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How to Submit Your Thoughts to Christlike Thinking

Max Lucado
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How to Submit Your Thoughts to Christlike Thinking

Some years ago, WWJD bracelets were all the rage. What would Jesus do? The acronym was a wonderful device. However, might I suggest we change one word?

Rather than ask what Jesus would do, let’s ask WWJT. What would Jesus think?

Actions are the offspring of thoughts. Behavior follows belief. So, if we want to improve our behavior, let’s go upriver and monitor our minds.

Satan’s strategy is simple: Poison your thinking with stinking doubts, deceit, and discouragement. If he can master your mind, he will master your life. The more minds he can control, the more portions of society he can influence.

Tell him to get lost.

Clean Up Your Mental Inbox

Do with your thoughts what I do with emails. Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t know I could block emails. Delete them? I knew that. But block them? I missed that tip.

Consequently, I couldn’t clean out my inbox. Unsolicited emails kept coming. I tried to delete them daily, but I just couldn’t keep up. They cluttered my computer.

Then I was told about the Block This Sender command. You mean I can block a sender?! I did exactly that.

Politician? Blocked.

Shoe store? Blocked.

Sales pitch? Blocked.

I spent the better part of an afternoon erecting Do Not Enter signs to turn away nuisances. It took time, but I emptied my inbox of unneeded and unsolicited emails. It’s one of the greatest achievements of my life.

These days, when one or two or ten sneak in, I stand them down. No more clutter for me. And no more clutter for you, my friend.

Anxiety? Blocked.

Regret? Blocked.

Insecurity? Blocked.

You can “take every thought captive and make it obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 GNT).

Test Every Thought Against God’s Word

Once we capture a thought, then what? What should we do with it?

We evaluate it.

Test each thought against the teachings of Jesus. He occupies the highest throne. He is the Grand Master of life. We report to him. We defer to his Word. The Bible is the God-given standard against which all thinking is measured.

Can You Trust the Bible?

“All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV). The literal (and beautiful) rendering of this passage means that the Bible is God’s very word, breathed out of his mouth.

Can we believe that? The immensity of this question cannot be overstated. Can we genuinely believe that the Bible is the word of God? The unique and ultimate standard?

Many people don’t. They’ve concluded that the Bible is full of superstitions and stories. Consequently, their seedbed of truth is a horoscope, bar buddy, lover, or social media post.

Others of us, however, have come to accept the Bible as the source of God’s truth. We do so for good reasons. Here are mine.

1. Jesus Believed It

When the devil came to tempt him, Jesus quoted Scripture (Matt. 4:1–10). When Jesus rose from the dead, he taught from Scripture.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:25–27 NIV)

If Jesus considered Scripture to be reliable in fighting Satan and explaining his Messiahship, if he set upon it his own stamp of approval, what else is needed?

2. Fulfilled Prophecies Confirm It

In his life Christ fulfilled 332 distinct prophecies from the Old Testament. The mathematical probability of these prophecies being fulfilled by one man is one in 840 . . . not trillion, not zillion. One in 840 untrigintillion. That’s 840 followed by 96 zeroes.

1
_________________________________________
840,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000

Amazing!

Christ’s place of birth, his manner of death, his burial in the grave of a rich man — these and hundreds of other specific prophecies were fulfilled centuries after they were recorded. You can trust the Bible. Prophecies authenticate it.

3. Changed Lives Affirm It

No other book has impacted people like the Bible. From Augustine, who was a scoundrel; to John Newton, who was a slave-trader; to Abraham Lincoln, who was a simple farm boy; to Max Lucado, who was an ungrateful prodigal until he read about God’s love for anyone who has wandered from home and landed in a pigpen.

Radio host Dennis Prager once made a point about the power of the Bible. He asked:

If you were stranded on a street alone at night, your car had broken down, say at 2:00 a.m. on a lonely street in Los Angeles . . . pitch dark blackness, and you get out of your car and suddenly, you see ten big burly men coming out of a house and walking toward you. Would it or would it not be comforting for you if you knew they were just coming out of a Bible study?

The Bible changes lives. See for yourself. Apply the biblical principles of stewardship to your budget and see if you don’t get out of debt. Apply the principles of fidelity to your marriage and see if you don’t have a happier home. Apply the principles of forgiveness to your relationships and see if you aren’t more peaceful. Apply the principles of honesty at school and see if you don’t succeed. And, for the sake of our discussion, apply the Bible to your thought life and see if you don’t agree: the Bible works.

We need an authoritative voice. We need more than the opinions of other people; we need the declarations of our Maker. He, and he alone, has authority over how we should think.

Scripture provides an unchanging standard for living. The Bible is trustworthy for another reason.

4. Plan B Is a Train Wreck

I’ve tried plan B. I’ve listened to lesser voices. Locker-room know-it-alls. Godless teachers. Messed-up movie stars. Self-absorbed talk show hosts. They don’t know what they are talking about.

I need an authoritative voice. I need an owner’s manual. So do you. We need an unchanging, immutable home plate.

Truth Doesn’t Change

I played catcher in Little League Baseball. I was a catcher in Pony League. I was a catcher on the high school squad. When I was in college I played catcher on an intramural softball team. I spent a lot of time hunkering down behind home plate — hundreds of hours, thousands of innings, thousands upon thousands of pitches.

During all those games and practices, I noticed something: The width of home plate never changed. It was always seventeen inches wide. This was true in Little League. This was true in Pony League. This was true in high school. It is true in college ball, Minor League Baseball, and Major League Baseball. It is true in Japan, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.

The dimensions of home plate never change. Its size is not up for discussion. As a catcher, I could not bring a homemade home plate with me from the dugout. I could not draw a larger temporary plate in the dirt.

We players could choose our uniforms, hats, shoes, and bats. But when it came to the plate, the size was unchangeable and nonnegotiable. When a pitcher couldn’t throw the ball over the seventeen-inch-wide mark, the umpire didn’t offer to widen it. He never said, “Hey, buddy, I’m going to get a new plate just for you. Would twenty-five inches help?”

The width of the plate was permanent.

So is the truth of God. It is the true north on the compass of our hearts. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31–32 NIV).

Open the Book!

Freedom comes as we know the truth. The strategy for destroying strongholds boils down to this: Take thoughts captive and test them against God’s Word.

Healthy thinking happens as we submit to Scripture. The Bible is God’s word on paper. Do you want to know his thoughts about anything? Open the book!

Questions for Further Reflection

  1. Set a timer for one minute, and then try to clear your mind. Using a blank piece of paper, record any thoughts that come into your mind during that minute. (In order to save time, write down brief notes or summaries rather than whole thoughts.)
  2. Look again at 2 Corinthians 10:3–5. The language of these verses has a distinctly military flavor, including terms such as weapons, strongholds, captive, and obey. What does this say about the attitude you need to take in practicing “picky thinking”? What are the stakes?
  3. The Bible should be the foundation for your life — including your thoughts. Scripture is the standard by which you decide which thoughts are helpful and which are harmful. Look up the following passages. What does each say about gaining wisdom from God and practicing discernment — the ability to determine between God’s truth and Satan’s lies?
Cover of Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado

Adapted from Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life and Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study Guide by Max Lucado.

When was the last time you awakened to a swirl of out-of-control thoughts? Perhaps you were overwhelmed with the weight of worry, the fear of failing, or the grip of guilt. The way we think directly impacts our joy and peace. In Tame Your Thoughts, Max Lucado provides three biblical and practical tools to renew your mind and transform your life.

Who Were the 12 Apostles in the Bible? What Happened to Them? [Chart]

Jacob Edson
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Who Were the 12 Apostles in the Bible? What Happened to Them? [Chart]

In the Bible, the Twelve Apostles were the foundational emissaries chosen by Jesus to hear, understand, and share his message of Good News with the world.

You might think, because of their importance to the spread of the gospel, that the apostles were the best and most perfect people Jesus could find. But in fact their stories are just as checkered as the rest of ours with sins and follies.

Why then did Jesus choose them? Who were they, and what did they do — both during Jesus’ ministry on Earth and after he ascended to heaven? And what can we learn from their legacies today?

This article will answer all these questions and more, plus show you exactly where you can find each apostle’s stories in the Bible.

What Does ‘Apostle’ Mean?

The word “apostle” comes from the Greek apostolos, meaning a delegate or messenger — someone who is “sent off” with a mission to communicate on someone else’s behalf.

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In the context of the New Testament, at its most technical, “apostle” specifically refers to the Twelve Apostles — sometimes simply called “The Twelve” — whom Jesus chose as his principal representatives on earth. But it is occasionally used more broadly for anyone involved in the effort to spread the gospel. The word also has a variety of usages outside of the Bible, in other ancient Greek documents.

Why Twelve?

Like three and seven, twelve is an extremely important number in the Bible:

  • There are twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, one for each of Jacob’s sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin).
  • There are twelve Minor Prophets with their own books (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).
  • There are twelve (kind of) judges in the book of that name (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson).
  • God commanded the Levites to place twelve loaves of bread in the temple sanctuary every Sabbath day (Leviticus 24:5-9).
  • Solomon appointed twelve officers over all of Israel (1 Kings 4:7).
  • There are 144,000 (twelve times twelve thousand) standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion in Revelation 14:1.

… and so on.

Since, at the time of Jesus, the twelve tribes were no longer as specifically delineated as they were at the height of Israel’s power, it’s likely that Jesus chose that number at least in part as a symbolic reference. In any case, units of twelve are clearly important divisions for God’s people.

Who Were the Twelve Apostles?

The list of the twelve apostles is given once in each of the three synoptic gospels: Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, and Luke 6:14–16. The gospel of John does not give a list but provides more detailed narratives of many of the apostles. The list is given again in Acts 1:13, with a replacement for Judas Iscariot added later in the chapter.

Here is a chart containing Bible passages for each of the Twelve Apostles wherever they appear in the four gospels and Acts. (Click here to download the chart as a clickable PDF.)

Chart listing all twelve apostles, plus Matthias (Judas' replacement) and all Bible verses referencing them in each gospel and Acts

Here are each of the twelve apostles with more detail about their lives:

Simon Peter

Along with his brother Andrew, Simon was the first apostle to be called by Jesus. The two were fishing in their boats on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus asked them to abandon their nets and follow him, and he would make them “fishers of people” (Matt. 4:18–20; Luke 5:1–11).

Later given the surname (or title) Peter, which means “rock,” he was appointed by Jesus as the leader of the Twelve (Matt. 10:2). He walked (falteringly) on water at Jesus’ behest (Matt. 14:28-31), and was the first to confess Jesus as the Messiah (Matt. 16:13–20). Later, fearing for his own life, Peter denied Christ three times at the crucifixion, but was afterwards forgiven (Luke 22:54–62; John 21:15–19).

After the Ascension, Peter became the leader of the early church, preached at Pentecost (Acts 2:14–41), performed miraculous healing (Acts 3:1–10), and even opened the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 10). He is credited as the author of 1 Peter and 2 Peter in the Bible, though there has been speculation since the early church that parts of 2 Peter, at least, may have been written by someone else.

According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside-down in Rome (because he did not consider himself worthy of being crucified in the same method as his Savior), but the Bible doesn’t mention it so there’s no way to know for certain. Even today the Roman Catholic Church traces its lineage directly back to him.

Andrew

Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist, and brought his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:35–42; Matt. 4:18–20). In the gospels, Andrew was noted as being present at the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:8-9), bringing Greek disciples (with Philip) to Jesus in Jerusalem (John 12:20-22), and asking Jesus about the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:3–4).

Aside from praying in the upper room in Acts 1:13 with the other apostles, nothing is known about Andrew after the Ascension.

James and John (Sons of Zebedee)

Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were brothers who Jesus called while they were fishing in the Galilee, and were given the unexplained but undeniably cool nickname “Boanerges,” which means “Sons of Thunder” (Matt. 4:21–22, Mark 3:17).

Also along with Peter, they made up Jesus’ “inner circle” of three leading apostles who were present with him at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–9, Luke 9:28-36) and in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his death — despite none of them being able to stay awake with him (Matt. 26:36-46). The two brothers also fought over who could sit at Jesus’ right and left hands, earning the ire of the other apostles (Mark 10:35–41).

James’ death is the only one of the apostles recorded in the Bible: he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I shortly before his death in 44 AD (Acts 12:1–2).

John — who was known as the “disciple Jesus loved” (John 13:23) and entrusted with his mother Mary’s care at the foot of the cross (John 19:26–27) — went on to accompany Peter in healing (Acts 3:1–10) and preaching (Acts 4:1–22). He is also wrote a gospel and three letters, and possibly Revelation — although there is some debate that John of Patmos could have been a different John than the apostle. In any case, tradition holds that he is the only apostle who was not martyred, but died a peaceful death of old age in Ephesus in the late first century.

Philip

Philip was from the same town as Andre and Peter, and was also personally called by Jesus in Galilee (John 1:43–44). He then brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus (John 1:45–46). He later questioned Jesus at the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:5–7) and asked Jesus to prove his identity by showing him the Father (John 14:8–9).

Nothing much is known of Philip after the Ascension; it seems that the “Philip the Evangelist” of Acts 8 must have been a different Philip (see Acts 6:1-6, 21:8).

Bartholomew (Nathanael)

Bartholomew presents a curious case. He is mentioned only in the apostolic lists of the synoptic gospels and Acts, with no other details given. Yet in John he is not mentioned at all, and is replaced by a man named Nathanael, who was brought to Jesus by Philip (John 1:45–51). It is assumed that this must be the same man, but no reason is given for the name change.

In any case, little else is known of Bartholomew/Nathanael, but extrabiblical tradition holds that he was later martyred in Armenia.

Thomas (Also Called Didymus)

Infamously known as “Doubting Thomas,” no account is given of this apostle’s calling. Though he expressed a willingness to die with Jesus (John 11:16), he later doubted Jesus’ resurrection until he saw and touched his wounds (John 20:24–29), earning him his ignoble sobriquet.

Nothing else is known of Thomas from the Bible, but a very strong tradition holds that he established a church in India before being martyred there. When European missionaries later traveled to India in the Middle Ages, they were amazed to find an active Christian community already there.

Matthew (Levi)

Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector called by Jesus while at his tax booth (Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27–28). He then hosted a dinner with other tax collectors and sinners in order to bring them to Jesus (Luke 5:29–32).

Despite traditionally being credited as the author of the Gospel of Matthew, nothing else is known about him.

James (Son of Alphaeus)

Aside from being included in all the apostle lists, nothing is known about him beyond his unfortunate appellation “James the Less” (Mark 15:40 KJV) — though it really only means “James the Younger.”

Thaddaeus (Also Called Judas Son of James, or Lebbaeus)

This apostle is called Thaddeus in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, Judas son of James in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, and “Judas not Iscariot” in John 14:22. The latter is his only appearance outside the lists, in which he asks Jesus why he is revealing himself to the disciples but not to the whole world. A few manuscripts refer to him as “Lebbaeus who is surnamed Thaddeus,” as in Matt. 10:3 KJV.

Simon the Zealot

Simon is not named outside the apostolic lists — so we sadly never learn why he was nicknamed “the Zealot,” though it certainly seems like there’s a good story there!

Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot is of course the most notorious of the apostles. It was he who betrayed Jesus and handed him over to the authorities for his trial and execution. He seems to have been the treasurer of the apostles (John 12:6, 13:29), which perhaps foreshadowed the greed that would lead him to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15).

After Jesus’ condemnation, however, Judas seems to have comprehended his error: he returned the money to the chief priests and confessed his betrayal of “an innocent man.” Then, overwhelmed with grief and regret, he went and hanged (Matt. 27:3-10) or perhaps impaled himself (Acts 1:18-19).

Why did Jesus invite this man — who he must have known from the beginning would betray him to his death (John 6:70-71) — to join his most trusted group of disciples? This is a question Christians have wrestled with since the beginning. Perhaps he hoped that Judas would overcome his battle with the devil and not give into his temptations (John 13:2, Luke 22:3); or he simply knew the prophecies must be fulfilled.

We may never know. But it is remarkable, and in keeping with Jesus’ consistent message of forgiveness and mercy, that he would invite Judas to join him for his Last Supper, despite knowing it was because of Judas that the supper would be his last.

Matthias (Judas’ Replacement)

After Judas’ death, the apostles determined it was necessary to replace him (reinforcing the importance of the number twelve). They cast lots for a couple of candidates and the victor was Matthias (Acts 1:20-26). After that, though, nothing more is heard of him.

Fate of the Twelve: Biblical and Extrabiblical Accounts

As I noted above, the deaths of only two of the apostles are recounted in Scripture. According to tradition, all the rest except one were martyred. The strength of evidence for these legends varies, so you can make your own call on their likelihood.

  • Simon Peter: Crucified upside-down in Rome around 65 AD — very well-attested in the early church.
  • Andrew: Martyred, possibly crucified, around 60 AD.
  • James, Son of Zebedee: First to be martyred, he was killed with a sword by Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD (Acts 12:1-2).
  • John, Son of Zebedee: Strong early tradition that he died peacefully of old age in Ephesus near the end of the first century.
  • Philip: Martyred, possibly crucified, in Hieropolis in modern-day Turkey. (His tomb was discovered in 2011.)
  • Bartholomew (Nathanael): Martyred, possibly either beheaded or flayed alive, in Armenia.
  • Thomas (Didymus): Strong tradition that he preached in India as far south as modern-day Chennai and was martyred in that region.
  • Matthew (Levi): Allegedly martyred, but details are scant.
  • James (Son of Alphaeus): Martyred, perhaps stoned, probably in Syria.
  • Thaddeus (Judas Son of James) and Simon the Zealot: Said to have traveled, preached, and been martyred together, though reported locations range from Persia to Georgia to Iberia.
  • Judas Iscariot: Killed himself, either by hanging or possibly impaling himself (Matt. 27:3–10, Acts 1:18-19).

Why Wasn’t Paul One of the Twelve Apostles?

The man often referred to as “Paul the Apostle” wrote (or is traditionally credited with writing) 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. So why wasn’t he one of the Twelve?

There are several reasons, but the simplest is that Jesus called all his earliest disciples from among his own people in the region around Galilee in what is today northern Israel. Although Paul (then called Saul) may have been in Jerusalem during or shortly after the crucifixion, he was originally from Tarsus on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey, and it’s unlikely he would have spent much time in the rural villages of Galilee.

Worse, as soon as he learned of the nascent Jesus movement, he began persecuting it, condoning the murder of Stephen (the first martyr of the church) and arresting new believers (Acts 8:1-3).

But God had something different in mind for Paul. Sometime around 34 AD — a few years after the Ascension — Jesus appeared to him as he was traveling to Damascus, struck him blind, and uttered those famous words that would change the course of history: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).

As Paul later explained, “God had set me apart from birth and called me through his grace. He was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach about him to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16; see also Acts 9:15, Gal. 2:7-8). In other words, it was Paul’s worldliness — his Roman citizenship and Greek education together with his devout Jewish background — that made him uniquely positioned to become the “apostle to the Gentiles.”

Other Apostles in the New Testament

As I said above, although in the New Testament “apostle” is often a special title for the Twelve, it is also used for a few other people who are particularly dedicated to spreading the gospel. In addition to Paul, here are the other people called apostle in the Bible:

  • Barnabas: An active evangelist and frequent companion of Paul (Acts 14:14).
  • Andronicus and Junia: Two Jews imprisoned with Paul who were “prominent among the apostles.” Junia is the only woman referred to as an apostle in the Bible (Romans 16:7).
  • James: Brother of Jesus and author of the Letter of James (Gal. 1:19).
  • Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy: Frequent companions of Paul on his missionary journeys (1 Thess. 1:1, 2:6-7).
  • Epaphroditus: A companion of Paul’s sent to the Philippian church. (Philippians 2:25 — often translated “messenger” in English but the original Greek uses “apostle”).
  • Two Unnamed Apostles: As above, they are often called “messengers” in English but the Greek word is “apostle” (2 Corinthians 8:23).

Additionally, although not called “apostle” in Bible, Mary Magdalene was later given the title “apostle to the apostles” by Thomas Aquinas because of her role in telling them of the Resurrection (John 20:18).

Conclusion: The Legacy of the Apostles

The stories of the Twelve Apostles — and those who followed in their footsteps — remind us that God often calls unlikely people to carry out his most important work. These were not perfect men; they were fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, and even a betrayer. Yet through their successes, failures, flaws, and simple tenacity they became the first witnesses to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and the foundation of the church that would follow.

Their lives challenge us to consider how we, too, are called to follow Christ and share his message with the world (Matt. 28:19-20). Whether by preaching, serving, writing, or simply telling others what we’ve seen and heard, we join their legacy every time (and in every way) we share the Gospel.

If you want to learn more about the world of the Bible, Bible Gateway Plus provides access to dozens of trusted study tools and commentaries that can help you explore genre, context, and meaning with greater depth and clarity. (Indeed — it’s where I did most of my research for this article.) Get started with a free trial today!

August 2025 Bible Verse Calendar: Attributes of God

Bible Gateway
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August 2025 Bible Verse Calendar: Attributes of God

August is “Attributes of God” Month at Bible Gateway! Here’s a daily attribute of God with corresponding Bible verse. Click each link below to read the verse in your preferred translation — or download the image (or PDF) of all verse references.

God’s Attributes for August

Get the most out of your Bible reading — including each of the above verses — with a free trial of Bible Gateway Plus. Access dozens of Study Bibles, dictionaries, commentaries, and other resources to go deeper into every aspect of God’s Word. Try it today!

Calendar of Bible verses with attributes of God for August 2025

Look at the Book: 2 John [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: 2 John [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Continuing themes from his first letter, John’s brief second letter urges believers to love each other as they are loved by Christ.

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.

Summary

A short letter warning against deceivers and emphasizing the commandment to love one another.

  • Category: Epistle
  • Theme: Discipleship
  • Timeline: Written around AD 90-95

Key Verse

“This is love: that we live according to his commands. This is the command that you heard from the beginning: live in love.” —  2 John 6 (NIV)

Back to Basics

For John, the basics of Christianity are summarized by adherence to:

  • Truth (v.4)
  • Love (v. 5)
  • Obedience (v. 6)

The main lesson of this book is that truth determines the bounds of love, and as a consequence, of unity. Truth must exist before love can unite, for truth generates love.

7 Day Reading Guide

Here’s a handy 7-day guide to the “catholic” epistles. (See 30-day reading guide below.)

Taking Advantage

The focus of 2 John is that the false teachers were conducting an itinerant ministry among John’s congregations, seeking to make converts, and taking advantage of Christian hospitality to advance their cause.

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from 2 John

Can Apps and Games Help Us Engage With Scripture — Instead of Distracting From It?

Andy Geers
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Can Apps and Games Help Us Engage With Scripture — Instead of Distracting From It?

Do you find yourself wanting a deeper understanding of the Bible, yet struggling to carve out the time or knowing where to begin? Maybe you long to grow closer to God through His Word, but feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it, or at times discouraged by your experience of attempting to study it.

As a team of Christian technologists and game designers, we asked ourselves a question: Could a mobile game help people explore the story and purpose of the Bible in a meaningful way? It took us over four years of development, but the result was The Serpent & The Seed, a free, narrative-driven Bible adventure game that launched in April 2025 on the App Store and Google Play.

But why build a Bible game at all? What role can technology, especially something as often dismissed as gaming, play in helping people engage with God’s Word?

The Problem: We Struggle to Start

Scripture is central to spiritual growth. It’s how we hear God speak, how our minds are renewed, and how faith takes root in the first place:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIVUK throughout)

“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

But let’s be honest: many people, even Christians, struggle to open the Bible regularly. And for those unfamiliar with church or Christian faith, people can have a perception that the Bible feels intimidating, outdated, or just plain confusing.

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Yet studies like the British Bible Society’s Lumino research project show that spiritual openness is higher than we think: after surveying nearly 20,000 UK adults, they found that one in four were open to the Bible and finding out more. Many people are curious about the Bible — perhaps many more than we might have expected. They just don’t know where to start.

That got our team wondering: Could a video game provide a relaxed, non-threatening entry point into the Bible?

Why a Game?

We’ve long known that mobile apps like Bible Gateway can improve people’s engagement with the Bible by making it easier to access. But what about a mobile game?

Games (whether video games or board games) have long been used as a medium for storytelling, learning, and engaging people at an emotional level. Even secular game designers acknowledge this. Jonathan Blow, creator of the acclaimed time-warping platformer Braid, once said:

“All games teach something. The question is, what are they teaching?”

There are certainly games that Christians might feel uncomfortable playing, whether due to violent content or shallow themes. But there are also many games that tell rich, meaningful stories, stir the imagination, and even provoke deep reflection.

We believed it was possible to create a game that teaches the most important story of all — the story of God’s redemption of the world through Jesus — without compromising on artistic quality or entertainment.

Introducing: The Serpent & The Seed

The Serpent & The Seed was born out of that conviction. It’s a beautifully crafted mobile game that invites players — whether Christian, curious, or completely unfamiliar with the Bible — into the big story of Scripture.

We designed it to be high quality, fun to play, and artistically rich, with stunning visuals and an immersive soundtrack. But above all, we wanted it to be spiritually meaningful.

Screenshot from The Serpent & the Seed featuring the lush garden of Eden with animals and colorful plants

Rather than simply quoting Bible verses or offering theological trivia, the game invites players to experience the narrative: the beauty of Eden, the tragedy of the Fall, the longings for redemption throughout the Old Testament, and how that hope finds fulfillment in Christ.

Music That Moves the Soul

One of the most powerful aspects of the game is its music. We partnered with Poor Bishop Hooper, a duo known for their musical project EveryPsalm, where they wrote a song for every psalm in the Bible over the course of three years. For The Serpent & The Seed, they composed four original songs, one for each act of the game.

These songs aren’t just background ambience, they’re part of the storytelling. For example, in the opening act, players explore the peaceful Garden of Eden. You help Adam name the animals, discover the beauty of creation, and feel the joy of a world made “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The gentle music enhances that sense of peace and harmony.

Screenshot from The Serpent & the Seed featuring Adam and Eve holding hands together at sunset

But then comes the turning point: Genesis 3. The serpent slithers onto the scene, sewing seeds of doubt with his chilling question:

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)

As Adam and Eve disobey God, the mood shifts. The spine-tingling opening notes of the first song kick in. The warm garden turns cold. Thorns and thistles begin to choke the earth. The sorrow is palpable. And yet, even in the midst of judgment there is hope:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [lit., ‘seed’] and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

This promise — the first hint of the gospel — is the seed of the entire rest of the story.

Discovering the Bible’s Big Story

Many people think of the Bible as a collection of random, disconnected stories. But it’s not. Despite being made up of 66 books written by about 40 different human authors over thousands of years, it has a unified message: God’s plan to rescue and restore a broken world through Jesus Christ.

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20–21)

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world … according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:4, 11)

Our hope with The Serpent & The Seed is that players come away not just with a few Bible facts, but with a deeper understanding of its overarching narrative: of how that promise from Genesis 3, of the “Seed of Eve” who will one day crush the serpent’s head, is developed through the rest of the Bible.

Who is the “seed” going to be?

Screenshot from The Serpent & the Seed featuring disciples gathered around the table at the Last Supper

Several characters in the Old Testament look like they might have potential, only to fail and fall short at crucial moments. Yet God graciously gives many of them promises of their own: a seed of Abraham who will be a blessing to the nations, a seed of David who will rule as king forever, and so on.

So when Jesus shows up on the scene, it’s an exciting fulfillment of centuries of anticipation — is he going to be the one to help bring us back into right relationship with our Creator God, bringing an end to the curse caused by our sin, and ending our banishment from paradise?

Real Impact, Real Encouragement

Since launch, The Serpent & The Seed has already helped thousands of players engage with the Bible in a fresh way, and we’ve been blown away by the response.

But it’s also opened doors for evangelism.

We’ve had the great privilege of trying a small pilot group, where we ran a simple three-week Bible study course with some non-Christians. Each week, participants played a portion of the game at home, then met to discuss what they’d experienced alongside key Bible passages.

These discussions were engaging, thoughtful, and, crucially, non-threatening. The game served as a bridge, presenting the Bible in a way that was accessible, emotionally resonant, and easier to talk about.

“When you received the word of God… you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

The Opportunity Before Us

Technology doesn’t need to be the enemy of spiritual growth. Even the alphabet itself is a form of technology, which is so crucial to how we engage with the Bible in its written form.

But of course our technologies also shape us and mold us, conforming our very view of the world itself into the lens through which it presents things. How important then that Christians are active in the technological space, helping build things that flow from a Biblical worldview and which are helping shape us in positive and God-glorifying ways.

Our hope and prayer is to see more Christians thinking creatively about how apps, games, and digital experiences can serve the gospel.

The Bible is not boring. The gospel is not outdated. And the people around us are more spiritually open than we often realize. What they need is an invitation — to step into God’s story.

Maybe a game can be that invitation.

Want to Try It?

The Serpent & The Seed is available now for free on the App Store and Google Play. Whether you’re a church leader looking for a fresh evangelism tool, a youth worker wanting something meaningful for your teens, or just a Christian longing to see Scripture come alive again, we’d love you to give it a try.

Let’s help this generation discover that the Bible isn’t just a book: as one person put it, it’s the very thing our fractured world needs right now, a “meaningful narrative about who we are.”

God’s Grace Is Free. So Why Do We Need the Ten Commandments?

Zondervan Bibles
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God’s Grace Is Free. So Why Do We Need the Ten Commandments?

A lot that happens at weddings is picturesque and photo-worthy. The wedding party, dressed in fancy attire, slowly strides down the aisle as beautiful music is played. Family and friends stand as the bride processes forward, looking radiant. Many of the onlookers wipe tears from their eyes as they smile and share in the joy of the ceremony.

But the real power of a wedding is in the vows and covenant promises the couple makes to God and to one another. When we hear words such as, “To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live,” we sense that something sacred and powerful is happening. God joins two people together, and the two become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

Wedding vows are promises of covenant faithfulness and love. Wedding vows are also a wonderful and vivid metaphor to help us understand the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).

The Ten Commandments Are Our Covenantal Promises

Hardly any passage of Scripture is better known than the Ten Commandments. Even outside the religious community, these ancient God-given laws are commonly cited or referenced. Unfortunately, however, we often think of them as austere, heavy-handed, or threatening. The old language of “Thou shalt not” has a punitive and perhaps angry feel, at least for some of us.

Let’s think, then, of the Ten Commandments more like marriage vows between God and his people. This image reframes them as promises between two parties of faithful covenant love and commitment.

Take, for example, the commandment “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 NIV). God is asking for his people to be completely devoted to him, much like two people pledge exclusive devotion to one another at their wedding.

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Keep in mind the context of the Sinai event. God delivered Israel, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, from slavery in Egypt. With a series of powerful signs, God freed his people (as God reminds them in Exodus 20:1-2). He even parted the waters to bring them to safety.

By doing so, God demonstrated his love and grace to his people. Therefore, the commandments are not given as a standard to earn God’s love and grace. Instead, God’s love and grace is freely given to us.  

Why Is God Jealous?

Continuing in Exodus, when God commands his people not to make for themselves any images to bow down to (Exodus 20:4-6), he adds a fascinating rationale: “for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.”

Why is God “jealous”? That sounds strange to us.

To understand this, we need to recall that jealousy is not the same as envy, although we often use those terms interchangeably. Envy is wanting what someone else has or wishing for someone who has more than we do to be miserable. Clearly, God is not envious.

Jealousy, on the other hand, means being zealous for what’s rightfully yours. God is “jealous” of all our devotion and worship because it rightfully belongs to him as our Creator and Redeemer. We can refer again to the marriage metaphor: A spouse is “jealous” of their partner’s love and will rightly be offended if they see their partner flirting with someone else.

This framework helps us understand the jealous nature of God, which is really a sign of his love for his people and his desire for their full commitment to him.

Righteousness and Justice: Obeying God in Two Directions

As you read through the Ten Commandments, you might notice a shift partway through. The first four commandments address our relationship with God. Starting with the commandment to honor one’s father and mother, however, the focus shifts to our relationships and dealings with other people. This is an important reminder that our relationship and obedience to God are not only lived out vertically; they’re also lived out horizontally.

To put it a different way, the way we treat others is a direct reflection of our relationship with God.

We can refer to these two “directions” of obedience—the vertical and the horizontal—as righteousness and justice. These two must always go together. To practice pious spirituality while ignoring the physical needs of other humans is no way to serve God (see, for example, Micah 6:8 and Isaiah 1:17). Neither can we practice a social religion focused solely on justice and physical concerns while ignoring devotion to God and proper worship. The Ten Commandments are a constant reminder that following God means practicing righteousness and justice together (Amos 5:24). 

The Weight of Guilt

A final observation about the Ten Commandments is that these instructions are each really the “tip of the iceberg” of a larger area of life. For example, Exodus 20:14 simply says, “You shall not commit adultery.” However, we cannot assume that by avoiding any blatant physical act of adultery, we are obeying the spirit and scope of this commandment. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV): “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

This brings the reality of the commandments down to the heart level — which also places each of us under the weight of guilt. The fact is, each of us has sinned in our hearts by hating others, belittling others, lusting after others, etc.

What hope, then, is there for us?

The answer is that there is wonderful hope for us in Christ Jesus. It’s true that we can’t be people of perfect righteousness and justice on our own. Each one of us has fallen short of God’s calling (Romans 3:23). Yes, the wages of sin is death, but thanks be to God that, through Christ Jesus, the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23)! Through Christ’s death and resurrection, our sin is taken away, and Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) tells us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Our New Reality

See, there’s something else that happens at a wedding besides the vows. At some point, the couple and the officiant sign the marriage license, a legal document that declares these two people are now married. The officiant’s signature authenticates that new reality.

Similarly, God used the death and resurrection of Christ to bring us from lives of sin into the new reality of being united to him in love and grace. We don’t earn that status through obedience to the Ten Commandments, but God invites us to pledge our loving devotion to him in response to his amazing grace to us. Thanks be to God!

NIV Application Bible

Adapted from the NIV Application Bible. Learn What the Bible Means. Discover What It Means for You.

Featuring thousands of study notes drawn from the bestselling NIV Application Commentary series (over 2 million copies sold), the NIV Application Bible helps you understand Scripture and apply it to your life in a whole new way. 

The NIV Application Bible is also available as part of Bible Gateway Plus — try it free today!

Encounter the Living God Moment by Moment With the Women of the Bible

Sherry Harney
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Encounter the Living God Moment by Moment With the Women of the Bible

How could a two-word verse in the Bible challenge the heart of a young girl? The verse in question simply says, “Pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17). I heard it in Sunday School and it captured my imagination. I wanted to pray more. I desired to honor God and have regular conversation with my Creator. I suspect you do too.

But how?

How does a little girl, a teenage girl, an adult woman pray all the time? Through many seasons of life, I continued to struggle to live out this epic invitation. Then it hit me, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart, it is not that we have to pray all the time . . . it is that we get to! The door to the throne room of God is always open and so is his heart. We can talk with the Lord of glory, any time, any place, no matter what we are facing. What glorious truth!

Prayer is for the sacred moments of worship and for the secular times we walk through our world each day. Conversation with God can happen when we bow, fold our hands, and close our eyes. Prayer is also for when we are driving a minivan full of kids, working hard in the marketplace, hanging out with friends, and in every situation we face in a normal week.

There is a staggering biblical call to pray. Let your soul marinate in the beauty of these passages of Scripture:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. — Romans 12:12 (NIV)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. — Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. — Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Learning to “pray continually” is not a matter of semantics. It is a spiritual reality, a paradigm shift of heavenly proportions. When we embrace prayer as something we get to do and not a chore we have to do, everything changes.

Encountering God With the Women of the Bible

Prayer, in its simplest form, is about relationship. It is about being in the presence of the God who made us and loves us. When we learn to pray throughout our day, we remember we are not alone. We sense more deeply and intimately that God is with us in our pain, depression, sadness, and fear. He is also present at the heights of joy and times of delight. From the valleys to the mountaintops, God is near, his door is open, he is present. 

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The Bible is filled with stories of women who encountered God in stunning ways, who cried out to the Lord in the highs and lows of life, and who experienced extraordinary power poured out from heaven. I recently immersed myself in the Scriptures to learn from women through Genesis to Revelation. My goal was to learn from my ancient sisters so I could willingly pray more in my daily life. What I learned has been truly transformational. My immersion in the whole text of the Bible led to 30 studies filled with lessons from 29 women (or groups of women).

I learned that these women in biblical times faced the same joys and struggles we do today, and their journeys can inform our daily lives. My lessons are captured in the study, Praying with Women of the Bible for 30 Days.

In this article, I have the honor of sharing three lessons from three dear sisters. I pray and trust God will take you to deeper places of prayer and intimacy with your Savior as you learn about and from these women of the Bible.

Learning from Abigail: Respond Boldly to God’s Leading

David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.” — 1 Samuel 25:32-33 (NIV)

Abigail endured great challenges in her life. At the top of her list was being married to a stubborn husband, Nabal, who acted foolishly toward David when he was on the run from Saul. God did not send an army to stop David and spare him from responding in vengeance. David acknowledged that God gave direction to Abigail. She did not turn her back on God. We see in her story that she followed the Lord’s prompting and did not hesitate to obey his leading in her quick actions. The Lord spoke to her and she responded in obedience. When conflict arises, relationships are tense, and wisdom is needed, we should cry out to the only One who offers the power, peace, and wisdom we need.

When God speaks, be ready to follow with humble obedience. Some situations in life demand unwavering trust in God’s direction — and then, quick action. When you face these moments, be bold and courageous.

Prayer Prompt: Spend a few moments with God asking him to help you hear and respond to his leading. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you not lag behind or rush ahead, but be ready for action when he gives the word. 

Learning from Huldah: Speaking the Hard Truth

She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. — 2 Chronicles 34:23-24 (NIV)

When King Josiah read the words of God, he realized that the nation was living contrary to God’s ways. He needed wisdom and direction, so he went to a woman who heard from God. Her name was Huldah. After she prayed and sought the face of God, she received an answer to her prayer, but it would be a hard message for the young king. She was willing to speak the truth, even when it was not popular.

Learn from Huldah’s example of courageous prayer and how she spoke even when it was not easy. We will all have times when the Lord speaks to us and calls us to stand strong and speak his truth boldly. We need to be ready for these moments, and Huldah’s example will help prepare us to follow God’s leading.

Prayer Prompt: Pray with increasing confidence and courage, believing that God can use you even when you feel unworthy and afraid.

Learning from the Woman Caught in Adultery: Hearing and Receiving Grace

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” — John 8:10–11 (NIV)

The interaction of Jesus with the woman caught in the act of adultery shows us the tender, truthful nature of our Savior. This was not the case with the religious leaders who brought her to Jesus. They presented her to Jesus and stated what the law required: death. It was through Jesus’ interaction that we are reminded that we are all in need of his grace. It was through this encounter with Jesus that she found grace. In her brokenness, she recognized her need for cleansing from sin. Jesus came in grace and truth, and he revealed both of these as he conversed with this woman.

You can draw near to the God who knows everything about you, who died to wash you clean, and who is ready to lavish you with his amazing grace. We bow under the weight of guilt, and he lifts us up in the power of grace and truth.

Prayer Prompt: Thank God for the cleansing and freedom from condemnation that he has given you through faith in Jesus.

Praying With the Women of the Bible

From Genesis to the Book of Revelation, we meet women who talked to God, listened for God, and followed his leading. May we be encouraged and inspired to do the same in our generation!

Praying with the Women of the Bible for 30 Days by Sherry Harney

Deepen your prayer life with women from scripture in Praying with Women of the Bible for 30 Days: A Bible Study Guide by Sherry Harney.

The thirty lessons on prayer in this book are each as unique as the women whose stories they tell. This is neither an academic nor a traditional Bible study, but author and prayer leader Sherry Harney will help you learn from the biblical accounts of women who met God in real and personal ways with prayers of all forms.

Look at the Book: 1 John [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: 1 John [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The first letter of John (commonly believed to be the same apostle John who wrote the gospel bearing his name) is all about modeling God’s love in community.

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.

Summary

In John’s first letter, he writes to assure believers of the certainty of their salvation and to refute heretical teachings that Jesus was not fully human and fully divine.

  • Category: Epistle
  • Theme: Fellowship
  • Timeline: Written around AD 90-95

Key Verse

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” — 1 John 5:13 (NIV)

(Almost) All You Need Is Love

The love of the church models the love of God. The trinitarian God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — exists in loving harmony. God’s people are to love one another in a way that models the love of the Trinity.

Genuine love is an indication of authenticity of our relationship with God and provides believers with assurance that their salvation is indeed genuine.

7 Day Reading Guide

Here’s a handy 7-day guide to the “catholic” epistles. (See 30-day reading guide below.)

The Battle Begins

Gnosticism was the most dangerous heresy that threatened the early church during the first three centuries. Most likely, John was combating the beginnings of this virulent heresy that threatened to destroy the fundamentals of the faith and the churches.

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from 1 John

How to Study the Bible in 2025 (and Actually Enjoy It)

Zach Windahl
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How to Study the Bible in 2025 (and Actually Enjoy It)

As Christians, we know how important it is to read our Bibles every day in order to get to know God better and hear from Him. Studies even show how our lives significantly improve the more we spend time in Scripture every week.

We know these things, but sometimes it’s a lot harder to actually do it.

Maybe you’re like me: I grew up going to church, I knew the stories, I memorized verses, but I didn’t have a daily habit of reading the Bible because, quite frankly, I didn’t know where to begin or how to read the Bible.

I want to give you four tips for studying the Bible for yourself in 2025 and actually enjoy the process instead of only doing it out of conviction. Whether you’ve read the Bible for decades or are just starting out, these tips will help you approach Scripture with clarity and confidence.

1. Begin With Prayer

One of the most important things you can do before opening your Bible is pray. Something that I have done with every one of my Bibles since I started taking my scripture reading seriously is write “PRAY BEFORE OPENING” in a Sharpie marker across the first blank page of my Bible. It’s a reminder that this isn’t just a history book that we are reading, but it’s inspired by the living God.

The same Holy Spirit who inspired the original authors is living inside of you (John 16:13). Of course he wants to help you understand what he is saying. Converse with him, ask him what he wants you to know, ask for wisdom, have a heart that’s open and moldable. By starting your Bible reading time with prayer, it helps center your focus on God.

2. Always Read in Context

The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by over 40 authors across 1,500 years. It’s a very large book written to a specific audience at a specific time. Now that doesn’t mean it isn’t written for us today, it is, but we need to make sure we are understanding the background information in order to interpret it in our modern day.

If we take verses out of context, we will create thousands of doctrines that contradict one another. Instead, we need to read Scripture in the context in which it was written. Study the entire paragraph, chapter, and book, instead of getting hung up on one sentence.

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Additionally, we need to be asking ourselves questions about the background. Things like:

  • Who wrote this?
  • Who were they writing to?
  • When was it written?
  • Why was it written?
  • What was the audience experiencing at the time?

By asking these questions, it will help us honor the author’s original intent before we take the verses and try to apply them to our lives. If you don’t know where to find this information, I would recommend investing in a nice study Bible, a Bible dictionary, and a survey of both the Old and New Testament. These can be invaluable and completely shift your understanding of Scripture.

I remember the first time that I realized the letters from the New Testament were written to specific people or places at specific times and it blew my mind. I thought, “Wait, Philippians was written to a church in Philippi by Paul?” It all became so real to me from there, and I know it will for you as well.

3. Shift Your Perspective

As I mentioned, the Bible wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us. So even though we aren’t the church in Philippi, as an example, we can still pull wisdom and understanding from what the author was saying. But we need to do our best to take on the original audience’s worldview.

For us in the West, that can be difficult. You see, we approach scripture from our Greek/Western mindset. We look at the Bible from a perspective of logic and data and analysis and we want to know how, scientifically, God did all of these things.

But the Bible was written in a Hebrew, Eastern context — which means it’s filled with story and poetry and symbolism a lot of the time. To better understand Scripture, we need to think more like the ancient Israelites while reading their text.

Rather than starting out by asking, “What does this verse mean to me?” try asking, “What was the author trying to communicate to the original readers, and how can I live that out today?”

4. Go From Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge

As much as studying the Bible can sometimes feel like another thing to check off our spiritual to-do list, we need to do whatever we can to fall in love with God through it. It isn’t about learning stories to build up our knowledge. Scripture reveals to us the heart of our Father who wants to be known by His people. When we read the Bible from the place of connection, it changes everything.

We would be doing ourselves and Him a major disservice if we only allow our Bible time to build up our knowledge of Scripture, instead of allowing it to make an impact on our hearts.

That means when we study the Bible this year, we should focus on pursuing Him in the process. Yes, it’s about learning, but it’s far more important to move our head knowledge to our heart. If we don’t allow Scripture to change us from the inside out we are just reading in vain. That’s what makes this book so different from other history books. It’s like looking through a mirror and figuring out who God desires to transform us into, into the image of Christ, going from glory to glory.

Reading the Bible Is a Lifelong Journey

My goal for you is to fall in love with Scripture so you can study it for the rest of your life. This isn’t a one-time read. You’ll never understand everything. But that’s the beauty of it. You can read the Bible 100 times and still find something new every time.

So be patient with yourself this year and allow your curiosity to lead the way. The goal is to be formed by the Bible, one day at a time.

Cover of "The Bible, Simplified" by Zach Windahl

Understanding the Bible starts with an open heart and a fresh approach to scripture.

  1. Begin with prayer.
  2. Read in context.
  3. Shift your lens.
  4. And learn to move your head knowledge to heart knowledge.

Let this year be the shift you’ve needed to make in order to fall more in love with the Father through His Word.

Go from feeling lost with the Bible to becoming confident in your faith. Get your copy of Zach’s book, The Bible, Simplified today! Then, take the next step with The Bible, Simplified Study Guide, an easy-to-follow, eight-week program with streaming video to help you learn and live the story of the Bible.

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