Bible Study Resources
Studying the Bible every day will change your life. No matter what season of life you find yourself in–be that a season of joy, sadness, stress, or full-on teacher burnout, the Word of God is your guide!
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Joshua 1:8 NIV
I know how much teachers like supplies, so I have gathered some information and resources to help you select everything from a Bible to highlighters!
The most important thing you need is your Bible! Please do not think you need to buy expensive supplies and resources to study God’s word.
Below are some resources and suggestions if you want to level up your Bible study experience.
(This note: this post does contain affiliate links. If you purchase something using this link, I receive a very small commission that helps support the costs of maintaining this site.)
Get a Bible
The Bible is available for free online and through various mobile apps. This is a great place to start if you are new to studying God’s word. I love the YouVersion Bible app, and it contains many different translations, Bible reading plans, devotionals, and more.
After many years of reading the Bible on my phone out of convenience, I have felt convicted to get back to using a physical Bible. Here are some considerations:
- The phone is loaded with things of the world and distractions. Even when I open the Bible app during church, I am distracted by other notifications and things on my phone.
- Carrying the Holy Word of God is powerful, and I believe it sends a message to others without saying a word. We don’t see people carrying Bibles very often anymore (even at church). I want to carry my Bible in public spaces, even when I speak at schools and conferences where I’m not allowed to talk about my faith. A Bible in my hands can spark conversations!
Selecting a Bible
Selecting a Bible and translation can be overwhelming! There are so many different types of Bibles.
I want to encourage you to select the translation that works best for you but also to study multiple translations. (The Bible app is great for this, too!)
The image below from Mardel is a quick look at how translations vary from word-for-word to thought-for-though.
If you’d like to dig deeper and see examples, check out this Bible Translation Guide from Mardel.
Let the Holy Spirit lead you in selecting the best choice for your studies.
Here are a few different Bibles that I own (all are available in different translations):
I received one of these when I graduated from High School. The commentary really helped me as a young adult. It also includes lots of supplemental materials, maps, charts, profiles, dictionary, and more.
This is a PRETTY Bible! I like that this one includes wide margins for notes and annotations. It includes full-color pages, devotionals, reading plans, and is a single column making it easy to read.
Chronological Life Application Study Bible
I only recently discovered this one! This Bible puts the events in a timeline and presents the scripture in chronological order. I really like using this to read the Gospels so I can see parallel verses side-by-side. It also has full-color maps, images, history, profiles, and more. Love this Bible so much!
Inspire PRAISE Bible (Coloring & Journaling Bible)
This one has beautiful coloring pages! I do enjoy a good adult coloring page, but I do caution you with this Bible. Coloring may be more of a distraction than a meditation on God’s word. You decide what’s best for you.
Bible Dictionary, Concordance, and Commentary
You may also enjoy adding a Bible dictionary, concordance, and commentary to your Bible study library. These tools can help you research the meaning of words, translate original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and learn from Biblical scholars. Below are a few that I own:
- Ultimate Bible Dictionary: A Quick and Concise Guide to the People, Places, Objects, and Events in the Bible (Ultimate Guide)
- The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
- The MacArthur Bible Commentary
Pens, Highlighters, Sticky Notes, and more!
Now for the fun stuff! I do love a good pen and highlighter. My favorite gel pens are the Papermate InkJoy. They are smooth and easy to use on thin Bible paper.
I recently purchased a set of the Mildliner highlighters, and they work beautifully.
Although Mildliners are still very wet, so if you prefer no-bleed, gel highlighters, Mr. Pen has some great options.
Sticky notes always come in handy! Have you tried transparent sticky notes? These will allow you to see the text under the note!
I also love the big 4×6 sticky notes with lines for writing prayers and scripture that I can stick to the wall in my war room or on my bathroom mirror to remind me!
Bible study is a very personal journey! Wherever you are in your Bible study journey, just make it a priority to read the Bible every day, and I guarantee it will transform your life!
If you are looking to learn more Bible study and prayer strategies, grab a copy of the Faith Notebook.