FAITH & INSPIRATIONI
- I can still remember the day I gave my life to Christ and confessed He was Lord for the first time. I was excited about this new treasure I had found. But I was also confused about what to do next because I didn’t have anyone around me that could guide me.
- Nevertheless, God graciously provided resources along my way that helped me start my faith journey. I have compiled these resources in this post in the hopes that they may be of help to you too.
- 1. A Bible/Study Bible
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- Obviously right? The first thing I did after getting saved was to buy a Bible and read it. Even though I was a “Christian,” I had never read the Bible. I did try a few times though. But each time, I dropped out somewhere in Leviticus. Once I got saved though, the first task on my to-do list was reading the Bible seriously because:
- I wanted to learn more about God and start a relationship with Him.
- I love reading books, so it was natural for me to dig in the most important book ever.
- When I got ready to get my first Bible, I immediately hit a roadblock, the amount of diversity in Bibles! First, there are different Bible translations such as KJV, NIV, ESV, NLT, etc. Secondly, there are different types, such as study Bibles, application Bibles, journaling Bibles, etc. All these options just overwhelmed me, and I had to do some thorough research to find what I needed
- Advice for a Bible translation
- At first, I was going to buy the King James Version because that is the only translation I knew. Then I read some verses from it and decided I was not about “thou” and “giveth” life. I did some research and learned of three main types of Bible translations; word-for-word (e.g., NKJV, ESV), thought-for-thought (e.g., NIV, NLT) and paraphrase (e.g., MSG).
- I performed a simple test to choose a translation. I picked up a couple of familiar verses from the Bible, such as the ten commandments, Genesis 1 or John 3:16. Then I used Biblehub.com to compare the verses in different translations and picked up the one I liked best, which was the NJKV and ESV.
- Some people say one translation is superior to the others, and only swear by one or the other. I don’t ascribe to that; I think it is a matter of preference. Moreover, what matters is reading the word.
- However, I have some caution about the KJV and the MSG translations
- If you are reading from the KJV, keep in mind that is was written a long time ago, and the English Language has evolved a lot since then. Some words used back then may have a different meaning today. For example, read Proverbs 29:18 in the KJV and then a modern translation.
- I do not recommend using the MSG or any other paraphrased translation as your primary or only Bible. Paraphrased Bibles add a lot of things, and it is best to use it in conjunction with a thought-for-thought or word-for-word translation.
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SEE ALSO: My Salvation Testimony
- Suggestion for Bible type
- I originally planned to purchase a regular Bible, but after some research, I also decided to get a study Bible, and I am glad I did! Study Bibles provide an overview and context for each book as well as verse by verse commentaries. I recommend using a study Bible when reading through the Bible for the first time.
- They do get a little expensive, so skip the leather-bound version and get a paperback or hardcover version if you are budget conscious (that’s what I did). Note that I recommend a study bible in addition to a regular Bible for the following reasons.
- Study Bibles have many commentaries that can get distracting for those time when you want the word to speak to you
- Study Bibles are big and bulky and not practical to carry around to a small group or church.
- 2. The Bible Project
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- Some Bible books can be hard to read, especially books of the OT. When I tried reading the Bible for the first time in 2016, I dropped out in Leviticus. Unfortunately, I didn’t touch my Bible for the rest of that year, but thank God for the Bible Project!
- The Bible Project is an excellent resource that I can’t recommend enough! It is a ministry that makes short animated videos about all the books of the Bible. The videos are all 8 to 10 minutes, and best of all, it is free! Every video explains the text, its structure, theme, etc. It’s great for everyone, especially those that have never read the Bible and are intimidated by this big book.
- It has been a blessing to me when I discovered it at the end of 2016. Their videos and articles helped me read through Leviticus. I subscribed to their reading plan in 2017, and not only did I read the whole Bible in a year, but I enjoyed it.
- When it comes to reading plans, I highly recommend plans with the OT before the NT, such as chronologically or traditional (Genesis to Revelation). Reading the old testament gives a lot of background and context to the NT. Plus, it is neat to read all the prophecies about Jesus and then read how He fulfilled them in the NT. Furthermore, you only read one book at a time instead of four.
- The Bible Project also has reading plans. When you subscribe to their Read Scripture plan, you will read the Bible in a semi-chronological plan, and you will receive weekly emails with a summary of the week’s reading, blog posts, videos, and the chapters for the upcoming week and other goodies.
- Furthermore, they have other resources like podcasts, blog posts, posters, different types of videos, studies, etc. I love what God is doing through them, and I encourage you to check them out.
- 3. John 7:17 Challenge
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- I can’t quite remember what I was l was searching on google but, I stumbled upon a site called Relentless Heart and discovered a devotional/book called the John 7:17 challenge. Here is the description from the website
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SEE ALSO: My Salvation Testimony
- “The John 7:17 Challenge is a step-by-step 90-day discipleship journey through the actionable teachings of Christ, in order to experience God and find life to the full. Do you enjoy stories and illustrations to help you to understand and apply God’s word? This book is loaded with transparent stories of Michael’s own failures, victories, and how God dealt with him on the way.”
- It is not a prosperity gospel type of book. On the contrary, it can be very convicting. I did the challenge in 2017, and it helped me grow in my faith. I learned what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to follow Him. It also convicted me as I learned of things that I did that were not Christlike.
- If you are looking for something to help you in your faith, give this book a try. My relationship with God grew a lot through this devotional.
- 4. Got Questions
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- When I became a Christian, I had a lot of questions. My questions ranged from “how can I hear God’s voice,” and “how should I pray,” to ” what happens after I die?,” and “how is God sovereign and still give us free will?” To find answers to these questions; I did what most people do, I hit google, and this is how I discovered Got Questions ministry.
- Got Questions is a ministry that provides answers to many Christian questions. It has been an enormous help for me when I started my faith journey, as I had a lot of questions about God, the Bible, Christianity, etc. I don’t think I have ever had a question that wasn’t on Got Questions. And believe me, I had a lot!
- If you are like me and got a lot of questions, or perhaps you have some that you are embarrassed to ask (I had some too), you should check them out. Even if you don’t have any, still check their website, I am sure you will learn something new.
- Whether you just started walking with Jesus or have been running your race for years, I hope one or more of these resources might be of assistance to you in growing your faith. They all helped me, and are still assisting me today.
- If you have recently accepted Jesus into your life; congratulations! Know that heaven is rejoicing over you! But we also want to celebrate you on earth. Please consider sharing your story in the testimony page and give glory to God for what he has done and be an encouragement for others.
- Do you have some other resources that helped you? Leave them in the comments below!
- Grace and peace and to you!
