Wanna Read the Bible? Think Outside The Book!

By C. Austin Tucker | February 3, 2011 | Category Bible Software & Technology

Not long ago, when you wanted to read the Bible you had to do it the old fashioned way: you grabbed your Bible, found a nice comfortable place, and started reading. If you were new to reading the Bible the task was a bit more complicated. You were faced with this big, bulky book, wondering where to begin and if you would ever be able to read through it all. Now with today’s technology, you can read the Bible literally anywhere.

An awesome ministry called YouVersion has created a free app that allows for reading the Bible on multiple devices such as the Blackberry, Android, iPhone, iPod, and iPad. You can also use your computer’s internet browser.

In keeping with their motto to make the scriptures freely available to as many people as possible, YouVersion provides 41 translations in 22 languages. Bibles are available in various versions such as The Amplified Bible, Good News Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible, The Message, KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, NIV, and the NLT. The Bible can be read in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian, German, and many other languages.

In January, those using the app spent 681 million minutes reading the Bible; This month YouVersion is shooting for 1 billion minutes, and now you can be a part of that. You can even share your readings with your friends by linking your YouVersion account to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

There are more than 50 Bible Reading Plans to choose from that will take you through the Bible in a way that fits your lifestyle and schedule. With Easter just around the corner, a great plan to begin with is The Essential Jesus. This plan leads you through 100 carefully selected passages of Scripture to introduce you to the person of Jesus. You’ll read prophecies foretelling His coming, follow Him through His death and resurrection, and read about His inevitable return.

Ready to begin? Here are the steps to get you started:

Create a free account at http://www.youversion.com/
From your Mobile device, download YouVersion at http://www.youversion.com/downloads/
Choose your Bible Reading Plan
Enjoy reading the Bible

Thanks to YouVersion, you will be able to keep your New Year’s Resolution to read the Bible this year. With the Bible readily available wherever you are, you will be able to engage in scripture like never before.

Already a YouVersion user? Comment below and let us know how it has changed your life.