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March 31, 2013

This Easter, Let New Devotionals Bring a New Beginning.

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He is risen!

Together, we celebrate this most important day of the year with followers of Christ from all over the world.

Join us for Easter Restart

Easter marks a time of redemption and rebirth. It’s also a great time to bring a sense of renewal to your life. YouVersion has partnered with American Bible Society to help you embrace the promises and power of Easter through a collection of devotionals:

Sign up for a Restart reading plan with your free YouVersion account:

  • Restart: Compassion and Justice Let God’s Word shape how you view and respond to poverty and injustice in a world that’s longing for the hope of Christ.40 days
  • Restart: Stepping Out in Faith See your community through new eyes, as the book of Nehemiah reveals God’s heart for rebuilding broken lives and hopes. 40 days
  • Restart: Leading With Confidence Explore God’s foundational promises for you and the people you serve—and become the leader He made you to be. 7 days

Watch The Bible Series Finale Tonight

With over 80 million viewers so far, the epic TV miniseries The Bible is helping people explore the Bible in new and powerful ways. It’s also leading millions to use the Bible App in record-breaking fashion.

In the finale of the series, we’ll see a compelling visualization of the Easter story. Watch the conclusion of The Bible, tonight at 8/7c on the History channel.

March 24, 2013

5 Devotionals to Help you Prepare for Resurrection Sunday

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Easter is almost here! Next Sunday, March 31, join believers all over the world, as together we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It’s so important to engage with God’s Word every day—especially during this last week we have before Resurrection Sunday. Consider trying one of these great plans to draw your heart into a posture of gratitude and worship for what Christ’s sacrifice means in our lives:

  • Revealing Jesus with Darlene Zschech This video devotional features devotions, worship songs, and encouragement from internationally renowned worship leader Darlene Zschech, inspiring encounters with the heart of our Savior. 15 days
  • Love to the Uttermost: Holy Week Spanning Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, this individual, family, or group devotional uses nine select readings from John Piper to help direct our gaze toward our Savior. 9 days
  • The Children’s Guide to Easter Read with your children about Jesus’ sacrifice to forgive our sins, featuring illustrations (iOS/Android/web only) and study questions designed to spark family discussion. 7 days
  • Matt Maher – The Overflow Devo This devotional from Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Maher breaks down themes from several of his songs centered around Jesus’ resurrection, exploring how God’s love and mercy affect each of us personally. 7 days
  • Seven Mile Miracle Easter Devotion Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church digs into seven of Jesus’ final sayings on the cross, with daily Scripture readings and practical application. From Seven Mile Miracle. 7 days

You can find these and several more Easter plans in the Featured category.

February 26, 2013

Explore Dozens of New Bible Reading Plans

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We’ve just added more than 30 new Reading Plans to the Bible App!

Reading Plans are one of the best ways we’ve found to help you consistently engage with God’s Word. Simply subscribe to a plan on the topic of your choice, and each day, the Bible App shows you a passage of Scripture for that day. Choose from devotionals, topical plans, portions of the Bible, the entire Bible, and other categories. With more than 400 plans in 30 different languages, you can find something that’s just right for where you are in life.

Selected New Plans

Here are just a few of the new Reading Plans you might want to try:

The Overflow presents new video devotionals from some of today’s leading Christian artists and musicians, such as Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Rhett Walker Band, RED, Sho Baraka, and more! Various lengths

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom from Proverbs takes you through ten practical, biblical steps to help you start getting your finances in order. From trusted voice on money and business Dave Ramsey. 10 days

New City Catechism video devotional offers a series of questions and answers teaching foundational theological principles. Designed to serve both children and adults. From The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. 20 days

Selected New Categories

We’ve also added some new Reading Plan categories you might be interested in:

Focus on the Family features Reading Plans—including four brand-new ones from President Jim Daly—specifically designed to help families live out their faith based on biblical principles.

Time of Grace offers Reading Plans focused on imparting biblical principles about daily Christian life, with six new plans just added.

To check out all of YouVersion’s newest plans, visit the main Reading Plans page at Bible.com or look in the “New” category inside the Bible App.

February 14, 2013

YouVersion Plans Offer Lessons in Love

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God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
—1 John 4:16, New Living Translation

Whether you’re preparing for marriage or already married, this Valentine’s Day, learn about love — from the words of the One who is love. YouVersion offers several Reading Plans devoted to love and marriage:

Love and Marriage - Relationship insight from God’s Word helps you strengthen your lifelong bond. Each day features a short Bible passage and thoughts for you to discuss and pray about together. From LifeChurch.tv. 5 days

One: A Marriage Devotional - Develop a thriving relationship with your spouse through this marriage-building devotional from Jimmy Evans. Read once a week for a year, or daily for a more intensive experience. From Marriage Today. 52 days

Happily Ever After - While marriage has its challenges, listening to what God has to say about this sacred institution helps you commit your ways to be more like His. From Time of Grace. 31 days

From This Day Forward - Focusing on 5 key areas, this plan helps you build a marriage that will stand the test of time. Each day, you and your spouse will together read selected Bible passages, discuss selected topics, pray together, or engage in activities together. From LifeChurch.tv. 33 days

Love, Romance, & Marriage: Bible Audio Guide – Each day, a short audio clip shares biblical principles about love and romance, along with practical application to help you see God’s plan for your marriage. From Through the Word. 6 days

Marriage: A Lifelong Journey – Strengthen your commitment to the lifelong journey you have embarked on. Each day, read a short devotional and Bible verse to enrich your most important relationship. From Jim Daly. 7 Days

Learning together what God’s Word says about marriage relationships is one of the best ways you can strengthen your commitment to each other and to your faith. If you’re married or engaged, consider going through at least one of these plans together, and not just in this season, but throughout the year.

February 13, 2013

Begin Today to Prepare Your Heart for Easter

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During the forty days leading up to Easter, most often called Lent, Christians all over the world commit to sacrificing earthly pleasures. Because Easter falls on March 31 this year, that means today, February 13, is our first day.

Most are seeking to separate themselves from the physical nature of their lives, purposefully turning their thoughts instead toward their spiritual nature — to Christ in particular. If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, here are five areas you might consider for your journey:

  1. Pray. Pray however God’s Spirit leads you, whether in formal prayer or in short bursts. Just focus on drawing closer to His still, small voice.
  2. Deny yourself. Whether you choose to fast from food or something else you enjoy, each time you miss it, allow that time to remind you to turn your thoughts toward God.
  3. Repent. Ask God to reveal your innermost thoughts to you. Where it’s appropriate, ask for His forgiveness, and ask Him to change your heart.
  4. Give. Give whatever you can to those in need, whether by volunteering your time and talents or money.
  5. Read God’s Word. YouVersion offers Reading Plans specifically designed for this special time of reflection:

 

February 11, 2013

YouVersion Announces 21-Day Challenge Winners of iPad minis, Prize Packs

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On January 21, we invited everyone to join us for the 21-Day Challenge. Registered YouVersion community users who completed at least one day, every day, of an eligible Reading Plan from January 21 through February 10 had their names entered into a random drawing. The prizes were five iPad minis and 21 YouVersion prize packs. (Refer to original blog post for full contest rules.) The results are in, the custom 2013 badges are on their way to your inboxes, and we’re excited to announce the prize winners!*

iPad minis (Don’t forget to put the Bible App on your new iPad mini, first thing!)

Laura O.  -  John F.  -  Jim S.  -  Orlando H.  -  Abner S.

YouVersion T-Shirt and Sticker Pack. Congratulations to these 21 users:

Chad F. (United States) Manda H. (United States)
Elisangela M. (Brazil) Amy T. (Canada)
Seth D. (Canada) Emmanuel E. (Uganda)
Lindsay C. (United States) Daniela H. (Germany)
Keith H. (United States) Lisa M. (Great Britain)
Matthew C. (United States) Eddie B. (Netherlands)
Chanell B. (United States) Jennifer G. (United States)
Paul P. (Canada) Caitlin L. (United States)
Arteida M. (Bahamas) Liliana G. (Argentina)
Kymberly K. (United States) Carla M. (United States)
Suzanne B. (United States)

 

We hope that joining us for the challenge during these last 3 weeks helped you firmly establish your own daily Bible reading habit. But even more important, we hope this time brought you closer to God as you enjoyed spending time with Him each day in His Word. And now, even though the challenge is over, there’s no reason to stop! With more than 350 Reading Plans, your next plan is already waiting for you…Thank you, everyone! Besides our lucky winners, we’d like to thank everyone else who participated in the 21-Day Challenge! If it hasn’t already, your special 21-Day Challenge badge should show up on your YouVersion profile sometime during the next week.


*Winners can expect to receive prizes within the next 7–10 business days. Any correspondence with YouVersion must take place through the email address you used when you registered your free YouVersion account.

January 19, 2013

21-Day Challenge 2013: Win 1 of 5 iPad minis, Other Prizes

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If you’ve never read your Bible consistently before, it can be hard to get started. Research indicates it takes 21 to 28 days to establish a new habit. That’s why YouVersion started the 21-Day Challenge.

The 21-Day Challenge is designed to inspire you to try — and stick to — using Reading Plans to help you connect with God’s Word. All you have to do is complete the daily reading selection for any Reading Plan for 21 days, from Monday, January 21 through Sunday, February 10. You’ll get a special 21-Day Challenge badge on your YouVersion profile, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of five iPad minis or one of 21 YouVersion prize packs! (See official rules below.)

Reading Plans are a proven tool to help you read more of the Bible, more often. And once you’ve read the Bible for 21 days in a row, you’ll have all the momentum you need to keep going. With over 360 Reading Plans and counting, you’re sure to find the plan that’s just right for you. Thanks to YouVersion’s incredible worldwide community of translation volunteers, you can even choose from plans in any of 29 languages.

Tell your friends… and keep reading!


Official Rules:

  • If you don’t already have a free YouVersion account, sign up for one.
  • Complete at least one scheduled day of any YouVersion Reading Plan every day, from Monday, January 21 through Sunday, February 10.
  • Even if you’re subscribed to more than one Reading Plan, you only have to complete a day’s reading for one of them each day.
  • Listening to audio versions counts — as long as you make sure the reading for the day is checked off.
  • Whether you read, listen, or sign up to receive your plan by email, be sure that every passage for each day’s reading is checked off as completed.
  • Don’t miss or skip any days!
  • 26 prizes in total will be distributed to winners selected through a random drawing from the pool of eligible participants. Due to certain international customs fees and regulations, certain prizes may only be available for distribution to winners living in the United States. In such cases, winners living outside the United States will receive alternate prizes.

December 28, 2012

Pick a Great Reading Plan from YouVersion

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Yesterday we shared why it’s so important that we engage with God’s Word every day. The Bible App makes it easy, with hundreds of Reading Plans, ranging in length from just a few days to a whole year. To find your next plan, browse through the convenient categories, or use Search to find something specific.

If you’re still looking for ideas for your next Reading Plan, here are a few you might try:

Brand New Plans Just Added:

NIV Once-A-Day With six new devotionals, make the Bible a daily habit as you read short devotionals that fit into the pace of life. From Zondervan. various lengths

Made to Crave: 21 Day Challenge Bridge the gap between your desire to live a healthy lifestyle and the spiritual strength you need for lasting change. From Lysa TerKeurst. 21 days

God’s Glory and Your Purpose: Devotions with John Piper In this five-day video devotional, John Piper explains what the Bible teaches about the glory of God, and how it impacts our daily lives. From Desiring God. 5 days

Lead Like Jesus: 21 Days of Leadership Bible-based leadership principles for the effective development of people whose heart’s desire to lead as Jesus did. From Ken Blanchard. 21 days

One: A Marriage Devotional by Jimmy Evans Develop a thriving relationship with your spouse through this marriage-building devotional from Jimmy Evans and Marriage Today. 52 Days

Browse even more new plans…

Tried and True “Classic” Plans:

The One Year® Bible The most popular plan on YouVersion, experience the joy of reading the entire Bible with as little as 15 minutes of reading each day. From Tyndale. 1 year

Right From the Heart 1-Minute Devotions A daily injection of truth, reminding you what matters most in life – a relationship with Jesus Christ. Basically, we cut the fluff and get right to the point. From Bryant Wright and RFTH Ministries. 1 year

The Essential 100 A favorite around the world, the E100 guides you through 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament passages, helping you see the big picture of God’s Word. From Scripture Union. 100 days

Soul Detox Use this plan to identify what’s been chipping away at your soul, and to cleanse your spirit, as you step into the person God created you to be. From LifeChurch.tv. 35 days

Psalms and Proverbs in 31 Days Encounter God and find comfort, strength, solace, and encouragement that covers the breadth of the human experience. From YouVersion. 31 days

Browse all plans…

The new year offers us a great time to get back to basics on the things that matter most in our lives. The first step may be the hardest, but it’s also the one that has the most power to change your life!

December 27, 2012

Hear God’s Voice in Your Everyday Life

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What’s the most important voice in your life? You can probably picture a specific person’s face, even hear their voice in your head. That relationship didn’t “just happen.” You work on it. You value it.

That’s the kind of relationship God wants with you as his adopted child. And what in your life could be more important than that? He wants you to talk to him, and he wants to talk to you—through his Word. Starting a new year is the perfect time to freshen relationships and renew dreams. What might your 2013 look like — if you leave space to hear from him?

YouVersion’s Bible Plans make it easy to connect daily with God. People in the worldwide YouVersion community constantly share how much it means to make God’s Word a part of their everyday lives. The key is to just get started. Here we’ve made a short list to help you turn engaging with the Bible into a daily habit:

  1. If you haven’t already, download the Bible App to your device. (Read more…)
  2. Get your free YouVersion account.
  3. Sign up for a Reading Plan. (Read more…)
  4. Then just start reading God’s Word—or listening to it—a little each day. It really is that simple!

To help you stick with it, invite your friends! It’s easy to connect to Facebook and Twitter and let them know what you’re reading.

If you’re still having a hard time picking a plan, check back here tomorrow. We’ll share highlights from some exciting, brand-new Reading Plans, as well as some proven favorites!

December 19, 2012

Bible App for iOS Adds More Offline Features, Thai Language Support

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The new version of the Bible App™ for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch — version 4.2 — is available now in the iTunes App Store. Since many of you use the Bible App during times when you don’t have a mobile signal or Internet connection, one of the most frequent requests from the YouVersion community has been to make more of our features available offline. We think you’ll find a lot to love in this latest update:

Enhanced Offline Experience. We’ve added offline capabilities to most of your favorite features, like Reading Plans, Notes, and even your customized Today view! We’ve also improved the display of your list of downloaded Bible Versions when you’re offline. Now the Bible App for iOS stores information for all of these things locally on your device, only syncing with your online account in the background once you’re connected again. Add new Notes and keep up on your Reading Plans, anytime, anywhere — even when you can’t get a signal!

Better Bookmarking. Bookmarks still work the way you’re used to. Just tap a verse or passage you want to share, memorize, or study to Bookmark it. But we’ve added the ability to edit your Bookmarks, so you can keep them organized just how you like.

In-App Password Change. You’ve always been able to sign in and out from inside the Bible App, but if you wanted to update your password, you had to visit YouVersion.com. Not anymore! Now, for the first time ever, you can change your password directly from the Bible App on your device.

Thai Language Support. You probably know that YouVersion offers Bible versions in more than 200 languages. But did you know that, thanks to an awesome worldwide community of YouVersion translation volunteers, you can also set the Bible App’s interface on your Apple device—menus, buttons, and controls—to display in any of 31 languages? Simply go to Settings, General, and pick your favorite, or change the default language for your device. Thai is a brand new addition to YouVersion’s interface language offerings, available first on iOS in this release (and coming soon to more platforms)!

Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements. As always, for each new release of the Bible App for iOS, we take the opportunity to make several improvements and adjustments. While our community lets us know about issues through our Support website, our own testing and development often reveal things we can do to make your overall YouVersion experience better.

Be sure to let your friends know about this latest update to the Bible App for iOS, especially if they speak Thai! And come see us on Facebook and Twitter. We love hearing from you!

For users interested in understanding our strategy in regards to iPhone 5, please read this blog post. 

Get Your Bible App Update Now:

If you already have the Bible App installed:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Updates icon.
  3. Tap Update for the Bible App.
    OR
    Tap Update All.

If this is your first time installing the Bible App:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Search icon.
  3. Search for “Bible”.
  4. Tap the Bible App from LifeChurch.tv.
  5. Tap the FREE button.
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