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Whether you call them Bible Plans, Reading Plans, or Devotionals, we offer Plans that cover a broad range of interests, including many in categories you may not have tried yet. Struggling with stress? Looking for wisdom for your relationships? Need a dose of hope or inspiration? Our Discover feature makes it easy and fun to find just the right Plans for the season of life you’re in!

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2019-08-282019-08-20

3 Ways to Rest in a World that Won’t Stop Working

Person paddling a boat at sunset

So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

GENESIS 2:3

Rest — to relax, pause, breathe, and be at ease.

When was the last time you slowed down, unplugged, and relaxed? Rest is a gift we too easily push aside.

Busyness makes us feel like we’re accomplishing something, but it can be counterfeit. Without healthy boundaries, activity can be like a narcotic, numbing us to our need for intimacy with God: the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

PROVERBS 19:23

Life without rest isn’t sustainable. Rest refreshes us, giving us the energy we need to honor God and to love others. Practicing rest is a spiritual discipline that helps us enjoy God’s presence and realign our priorities.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

PSALM 23:2-3a

Here are 3 ways you can incorporate rest into your daily life:

Practice Mindfulness

In Romans 12, Paul urges us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Practicing mindfulness can help us realign our hearts and minds to what God is doing. Where do you focus best? Nestled in your kitchen with a cup of coffee? Out for a run, listening to worship music? Find something that makes you feel close to God, and focus your mind on Him there before you start your day.

Challenge: Take 5-10 minutes each day and visualize every worry and responsibility, giving each one to Jesus in prayer. (If it helps you, write them down.)

Meditate on Scripture

All Scripture is inspired by God. When you read or listen to God’s Word, and you reflect on what it says, you learn to recognize God’s voice. Purposeful time in the Bible requires making it a priority to focus on just being with Jesus.

Challenge: Set aside 30 minutes a day to read or listen to God’s Word. During that time, snooze your calendar and notifications. Try a Plan, take notes, and journal your thoughts. Let God speak to you.

Be with Community

Intimacy with God doesn’t mean shutting yourself off from other people. In fact, sometimes it means making space for them. Rest is the perfect time to celebrate life with people you love. We’re not made to do life alone. We need each other.

Challenge: Invest at least a couple of hours each week with people you love. Don’t set an agenda. Just show up and enjoy one another’s company. Afterwards, write down anything God showed you during your time together.

These are just a few suggestions to help you start turning intimacy with God into a daily rhythm. Explore more ways to experience rest in one of the Plans below.

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2019-08-242019-08-19

Introducing: New & Improved Fonts!

Font Selector

Ever wished you had more font options for reading the Bible, your Bible Plans, or even adding that extra unique touch to your Verse Images? Now, you can simply tap the Font button at the top of your screen (or in your Reader Settings) and find the one that works best for you.

Want even more choices? Check your system’s font settings. Any font available on your device is now available in the Bible App.

Make it personal.

Found a font you love? Fantastic! Help a friend transform their Bible reading experience: tell them about the new updated Fonts feature. Enjoy a more personalized journey through God’s Word.

Update Your App

2019-08-142019-08-13

How to Cultivate a Heart of Generosity

Woman sitting on a bench watching the sunset

You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:11
(emphasis added)

Give — to offer to something higher, to make a present of, to place in the possession of another for their use.

What’s your most prized possession? It might be the most valuable thing you own, like the house you’ve worked your whole life to afford. But it could also be a photo from a special time you spent with someone you loved. Or it could be a meaningful gift from a friend.

The value we assign to our “things” is tangled up with our emotions. How we choose to use the things we cherish most reveals our true priorities.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

MATTHEW 6:21

There’s nothing wrong with having things, or with enjoying them. The problem comes when our things have us. God modeled what generosity looks like when He sacrificed his greatest treasure for us. When we give like He does, and we honor Him with that giving, it draws us closer to Him.

This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

JOHN 3:16 (emphasis added)

Here are 3 simple ways you can begin to practice generosity:

Invest Your Time

Are you engaged in what’s going on in your community? On your street? With your next-door neighbors? You can practice being a better listener almost anywhere: taking your trash out, shopping at a grocery store, working out at the gym. Look for common ground with people, and meet them wherever they are in life, with kindness and respect.

Challenge: The next interaction you have with someone, ask how their day is going. Then listen. Be genuinely interested in them. Make the moment about them, not about you.

Invest Your God-Given Gifts

In what areas are you uniquely gifted? Are you putting your gifts and talents to work in ways that will point people toward Jesus? One of Jesus’ most famous parables is about making the most of what God has given us.

Challenge: Find someplace where you can begin using your gifts to serve others. Start small and local, or go big. Just start.