YouVersion Plans Offer Lessons in Love

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.

Begin Today to Prepare Your Heart for Easter

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:

 

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

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.

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

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.

Pick a Great Reading Plan from YouVersion

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!