Bible Reading Resources

I often feel both inundated with information and at a loss of how to find what I need. The same holds true for Scripture engagement. What are helpful resources? Where can I find them? Here's a roundup of some of my favorites. Since we each have specific needs and desires when it comes to encountering God through Scripture, I've broken them up into categories—women, kids, pre-teens, groups. I hope one or more of them can spur you on in your Bible-reading journey.

1. For Women: She Reads Truth

She Reads Truth is an online community designed to help women engage with Scripture. Reading plans cover books of the Bible, themes, liturgical seasons, and more. She Reads Truth offers materials through both a website and an app. Reflections are often written in personal voice, making the reading relatable. This is a great resource to help you develop consistent Scripture reading habits so you can be refreshed by the Bible's truths. She Reads Truth's mission is "to invite the already-reached to reach for their Bibles—every day."

2. For Kids: The Jesus Storybook Bible

How can parents thoughtfully introduce kids to the Bible? Sally Lloyd-Jones created The Jesus Storybook Bible to do just that, telling "the story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them." This is a collection of the Bible's stories, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. Each is colorfully illustrated and told in simple, childlike language. But it is rich in theology, and can speak to the adult reader as powerfully as it speaks to the kids. The Jesus Storybook Bible is available in print and audio.

3. For Preteens: The Action Bible

When it comes to getting preteens interested in reading the Bible, many of us are stumped. But in addition to traditional methods, it's worth speaking with this age group in a way they can understand. The Action Bible presents biblical stories in a graphic novel format. It reveals the Bible as an epic battle, full of suspense and with a climactic ending. Its angular, dramatic images track with the visual language of popular culture. But it doesn't skimp on the Bible's narrative or historical flow. This resource can spark preteens' interest in the Bible and set the stage for further engagement as they get older.

4. For Groups: Community Bible Experience

Reading the Bible in group settings often requires extensive planning on the part of the teacher. Discussions can quickly get off track from actually interacting with the Bible, and members can lose motivation to keep reading. Wouldn't it be more fun to just do a book club? The Community Bible Experience responds directly to those obstacles. Biblica, in partnership with American Bible Society, reformatted the NIV Bible to make it read "less like a reference book, more like a story"—no chapter breaks or verses. It follows an eight-week reading plan designed for church small groups. Participants read the Bible like a book then get together to discuss it. Five simple but profound questions guide the conversation so there's no need for extensive preparation or heavy-handed facilitation. The program is as simple as that—making space to encounter all the Bible's transforming power.

Whether on your own, in groups, or with the kids in your life, a bit of creativity makes engaging Scripture more fun and accessible. Find some ideas that work for you and stick with them for a while. You may be surprised by how you read the same stories in new ways, or see familiar teachings a little more clearly.