Review - Soaking up Scripture

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, June 18th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: soaking up Scripture.

Summer is often a time for families to spend more time together, having fun and making memories. And there’s no better way to do that than to dive into God’s word together. You can certainly do that the old fashioned way—you know, reading. But if you’re interested in experiencing the Bible in a new way this summer, reviewer Emily Whitten has a few suggestions.

CLIP: What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?

EMILY WHITTEN, REPORTER: That’s one of the voices from the Dwell Bible app launched as a Kickstarter project in 2018. Co-founders Jonathan and Joshua Bailey wanted to create a Bible app for your smartphone—one you’d want to listen to.

VIDEO: When we set out over a year ago, We didn’t just look for one voice. We looked for multiple voices.

In a way, this app combines Bible content with a music player. You can read the text, but the app focuses on audio options. You can listen to an entire book of the Bible, one particular story, or a themed playlist of verses—say, on the topic of anxiety.

Once you hit play, you get a toolbar to customize your experience. That’s where you choose your reader. The reader we heard a moment ago was Kylie reading from the NIV. Here’s Felix, one of the ESV readers.

CLIP: In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God.

A lot of reviewers like Rosie, who also reads the ESV.

CLIP: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

My favorite is the actor, David Suchet, reading the NIV:

CLIP: But now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known to which the law and the prophets testified.

Other ways to customize the app include changing the background music. You can choose from options like piano, ambient, or guitar. All fairly soothing and meditative. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that you can add a timer to your playlist, in case you want to use it before bed.

To unlock the entire experience, you’ll need to pay $29 for a yearly subscription. Some pastors and elders might want to check out the church licensing option. It’s a good bit cheaper that way.

My second recommendation may be especially helpful for teen boys or reluctant readers. The Epic Bible by Tyndale and Kingstone Comics came out last fall, and it contains 820+ pages of Bible stories drawn by Marvel and DC Comics illustrators.

CLIP: Hung on a cross to die. But the story didn’t end there. Find out more in The Epic Bible.

The presentation spans Genesis to Revelation, and it’s similar to the popular The Action Bible. But The Epic Bible differs in that it’s a little more mature, including its presentation of evil and violence. Readers see a sword plunged in Ehud’s belly, for instance.

My main caution, though, regards the contrast between the visually muscular, idealized comic-style heroes and the real heroes of the Bible. 1 Corinthians tells us “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” And Isaiah describes Christ as having “no form or majesty” and “no beauty that we should desire him.” That might be worth pointing out to young readers.

That said, the text of this book is remarkably faithful to the original Bible text. Much of the dialogue comes straight from Scripture, and it lists Bible chapter and verse references at the bottom of each page. Here’s a Youtube clip of Kingstone Comics founder Art Ayris on the Shaun Tabatt Show this April.

AYRIS: We have so much anecdotal, so many letters and notes and emails from people about, now I understand the Bible. I never understood it until I read this. We see it elevates the level of Bible understanding. And that makes us super happy.

Ayris also says that while they originally targeted tween and teen boys, they have seen demand grow among female readers, men ages 20-35, and Hispanic readers. If you know of a teen or any reluctant reader who might not read a print version of the Bible, this version might just peak their interest. And The Epic Bible might inspire them to find out more by reading the original Bible stories.

My third recommendation is one the whole family can enjoy.

CLIP: For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

That’s music from The Corner Room created by Adam Wright. He’s music minister at Cahaba Park Church in Birmingham, Alabama. And he sets Scripture to music to help his congregation—and other Christians—memorize and savor Scripture.

CLIP: Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect…

Listeners will find a mix of musical genres here, so take a few moments to browse Corner Room’s Youtube channel or website to find what best suits you. Parents of little ones may especially appreciate Remember and Proclaim, Wright’s album for families.

CLIP: Fear not for I am with you….

I’m Emily Whitten.

CLIP: Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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