Practical QTSample

 #20 Some resources

When this plan was first published as a series of emails, I asked for questions and comments and received very helpful feedback.  The one question that came up more than once, was a request for resources, and so, here's a quick overview.

Without being facetious, the starting point is your Bible.  For most people, getting one Bible that they use for QT, take to church and use at Bible Studies is a great start.  The idea is that you begin to feel at home in it.  It needs to be easy to read (print size), and you need to feel comfortable about writing in the margins and underlining verses.  What begins to happen is that opening your Bible becomes like sitting down with an old friend, and your mind changes into QT gear so much more easily.

While talking about Bibles, I think a good Bible translation with some reference tools built in is a great asset.  There is a range of Bible translations available ranging from paraphrases (like Eugene Peterson's The Message) through dynamic translations to very literal translations (like the King James Version or the Revised Standard Version).  The translations that fall in the middle of this range are the best place to start.  Examples of these are: New International Version (NIV), Contemporary English Version (CEV) and English Standard Version (ESV).  There are editions of all these versions that come with reference tools built-in.

The two best reference Bibles are the NIV Study Bible and the ESV Study Bible.  You can also look at the Life Application Bibles (in various translations), and I use the Thompson's Chain Reference, which doesn't have commentary as much as it provides links between related verses and lists of verses on particular themes.

Finally, some other tools that are helpful:

• YouVersion lets you look for verses containing keywords.
• A concordance gives lists of words and the verses they are found in.
• Bible handbooks are very helpful, and two of the best are:
  • “What the Bible is all about” — HC Mears.
  • The Lion Handbook to the Bible.
• Rick Warren has a book on Bible Study Methods.
• Five coloured pencils and a marking system (see Tip #17).
• A good dose of discipline, and failing that, accountability.
• A good alarm clock to wake up those few minutes earlier... ☺
• A notebook to write down prayers, journal a bit and record lessons learned.
• A sense of humble awe: “I get to meet with the King of Kings and Creator of the Universe in my QT!”