3/31/2023 0 Comments Daily bible verses app![]() ![]() We, me included, tend to treat the Bible differently than how it was meant to be treated. There is a real epidemic in the West when it comes to Bible engagement. Too many topical devotionals teach people to treat the Bible as a prescriptive solution to specific problems rather than a preventative solution to every problem. Let the user know what the goal of the app is and encourage them to download a real Bible app which presents the Bible as the main idea. If that’s the goal, then okay, but don’t call it a Bible app…call it a devotional app. The side-effect of this interaction (when Christians read more from a pastor than they do from the Bible) slowly shifts the perceived value of the Bible app from presenting Scripture to presenting Scripture-related ideas. Just Scripture, by itself, filling my spirit. Sometimes, most times, Scripture should be experienced free from the commentary of other people. But Bible reading isn’t always about being taught by a pastor. That’s the role of a Bible teacher and it’s a valuable role. There are times when commentary helps us explore Scripture from a broader perspective or see something in Scripture that we didn’t see before. When someone opens their Bible and reads more text from a pastor than text from the Bible, there’s a problem. Short devotionals packed with 90% commentary and 10% Bible are shifting perceived value for the user. Opening a Bible app doesn’t equal meaningful, enriching engagment has taken place. Features that increase engagement don’t always deepen experiences. There is, however, some culpability in the way Bible apps are built. The reason I know this is happening is because I’m guilty of misusing the Bible app and weakening my own walk with Jesus. This post is aimed at the Christian who is using a Bible app and not seeing the fruit of Scripture in their life, their knowledge of Scripture increase, their commitment to Jesus strengthen, their faith grow, their heart soften, or rarely sense a clear conviction of the Holy Spirit over sin. Their mission is to increase engagement with Scripture around the world and they’re accomplishing that excellently. In fact, this post isn’t aimed at YouVersion at all. I was a part of building YouVersion and I still love the mission and I’ve even got the logo tattooed on my shoulder blade (literally). Every single one of them that I’ve met is passionate about Bible engagement. I don’t write this post as an indictment against the YouVersion team or Life.Church or other Bible app developers. And the reach of the Bible is vitally important for the spread of the gospel.īut there’s a side effect happening in America (maybe all of the Western world) that is quietly undermining each person’s individual faith as well as the Church at large. There is no doubt that the reach of the Bible has been expanded because of Life.Church’s generosity. The YouVersion Bible app, by far the most widely-used Bible app on any platform, is a revolution for how the Bible reaches people around the world. I told a friend recently that I’m worried that Bible apps are hurting Christians more than helping them. ![]()
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