a good teaching plan. Jesus had a plan for His mission, and so should we.
I suggest that we give out Bible resources instead. Along with a Bible, we should give the people a good introductory Bible Study book as well. Let's face it, the Bible is a daunting book, to say the least. We tell people that this is the way to eternal salvation, then hand them an enormous book with no instructions. And, it is not laid out in a user friendly way. The plan of salvation is not in the beginning, it's right in the middle. The beginning is history and back-story - Important to be sure, but confusing to a new believer.
To start with, when selecting a Bible to give to someone, get a modern day language Bible. Get something easy to read for them, and easy to understand. Once they become more fluent in the nuances of the writing, then they can shift to a book with more information as far as translations from the original Hebrew and Greek.
A good Bible study for new believers could be any of these:
The Daily Walk Bible; 31 days with Jesus
All About Jesus (The Single Story of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
Also, with live in a digital age. It is easier and more convenient than ever to access Bible information at our fingertips any time of the day and night.
Just go to Amazon.com and search for FREE BIBLES
The Good News Bible, or
The Message Bible
are good places to start.
Also, for your phone or tablet device, there is an App called the YouVersion Bible App. This is the one we use at church. It has many different translations in there to choose from. It also has built in devotionals and Bible study programs for all levels of users. It is an amazing resource.
From there I would also recommend two websites
BibleGateway.com
andBlueLetterBible.org
These are searchable websites with additional resources. If a new believer has a question, they can likely find out the answer at one of these two locations.
Also I would recommend giving them your phone number, or a way to contact another believer that is close to them.
One easy way to be prepared is to make little cards (perhaps a business card) that you keep with you all the time. Have these links and resources printed on there for their convenience. That way no one is struggling with finding pen and paper at this most crucial moment. Help them find a Bible-based, Christ-centered church in their area Follow up and keep in touch. Literally, their eternal life could count on it.
If you have someone who is still seeking to know the truth, I would recommend
The Case For Christ, by Lee Strobel (not free, but good for those tough nuts in our lives)
By his own admission, he was a staunch atheist who set out to prove that Christ never existed and put to rest all of the missionaries and people who tried to convert him. He did exactly the opposite.
Perhaps these simple steps for us could pave the way for more believers to come into Heaven. If only one is saved, then it is all worthwhile.
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
I suggest that we give out Bible resources instead. Along with a Bible, we should give the people a good introductory Bible Study book as well. Let's face it, the Bible is a daunting book, to say the least. We tell people that this is the way to eternal salvation, then hand them an enormous book with no instructions. And, it is not laid out in a user friendly way. The plan of salvation is not in the beginning, it's right in the middle. The beginning is history and back-story - Important to be sure, but confusing to a new believer.
To start with, when selecting a Bible to give to someone, get a modern day language Bible. Get something easy to read for them, and easy to understand. Once they become more fluent in the nuances of the writing, then they can shift to a book with more information as far as translations from the original Hebrew and Greek.
A good Bible study for new believers could be any of these:
The Daily Walk Bible; 31 days with Jesus
All About Jesus (The Single Story of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
Also, with live in a digital age. It is easier and more convenient than ever to access Bible information at our fingertips any time of the day and night.
Just go to Amazon.com and search for FREE BIBLES
The Good News Bible, or
The Message Bible
are good places to start.
Also, for your phone or tablet device, there is an App called the YouVersion Bible App. This is the one we use at church. It has many different translations in there to choose from. It also has built in devotionals and Bible study programs for all levels of users. It is an amazing resource.
From there I would also recommend two websites
BibleGateway.com
andBlueLetterBible.org
These are searchable websites with additional resources. If a new believer has a question, they can likely find out the answer at one of these two locations.
Also I would recommend giving them your phone number, or a way to contact another believer that is close to them.
One easy way to be prepared is to make little cards (perhaps a business card) that you keep with you all the time. Have these links and resources printed on there for their convenience. That way no one is struggling with finding pen and paper at this most crucial moment. Help them find a Bible-based, Christ-centered church in their area Follow up and keep in touch. Literally, their eternal life could count on it.
If you have someone who is still seeking to know the truth, I would recommend
The Case For Christ, by Lee Strobel (not free, but good for those tough nuts in our lives)
By his own admission, he was a staunch atheist who set out to prove that Christ never existed and put to rest all of the missionaries and people who tried to convert him. He did exactly the opposite.
Perhaps these simple steps for us could pave the way for more believers to come into Heaven. If only one is saved, then it is all worthwhile.
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
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