Dear Reader,

In this day and age, were online all the time. Phones. Tablets. Computers. TVs.
You name it, its connected.

Your Bible Study should be too. (Not all of it. But thats another book.)
While there are certainly terrific Bible study tools you can pay for, its truly
unbelievable how much stuff is available online for free. That said, there is
also a lot of garbage out there. If you dont believe me, try typing Bible study
into Google or Bing. Yikes!

As youve guessed, this eBook is my list of the top 10 on Bible study tools you
can get without spending a dime. Some are websites. Others are apps for your
tablet or phone. Most are both. (How cool is that?)

Im copyrighting this eBook, but Id love to have anyone you share it with have
the opportunity to join the conversation at www.KeithFerrin.com. SoIf you
decide to share it online (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc.), would
you do me a favor? Could you use either @KeithFerrin or #LikeTheBible so I
can reply, retweet, re-share, and keep the ball rolling? Thanks.

After you check out my Top 10, I would love it if youd share your favorites
as well. Im sure I will be updating this eBook in the years to come. I always
keep adding stuff I find helpful. You can find it all at
www.KeithFerrin.com/resources.

Enjoy!

Alongside,
#1 Bible Gateway

Where do I find it?

www.BibleGateway.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

This one youve probably heard of. You might know it as the website that has
the Bible in a ton of different translations and languages.

Yup. Thats the one. But its so much more.

Remember when Amazon was known as the online bookstore. While Amazon
still sells books, to call it an online bookstore would be a massive
understatement. The same is true with BibleGateway.

Here is a sampling of what youll find at BibleGateway:

The Bible in multiple translations and languages (almost 200 as of

January, 2014)
Bible Search (by Passage, Keyword, or Topic)
Audio Bibles Yesyou can listen right from your computer or phone for
free.
Reading Plans
Devotionals
Commentaries

#2 Bible Study Tools

Where do I find it?

www.BibleStudyTools.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

This one is similar to BibleGateway, but is actually a bit more robust. If you want
to compare and contrast translations or simply look something up stick with
BibleGateway.

However, the list of what youll find at BibleStudyTools.com is impressive (to say
the least):

Your own My Bible section (free account required) that allows you to
highlight, bookmark, take notes, and even tag verses with a
keyword/topic of your choosing.
Powerful Search If you type in a passage (e.g. II Timothy 3:16-17), it
will go right to it. If you type in a keyword/topic (e.g. disciple) it will
separate the results into four tabs:
o Bibles Where that topic is found in the Bible.
o References Where that topic is discussed in various Bible
dictionaries, study tools, etc.
o Bible Study Articles and blog posts written on this topic.
o Pastors Resources on this topic specifically for pastors.
Reading Plans
A Community tab with notes, groups, and events
A Pastors tab with sermons and sermon illustrations.
Links to teaching videos, blogs, and various newsletters.
#3 YouVersion

Where do I find it?
www.YouVersion.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you probably have this app already installed.
And you should. Its amazing, simple, and super-intuitive.

What you might not know is that there is a web-based version as well. You can
study the Bible, highlight, take notes, and even subscribe to various reading
plans.

You can sign up (for free) using an email address or Facebook and keep
everything synchronized across all of your devices.

On your mobile device, several of the translations are available for free
download, so you can read them when you dont have an internet connection.
(For those of us who end up in airplanes quite a bit, this is fantastic!)

Probably my favorite thing about YouVersion is the integrated audio Bible.

Anytime you look up a passage, if theres an audio version, youll see an audio
icon. Tap it and the Bible will be read to you. I use this feature in my car all the
time!
#4 ReadScripture

Where do I find it?
www.ReadScriputre.org

Whats the format?

Website: No
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

What if you could combine the Bible, technology, videos, and a reading plan that
would help you understand the Bible better and enjoy it more? If that sounds
good, youre going to love Read Scripture, the new app from The Bible
Project and Crazy Love Ministries (Francis Chans ministry). You might have heard
of The Bible Project as the two guys who make the cool, animated overview
videos of books of the Bible. To that I would say, Yesand Their videos are
fantastic! As of December, they now have videos for all 66 books of the Bible as
well as a bunch of major themes (like Heaven and Earth, Holiness, and The
Law).

The app contains an entire Bible reading plan broken up into 3-6 chapters per
day, interspersing Psalms into your daily reading with video overviews on the
first day of each book as well as theme videos interspersed on days with
corresponding passages. All text is English Standard Version

I wrote a blog post with screenshots and a video so if you want to learn more
about ReadScripture you can here.
#5 Bible Hub

Where do I find it?
www.BibleHub.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: No, although they do
have a dedicated mobile site.

Tell me about it.

This site is incredibly comprehensive. Whether you want a parallel Bible,
commentary, Bible atlas, word study dictionary, or a Greek/Hebrew interlinear
Bible (with each word clickable!), this is the site for you.

My only complaint is that the layout isnt very modern and there are a lot of
icons and acronyms that arent obvious. That makes it a little cumbersome to
navigate, but overall, it is an amazing site!

By far, my favorite feature of this site is the Interlinear Bible. If thats not a
familiar term to you picture the Greek or Hebrew language on one line with the
English translation immediately below it.

That alone isnt super helpful for most of us non-Greek-and-Hebrew-speakers.

However, every Greek and Hebrew word is clickable. With one click you can find
the original language definition and every other place in the Bible that particular
word is used.

It is truly one of the best online, word study tools I have ever found! (See #10
for the other one.)

There are also some other pretty cool features, like a timeline of the whole Bible,
brief summaries of every book of the Bible, and a Bible encyclopedia with over
30,000 entries!
#6 StudyLight

Where do I find it?
www.StudyLight.org

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: No

Tell me about it.

Like several of the others, this is a comprehensive one-stop shopping site for
Bible study.

Youll find loads of resources like these:

Commentaries
Concordances
Bible Dictionaries
Bible Encyclopedias
Original Language Tools
Resources for Pastors
Bible Reading Plans
Devotionals

If youre someone whos looking for a site that focuses solely on Bible study,
then youll want to stick with one of the others in this eBook.

That said, if you want to discover Christian audio shows, articles, quotes,
devotionals, and even a daily comic, check out StudyLight.

Ohand Jeff Garrison, the guy who developed the site, put together a very
handy PDF How-To Guide that will help you get the most out of the site. It
includes screenshots and is very helpful. Download it here.
#7 FaithLife

Where do I find it?
www.FaithLife.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

FaithLife was created by Logos, the most robust and popular paid Bible Study
software on the planet. These guys and gals know what theyre doing!

They have loads of features like:

Multiple translations
Study notes
Synchronization across your computer, tablet, and phone.
Bible Dictionaries
Photos, videos, and infographics.

There are three primary features that make FaithLife really stand out:

1. Social They do it as well, or better, than anybody out there. You can
share your notes and even create a private, online small group.
2. Beauty This site is truly beautiful. It is simple, easy to navigate, and just
makes you want to look at it. Kudos to their design team!
3. Free Study Bible With your free account, you get the FaithLife Study
Bible for free. It is an excellent study Bible and uses the English Standard
Version, a terrific translation that is rapidly growing in popularity.
#8 iDisciple
Where do I find it?
www.iDisciple.org

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

iDisciple delivers sermons, exclusive Growth Plans, devotionals, and music from
hundreds of top Christian authors, speakers, ministries, and artists to you - any
time, any place, on any device.

You can choose from written, video and audio content from top Christian
authors, speakers, ministries, and more.

Includes:
Personalized Daily Home feed - Browse personal content
recommendations based on your preferences
Sermons - Watch and listen to your favorite pastors and speakers, or
discover new voices of inspiration!
Growth Plans - Prepackaged plans of top-rated content designed to help
you on a growth journey around a variety of topics.
Bible - With you wherever you go, the Word of God is always at your
fingertips.
iDisciple Radio - Stream commercial-free music from 12 popular genres,
or listen to 9 talk radio channels for powerful messages that inspire,
encourage, and entertain.
Devotionals - Dive into more than 35 devotionals to receive inspiration
and encouragement each day.

There is also a paid version ($4.99/mo) that gives you access to a larger amount of
content on a daily basis.
#9 Bible.is

Where do I find it?
www.Bible.is

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

Bible.is has a very clear mission statement:

Bringing the Bible to everyone in the world in their

heart language, in text and audio, free of charge.

And they do it as well or better than anybody. They only started in 2010 and
already have the Bible available in 1257 languages! (No, thats not a typo.)

Bible.is isnt just about translations (although they have a ton). Its about helping
everyone in every language read, hear, and see the Bible. For example:

You can stream the Bible in almost any language on the website, the
mobile app, or through internet radio.
You can download the Bible in several different translations in both text
and audio. (Yes, thats free too.)
You can watch The Jesus Film.
Theres a complete Deaf Bible with the whole Bible in sign language.
You can download one of the free apps that will let you read, listen, and
see on your phone or tablet.

With a free account, you can also highlight, bookmark, and make notes that will
synchronize across all platforms.

Sweet.
#10 Blue Letter Bible

Where do I find it?

www.BlueLetterBible.org

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

In all transparency, I used to use this one a lot. Then I didntfor a long time. It sort
of fell off my radar. When the first draft of this eBook was sent out, I had more than
one person ask What about Blue Letter Bible? Its amazing! I cant believe it didnt
make your Top 10!

So I checked it out and Im impressed. (Enough that Im re-drafting this eBook!)

BLB has come a long way in the last few years.

Like many of these sites/apps, BLB has a ton of features. Devotionals, dictionaries,
outlines, timelines, and mapsto name a few. But there are two features that really
make it stand out.

1. Theological Resources
Under the Study tab, youll find a list of theological resources. Do you have
questions like: How did the Bible come to be? What does inerrant mean?
What are the different views on the rapture and creation? or Is hell a
real place? If soyoull spend a lot of time here.

2. The Tools Button Any time you search for a passage in the
Bible, there will be a little, blue button that says Tools
immediately to the left of each verse. Click it, and youre greeted
with six tabs:
Interlinear This is one of the most powerful word study tools youve ever
seen. (The other one is in #5 in this eBook.) See it in Hebrew or Greek. Click
the icon to have it read out loud so you can hear how its pronounced. Click
the corresponding Strongs Number next to the word and a full-blown
word study opens up. Outstanding!
 Bibles This tab will show the verse in 15-20 translations. (Nothat wasnt a
typo.) And if you have a few that you always want to be on top, you can drag
them into any order you like and theyll stay there next time. My only issue
with this tab is that The Message isnt one of the available translations.
Cross-References Want to find out where else in the Bible an idea or topic
shows up? If so, this is your tab. All the searching and cross-referencing is
done for you. Simply click this tab, and go right to other places in the Bible
relevant to the passage youre studying.
Commentaries This is just what you would think it isand a whole lot
more! I was quite surprised by the number of commentaries listed right on
this tab. Then I looked at the other column and realized that many of these
are audio and video commentaries. For those of you who prefer to watch
and listen over reading, youll find a gold mine.
Dictionaries If you want to find out about a city, person, custom, etc.
mentioned in your passage, this is where youll find it. Background studies
are a breeze with the wealth of information on this tab. Truly mind-boggling.
Miscellaneous This tab contains relevant maps, images, and even music.
Think of it as the Mystery Grab Bag with some really neat prizes.

As I said, I havent been using Blue Letter Bible the last few years. After being re-
introduced to BLB, I already know I will be spending lots of time on this site.
Bonus! Glo Bible
Where do I find it?
www.GloBible.com

Whats the format?

Website: Yes
Phone/Tablet App: Yes

Tell me about it.

GloBible is the most immersive and most beautiful site/app on this list. However,
Im putting it down as a bonus because its not completely free. There is GloLite
and GloPremium. (More on the differences 6 down the page.)

The main differentiator of GloBible other than the beauty of the interface is that
you can view the Bible through five lenses:
Bible Lens Drill down on a specific passage. Relevant resources and media
is listed below (much like a clickable study Bible).
Timeline Lens This a chronological Bible on steroids. All the events of the Bible
are listed on a clickable timeline. Click it and open up the media on that event.
Atlas Lens Imagine taking Google Maps and integrating zoomable,
clickable, photo and video walkthroughs. You can visually put every Bible
event in context to where it took place.
Topical Lens Yes, you can search on a specific topic. However, you can also
click on a topic and see a whole host of sub-topics branching out from the
main topic. Find all related passages at the click of a mouse.
Media Lens This is where the beauty and immersion really meet. Photos,
virtual tours, HD video, lessons. You name it, its in there.

The primary differences between GloLite and GloPremium are:

1. GloLite has only about 5-10% of the media resources (which is still quite a few).
2. GloLite only includes the Bible and Media Lenses. (iPad and iPhone also
include the Atlas Lens.)

You can find a complete comparison (including how many photos/videos/etc. are
free vs. paid) on this handy-dandy chart.
Note: If youre going to buy GloPremium, dont do it through the in-app upgrade.
Itll cost $50. On Amazon its $40.
Here are my Top 10 one
more time
1. Bible Gateway
2. Bible Study Tools
3. YouVersion
4. ReadScripture
5. Bible Hub
6. StudyLight
7. FaithLife
8. iDisciple
9. Bible.is
10. Blue Letter Bible

Bonus: Glo Bible

Check them out. Then let me know what you think and what I
should add to the list!

There are lots of ways we can connect. Here are a few:

Email: keith@keithferrin.com
Blog: www.keithferrin.com
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Google+

And if you have a question, comment, or idea for an eBook youd like
me to create or a topic youd like me to write about on the blog,
please shoot me a note.

Id love to hear from you.

Alongside,