Bible Gateway Blog

Do you feel like there’s something missing in your relationship with God? Do you look around at the state of your church, your community, and your country, and wonder what could possibly bring about revival? It’s prayer!

[Join The Daniel Prayer Online Bible Study with Anne Graham Lotz on StudyGateway June 11 – July 22]

That sounds like a good answer to most Christians—but if we’re honest, do we truly feel that our prayers are effective? When you pray, do you pray with the expectation that God will hear your requests and concerns, or has prayer become a rote practice, a routine you go through with no real hope that anything will come of it?

If your prayer life has fallen into a slump (or has dried up entirely), we’ve got a new devotional written specifically for you. The Daniel Prayer is a five-day devotional journey that looks to the biblical example set by Daniel, a man whose prayer radically transformed an entire nation. You’ll learn how to pray like Daniel did: with confidence and hope. Sign up today!

The Daniel Prayer is drawn from Anne Graham Lotz’ book The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations. (See our interview with Anne Graham Lotz earlier this week in which she discusses the importance of prayer.)

There’s no better way to observe the National Day of Prayer than to commit to take prayer more seriously. The Daniel Prayer will help you do that in just five short devotional reflections over five days. Sign up today!

The annual JUSTICE Conference (@thejusticeconf) (#Justice17) rests on the belief that “true life is found when we give our lives away on behalf of others.” The motivation of the conference is a “theology of justice”—the idea that an understanding of God should compel love for others and engagement in social justice issues.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog posts, God’s Justice Bible at The Justice Conference and God’s Justice: The Holy Bible—An Interview with Tim Stafford]

Bible Gateway interviewed Mark Reddy (@markreddy1), executive director of the JUSTICE Conference.

Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other. Zechariah 7:9-10 (NIV)

What is the JUSTICE conference and why do people attend it?

Mark Reddy: The JUSTICE Conference is an annual conference held each year in Chicago. Since its beginning in Bend, Oregon in 2010, the driving force of the conference has always been a “theology of justice,” which is the belief that an understanding of God should compel love for others and engagement in social justice issues.

Attendees of The JUSTICE Conference range from professional justice practitioners to church leaders seeking to lead and guide their compassion and justice teams, to anyone seeking to understand how their faith compels an engagement with the world around us.

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18 (NIV)

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3 (NIV)

How does the conference theme of “Love Thy Neighbor” integrate with current events in the news?

Mark Reddy: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love thy neighbor as yourself. ‘There is no commandment greater than these.” — Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

We live in complex and challenging times. Globally the threats of terrorism, violence, and environmental challenges continue to shadow our world. Locally, cultural divisions are being exploited for political advantage, whilst poverty and systemic injustice continue to lead to widening equity gaps within our society.

But Jesus’ message—love thy neighbor—is still our greatest call to worship and justice. When we thoughtfully examine the statement “love thy neighbor,” we’re compelled to ask “who is my neighbor?”. This question is often met with hostility and justifications, but if we’re to truly follow the example of Jesus, we must confront the uncomfortable reality of loving all God’s children—all made in the image of God.

The thread of each conversation at the JUSTICE Conference is within the context of a theology of justice that calls followers of Christ into a more intentional lifestyle of ‘living justly’ as we seek to live out our faith and be disciples of Jesus.

We believe that this theme could not be more timely as we answer the question the expert in the law asked 2000 years ago: well, who is my neighbor? And how do we practically and tangibly live out Jesus’ command to love, especially in a climate dominated by fear and a desire to protect and demand our rights.

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV)

How is justice at the heart of the message of the Bible?

Mark Reddy: To quote Tim Stafford, editor of NIV God’s Justice (Zondervan, 2016): “He (God) loves the world, and he has every intention of redeeming every part of it. That is the very definition of God’s justice…It has never been God’s intention to simply save souls, and let the world he made and loves fall to pieces. He wants to redeem everything, and he calls his image-bearers to be forgiven and transformed in order that they might play a crucial role in redeeming everything he loves. God’s justice restores the vital connection of spiritual transformation to the world.”

This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17 (NIV)

What is a “theology of justice”?

Mark Reddy: Our theology determines our belief system when it comes to how we understand God as the Bible reveals him, and it also determines how we make sense of the way we engage with the world in which we live—and if we live according to our theology, our beliefs will dictate our actions.

We believe that a theology of justice commands that we study God through the lens of his heart for the vulnerable and marginalized and allow that understanding to determine the way in which we in turn live out our lives.

Throughout the Bible, justice is mentioned over and over again, and doing justice is a clear command from God to his followers. Micah 6:8 says that the Lord requires that we act justly and love mercy. When we see the thread of justice throughout the Bible, we’ll see God’s heart for it—and we’ll see our responsibility to actively engage in justice. Isaiah 1 tells us that our worship is meaningless and that we need to “learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

When Jesus returned from the temptation in the wilderness, he went to the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
If justice was this important to Jesus, so must it be for us.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 (NIV)

The conference intends to “disrupt broken thinking.” What do you mean?

Mark Reddy: In Isaiah 58, God brings the challenge that our worship of him amounts to nothing if we don’t respond to injustice and those in need. The people are rebuked for their fasting, their worship, the ways that they seek God and ask his advice, then ignore what he says. We, too, can get so caught up in doing things that we’ve always done—in seeing things the way that we’ve always seen them—that we miss what God is so clearly telling us.

We believe it’s so important to listen to voices that are different to us, that provide different perspectives to the ones we’re used to. Our intention is to offer a different filter through which our attendees can view the world; to see other perspectives than our own and to learn from those who we may not otherwise have the chance to hear.

Often our exposure to only one, or a limited, narrative limits the way we see God and the way in which we engage the world. We’re seeking to expand our view of God and the gospel, and not limit God to the boxes we so often put him in. We firmly believe that this is done through really listening to one another and learning from those who are different to us, rather than remaining in our own tribes or living in echo chambers.

Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)

Working to solve culturally entrenched unjust situations seems like a daunting and impossible goal. What do you say to Christians who are ready to give up before they begin?

Mark Reddy: Jesus calls his followers to take up their cross and follow him, and we need to do that daily; and we need to do that together. Entrenched unjust systems are daunting, and the desire to give up is real. I’m reminded of a post that one of our upcoming speakers, Christena Cleveland, wrote some months ago on the privilege of hopelessness. Having the option to give up means that we’re beginning from a place of privilege and we have an even greater responsibility to engage in the systemic injustice around us. We believe that having an understanding of privilege and what to do with it is essential to an understanding of justice.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)

How should Christians rely on the Bible to go beyond “hashtag slacktivism” to make a difference in their everyday lives?

Mark Reddy: Again, I’d return to Isaiah 58 where we’re reminded that we must engage in issues of justice because our faith compels us to; because the Word of God compels us to. When we engage in issues from this standpoint, “hashtag slacktivism” will not be enough. The deeper our understanding of the Bible, the greater our commitment to the flourishing of others should be.

The Bible should compel us to sacrifice that which we need to sacrifice and extend our love to our neighbor—this should outwork itself each day with every person we encounter, be it our literal neighbor living next door, the refugee fleeing terror on the other side of the world, the poor in our own city, or the person whose faith we cannot understand. It’s a journey and God graciously gives us new mercies every morning.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Mark Reddy: We’re offering a free copy of God’s Justice for the first 100 registrations for the 2017 JUSTICE Conference using the code BIBLE. Register now: www.thejusticeconference.com/register.

Bio: Originally from Sydney, Australia, Mark Reddy is a strategic thinker and cultural innovator with nearly two decades spent honing his craft of storytelling, casting vision and leading highly capable teams within various organizations including: Christian Media & Arts Australia, The Australian Christian Channel, Hillsong, Parachute Music, Easterfest, Compassion (Australia), CBM, Open Doors, Opportunity International, Hope Rwanda, Bible Society, Samaritans Purse, and others. He and his wife Vickie, are the founders of SPARC, a community of artists & creatives at the intersection of art, faith & culture. Mark is the Executive Director of The JUSTICE Conference and serves as senior vice-president of brand at World Relief USA. He lives in Chicago with his wife Vickie and their two daughters.

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A guest post by Randy Frazee (@RandyFrazee), author of the book, What Happens After You Die: A Biblical Guide to Paradise, Hell, and Life After Death (Thomas Nelson, 2017).

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, One Thousand Churches BELIEVE]

What will a day in the life on the new earth be like?

Essentially, it will be like a day here on the old earth, without the curse and with the very presence of God among us. That’s a pretty big difference, isn’t it?

First, there will be rest and sleep in heaven (Hebrews 4:1-4; Revelation 14:13). In many ways, this whole salvation experience is to enable us to enter into a life of rest with God. And for the most important point of all, there will be coffee in the morning! Can I get an amen?

There will also be meaningful work for everyone. In the garden before the fall, God partnered with Adam to manage the earth under his authority (Genesis 1:28). I believe this responsibility will continue on the new earth, but without the frustration caused by the curse, since it will have been lifted (Revelation 22:3). Some of us will need to be reassigned. I don’t see the need for law enforcement or armies, but there will be plenty of other things to do. There will be much room for creativity, inventing, and learning in our new digs.

What will we eat?

In Jesus’ model prayer we are instructed to ask God to “give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Food and drink are essential to our survival and sustainability in our natural bodies. But eating and drinking often go way beyond the basic requirements for life. Gathering with family and friends to share a meal may be some of the most enriching experiences in life. Consider the one thing Jesus asked us to do over and over again: remember his death until he comes, or share communion as he did with his disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus brings us around the dinner table (1 Corinthians 11:26).

As we ponder eternal life on the new earth, will eating and drinking be essential, necessary, or even possible in our spiritual bodies? The answer is a resounding, confident yes.

We observe Jesus eating in his resurrected body (Luke 24:40-43; John 21:4-14; Acts 10:40-41). Jesus clearly demonstrated that the spiritual body is capable of eating and drinking.

Jesus also told his disciples explicitly that we will eat and drink in the new kingdom: For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. . . . And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:18, 29-30).

What will our resurrected bodies be like?

Here’s a question whose answer I know lots of people are interested in knowing. The answer is addressed explicitly in 1 Corinthians 15:35-55. Paul began this section of his writings with the $64,000 question: “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’” (v. 35). Paul immediately answered: What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body (1 Corinthians 15:36-38).

Paul compared the resurrection to planting. Our current bodies are the seeds for our new bodies. This seed determines the kind of body the sprouting plant will grow into, yet it won’t be the same as the seed planted. I think this means we each will have a body that looks like the one we have now, but it won’t be exactly the same. It’ll be better. That’s what Paul wrote next: The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Will there be pets in heaven?

Our family enjoyed the company of a beagle named Lady for 18 years. Without question, she was the most loyal creature I ever encountered. There hasn’t been even a close second. If heaven could be earned through merit, Lady stands a much better chance than I do of getting into the new kingdom. So, will she, or any beagle for that matter, walk the new earth with believers in Jesus?

Let’s start at the beginning for clues. Revelation 21–22 has a theme identical to Genesis 1–2. God’s vision for life on the new earth is a restoration of his vision that was lost on this earth. So we can look at these two chapters in Genesis and safely conclude that what was there at that time will be recreated.

During creation, after God separated the waters below from the sky above on the second day, he filled them with all kinds of birds and fish: And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth” (Genesis 1:20-22).

After God created the land on the third day he filled it with all kinds of creatures on the sixth day: And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:24-25).

Creatures of the sea and oceans and the creatures of the dry land are on this earth as a part of God’s vision. It’s safe to assume they’ll be a part of the new earth. Actually, Isaiah received a vision of the new earth, and he most definitely found various kinds of animals present in it—and behaving in a most interesting way.

“The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
—Isaiah 65:25

Not only will there be animals in the new kingdom, but they’ll get along. Because there’ll be no death; there’ll be no predators. Frankly, I’m not sure how God is going to manage to control population growth—particularly among rabbits—but I’ll leave that up to his infinite ingenuity.

BIO: Randy Frazee is the senior minister at Oak Hills Church, one of the largest churches in America, leading alongside author and pastor Max Lucado. A leader and innovator in spiritual formation and biblical community, Randy is the architect of The Story church engagement campaign. He’s the author of What Happens After You Die: A Biblical Guide to Paradise, Hell, and Life After Death, The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of God’s Story, The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community, and The Christian Life Profile Assessment Workbook. He and his wife, Rozanne, live in San Antonio, Texas.

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What is the secret to the revival of the church? To spiritual restoration? How can you renew your own relationship with God? How did the ancient prayer of Daniel move heaven and change a nation? Bible Gateway interviewed Anne Graham Lotz (@AGLotz), former National Day of Prayer Task Force chairman, about her book, The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations (Zondervan, 2016).

[Sign up for The Daniel Prayer free 5-day email devotional: Learn the prayer that moved heaven and changed a nation]

Why is prayer such an important activity?

Anne Graham Lotz: Communication with God is vital to a vibrant relationship with him. We will never really know God in an intimate, personal relationship if we don’t talk to him. Half of our communication with God is listening to what he has to say through his Word, which is why reading our Bibles is so important. The other half of communication is talking to him, which is prayer. Prayer is also important because the Bible commands us to pray.

[View The Daniel Prayer video Bible study with Anne Graham Lotz when you join Study Gateway]

Why is prayer so often neglected?

Anne Graham Lotz: Prayer may be neglected for several reasons. Some of those reasons are doubt that God answers prayer, doubt that prayer really makes any difference, and doubt that God will truly listen to our prayers. Also, prayer is hard work. We may neglect it because we’re too tired, too busy, or too distracted to put into prayer the effort required.

What are the characteristics of an ineffectual prayer?

Anne Graham Lotz: Prayer offered without faith by a person that doesn’t truly believe God exists will not be effective. Sin in our lives that we refuse to confess will also render our prayers ineffective. A husband who dishonors his wife physically or verbally will be ineffective in his prayers.

How is effective prayer born out of a sense of desperation?

Anne Graham Lotz: Desperation compels us to pray with fervent, focused faith—especially when we have no one else to turn to. God honors our faith when we place it in him alone—with no back-up plan, no other recourse, no other way out. He hears and answers our desperate heart cry, because he loves to show himself strong on our behalf.

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Why did you turn to the Bible character Daniel as a model for prayer today?

Anne Graham Lotz: Daniel’s prayer moved Heaven and changed not only his nation, Judah/Israel, but also the nation in which he was living at the time: Persia. His prayer is one that worked. God’s people were separated from God and were living in exile. But in answer to Daniel’s prayer, they were restored to God’s place of blessing.

I believe our nation is in deep trouble. We seem to have lost our identity because in many ways we’re separated from God. I believe it’s imperative that God’s people pray as Daniel did, or our nation may unravel morally and spiritually to the point of no return. I believe we desperately need the blessing of God.

What are the elements that make up The Daniel Prayer found in Daniel 9 and that you recommend should be followed today?

Anne Graham Lotz: Daniel prayed under compulsion. His prayer was based on a covenant relationship that he had established earlier with God. He was confident in the character of God whom he knew by years of experience, as well as knowing God as he’s revealed through his Word. He prayed with humble contrition as he confessed the sin of his people as though it were his own. He was very clear in exactly what he was asking God for. And he prayed until his prayer was answered.

What are the differences of praying in public versus praying in private?

Anne Graham Lotz: Both public and private prayers are acceptable. But public prayers take into account other people listening in. Private prayers are spoken to God alone. The difference is the same as the difference between public speaking versus a private conversation. Things we say, or confide, in private to our closest friend are different than what we would share in public.

What do you mean “patterns help us focus our prayers”?

Anne Graham Lotz: God knows that sometimes we lack words to express our feelings, heart-cry, thoughts. And so within the Bible he includes people’s prayers as models to help our own. Daniel 9 is one example. The entire book of Psalms is another. Our Lord’s own prayer in John 17, or the prayer we refer to as The Lord’s Prayer that many people recite every time they go to church are also examples. At the end of The Daniel Prayer, I include prayers that I wrote to help the reader articulate his or her thoughts after reading a particular section of the book.

What should be the ultimate goal of praying?

Anne Graham Lotz: The ultimate goal for me in prayer is to draw near to God…to fall in step with him…to discern his will so that my life might be lived accordingly…to discover what burdens are on his heart that I might take them into my own heart, then pray them back to him.

You say The Daniel Prayer is a battle. How so?

Anne Graham Lotz: Prayer taps into the very power of God. The devil resists serious, focused prayer because he’s defeated by it. And so the devil will try to attack our concentration in prayer; he will try to confuse or contradict the content of our prayers; he will do his best to distract and/or divert us in prayer so that we’re crippled by inconsistency.

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Anne Graham Lotz: Bible Gateway is my go-to app when I can’t remember a Bible reference, or when I’m searching for a particular verse. It’s easy to use. I have it on my mobile device as well as on my computer.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Anne Graham Lotz: Yes. One of the most effective ways to pray is to ask God to give you a promise from his Word concerning whatever it is you’re praying for. Then hold him to his Word as you pray it back to him. It’s what has been called “reversed thunder.” God keeps his Word, and basing our prayer on his Word gives our prayers strength and confidence because we know we’re asking for something God wants to give us.

Bio: Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, is the president and CEO of AnGeL Ministries, a nonprofit organization that undergirds her efforts to draw people into a life-changing relationship with God through his Word. Anne launched her revival ministry in 2000 and has spoken on seven continents, in more than 20 foreign countries, proclaiming the Word of God in arenas, churches, seminaries, and prisons. She’s the award-winning author of numerous books, including The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations, The Magnificent Obsession: Embracing the God-Filled Life, Wounded by God’s People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts, and Fixing My Eyes on Jesus: Daily Moments in His Word. She’s also the National Day of Prayer (NDP) Task Force chairman.

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The season of Easter began Easter Day and lasts 50 days until the Day of Pentecost. Listen to and watch this inspirational video of the Easter account from the Gospel of Mark:

You can read the story of Easter in Mark 16:1-8 (NIV) (as well as in the other three Gospels). Here’s Mark’s account:

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. — Mark 16:1-8 (NIV)

Hallelujah—Christ is risen!

[Listen to the NIV audio Bible read by David Suchet on Bible Gateway]

Also see the following video readings of the Easter account from

Matthew 28:1-8 (KJV)

Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)

John 20:1-8 (KJV)

Browse the Easter section and apologetic resources in the Bible Gateway Store.

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Christians believe Jesus is God. But this belief wasn’t the starting point for Jesus’ earliest followers. While Jesus’ humanity was a given for the disciples, his divinity was a truth they had to grow into believing—it was a journey of faith. As Christians today, we’re also called into a faith journey—this time, to rediscover Jesus’ humanity. Yes, we believe that Jesus is God, but do we believe in his humanness? And if so, how does that transform our own experience of being human?

Bible Gateway interviewed Trent Sheppard about his book, Jesus Journey: Shattering the Stained Glass Superhero and Discovering the Humanity of God (Zondervan, 2017).

How did concluding that there’s no better way to see God than by looking at Jesus set you on your faith-shifting journey that resulted in this book?

Trent Sheppard: Our view of God is shaped by all sorts of things—family background, religious traditions, pop culture, etc.—and about ten years ago I realized that I was subconsciously filtering my reading of Jesus through my preconceived views of God.

The New Testament, however, invites us to do something radically different: to reshape, to reform, to reimagine our view of God through the person of Jesus.

Because Jesus, according to Hebrews 1:3, is the “precise expression” of God. Or, as Paul puts it in Colossians 1:15, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” Or, better yet, here’s Jesus himself in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the father!”

Once that truth dawned on me—that there’s no better way to see God than by looking at Jesus—it set me on a journey deep into the heart of the Gospel accounts to encounter, to know, to be transformed by this vibrant, living, breathing, laughing, crying, dying, rising, flesh-and-blood first-century figure: Jesus.

How do you recommend Christians explain to their friends the concept that Jesus was fully God and fully human?

Trent Sheppard: Ha! I don’t. How could we possibly explain such a mystery?

I do, however, urge people to encourage their friends to actually read the stories of Jesus’ life in the Gospel records, and to let the Scriptures speak for themselves.

Also, we must always remember the disciples begin following Jesus long before they were convinced he was God, and in that sense we can trust the Holy Spirit to convince our friends too.

Why do you say the humanity of Jesus increases a person’s faith to follow him?

Trent Sheppard: Because I can’t even begin to identify with the Mind that made matter, with the Voice that spoke galaxies into existence, or with the Power that holds all things together…

It’s this sort of stuff—raw, down-to-earth, “human stuff” (that is, compassion, frustration, rejection, etc.)—in which Jesus works out his humanity, and invites us to follow him.

And when we realize that Jesus really does understand what it means to be human (warts and all!), it increases our faith that he will help us know what to do with the bewildering, painful, joyful experiences of our own humanity.

What’s the significance of the “100 days” that you write about?

Trent Sheppard: Jesus lived for approximately 33 years. That’s about 12,000 days. Of those 12,000 days, if you add up each and every story the Gospel writers tell, those stories account for no more than 100 days of Jesus’ life—total.

One hundred days out of 33 years. That’s it. That’s what we know. That’s all the Bible tells us. Which just begs the question: What was Jesus doing for most of his life?

I guess you’ll have to read Jesus Journey to find out more (a shameless book plug!), but the vital point for you and me is this: All of life was important to Jesus because all of life is important to God.

Why do you think the Bible is relatively silent on the childhood years of Jesus, only telling that one extraordinary story from when he was 12?

Trent Sheppard: Well, the short answer—and the one that make most sense historically—is this: There probably weren’t any other “extraordinary” stories to tell. Young Jesus, in so many ways it seems, was like all the other kids.

The one extraordinary story we do have comes from Luke 2:41-52, and all the clues point towards Jesus’ mother, Mary, as the one who tells Luke this story. In fact, you almost get a sense that Luke may have actually asked Mary at some point, “So, what was he like as a child?”

To which Mary may have thoughtfully responded (and please keep in mind, of course, that this is complete speculation): “Well, in most ways he was like all the other kids, but there was this one time, in the Temple, when he was 12…”

There’s not enough space to elaborate here, but a couple of reasons why we think there may have not been any other extraordinary stories to tell from Jesus’ childhood are: (1) his hometown is “astonished” when he begins his ministry at age 30 (Luke 4:16-22), and (2) his family thinks he’s gone mad (Mark 3:20-21).

Basically, if Jesus’ childhood was marked by all sorts of extraordinary things (that is, miracles and the like), then surely his family and hometown would have responded differently to his public ministry when it began.

What’s the danger of people over-emphasizing Jesus’ deity and de-emphasizing his humanity?

Trent Sheppard: That’s an immense question—the sort of question that the early church councils were wrestling with (it was at one of those councils that Saint Nicholas punched a guy named Arius!)—but one danger is that we will move further and further away from the flesh-and-blood, in-your-face, dying-and-rising, historical Jesus who’s revealed in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Again, the point is not to filter Jesus through your lens of God. Rather, the point is to (re)see God through the person of Jesus.

Why do you say Jesus retains his humanness even today in his resurrected body?

Trent Sheppard: Because, as I understand it, that’s how the Bible describes Jesus in his resurrected body. He walks (Luke 24:15), he talks (Luke 24:27), he eats (Luke 24:41-43)—like you and me.

But please don’t misunderstand me: the resurrected body of Jesus is most definitely different as well. I explore this in some detail in chapter 36 of Jesus Journey: “Biology 2.0.”

The vital point to keep in mind, however, is that according to the Bible there’s no indication whatsoever that the Incarnation came to an end after the resurrection of Jesus. And yes, that’s an overwhelming thought indeed.

Because it means that we’ll one day meet Jesus in the flesh—heart-beating and breathing, walking and talking, ruling and reigning—King Jesus.

What’s your intention in the way you want people to read your book?

Trent Sheppard: Life is incredibly full, and there are so many things (both good and bad) competing for our attention. Most people, myself included, simply don’t have enough time to read and take-in all that they want to.

With that in mind, I wrote Jesus Journey in 40 brief chapters, with the idea that each reading would be “bite-size;” the sort of thing you can digest one day at a time: with a morning coffee, on the commuter train, before you bolt to class, etc.

The other critical aspect of the 40-day encounter idea is that we desperately need to do something with what we read. I’m reminded here of a wise reversal of an old and well-known-saying: “While that may work in practice, it will never work in theory.”

Following Jesus is a lot like that. It doesn’t work in theory. It works only in practice.

Because of that, each of the brief, day-by-day chapters wraps up with a “Ponder, Pray, Practice” section that enables an immediate response to what you’ve just read. The goal, always, is to put these things into practice and not just think about them.

So, with the brief chapters and the “Ponder, Pray, Practice” response, the goal is for someone to be able to immerse themselves in the life of Jesus over a 40-day stretch.

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App??

Trent Sheppard: It’s my “go-to” online Bible—every time! And I especially appreciate how easy it is to compare various translations. And since I use N. T. Wright’s New Testament for Everyone (NTE) as the primary translation in Jesus Journey, I’m thrilled that Wright’s translation is now available at Bible Gateway as well.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Trent Sheppard: As part of Eastertide, a number of friends and I are making our way through Jesus Journey one day at a time right now. Each day a new person is blogging their reflections on each chapter, and it really is amazing to hear so many different voices: Sarah in South Africa, Luke in Nicaragua, Vanessa in the United States, Philip in the UK, etc.

We’d love for you to join us in the journey here: trentsheppard.com/blog.

Bio: Trent Sheppard helps to pastor an urban house church called Ekklesia, and oversees Alpha’s work with college students in New England. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife, Bronwyn, and their three children. Before moving to Massachusetts, Trent lived in the UK for eight years, working with Youth With A Mission. He’s the author of Jesus Journey and God on Campus: Sacred Causes & Global Effects. His teaching and travels have taken him to 50 nations. You can find Trent online at TrentSheppard.com.

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The season of Easter began Easter Day and lasts 50 days until the Day of Pentecost. Listen to and watch this inspirational video of the Easter account from the Gospel of Matthew:

You can read the story of Easter in Matthew 28:1-8 (KJV) (as well as in the other three Gospels). Here’s Matthew’s account:

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. — Matthew 28:1-8 (KJV)

Hallelujah—Christ is risen!

[Listen to the KJV audio Bible read by Max McLean on Bible Gateway]

Also see the following video readings of the Easter account from

Mark 16:1-6 (NIV)

Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)

John 20:1-8 (KJV)

Browse the Easter section and apologetic resources in the Bible Gateway Store.

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▼

Americans’ Theological Beliefs Changed to Suit Post-Pandemic Practice (September 2022)
⇨ Lifeway Research
⇨ CT: Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals
▼

Non-Denominational Pastors Far More Likely to Hold Biblical Worldviews than All Other Denomination’s Pastors (August 2022)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
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The Renewalists: Pentecostal and Charismatic Evangelicals More Likely than Other Evangelicals to Read the Bible Daily (August 2022)
⇨ Infinity Concepts News Release
▼

Over 32 Million Bibles Distributed Worldwide in 2021 (July 2022)
⇨ Evangelical Focus
▼

Fewer in USA Now See Bible as Literal Word of God (July 2022)
⇨ Gallup
⇨ Daily Citizen: Gallup Literally Asks the Wrong Question About Interpreting the Bible
▼

Belief in God in USA Dips to 81%, a New Low (June 2022)
⇨ Gallup
▼

Better Living Through Bible Reading (June 2022)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
⇨ Sign up to receive The Abide Bible Initiative free email devotional
▼

Google, the Bible, Visiting a Church: The Ways UK Non-Christians Find Out About God (May 2022)
⇨ Evangelical Focus
⇨ Talking Jesus Report
▼

Death of a Biblical Worldview in America: Most Parents of Young Children Don’t Believe in Jesus for Salvation (May 2022)
⇨ CBN News
⇨ Cultural Research Center: American Parents Lack Biblical Worldview, Robust Faith to Share with Kids
▼

American Bible Society Releases 12th Annual State of the Bible Report: Scripture Reading Decreased Among Americans (April 2022)
⇨ ABS News Release
▼

Survey Shows Disconnect Between Believers’ and Non-Believers’ Attitudes Towards Christianity (March 2022)
⇨ RNS
▼

Study: American Parents Lack Biblical Worldview, Robust Faith to Share with Kids (March 2022)
⇨ Cultural Research Center at ACU
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Extremely Low Percentage of Americans Hold Biblical Worldview: An Interview with George Barna
▼

Most Open to Spiritual Conversations, Few Christians Speaking (February 2022)
⇨ Lifeway Research
⇨ Read Bible Gateway Blog posts on the topic of evangelism
▼

Scripture Engagement is Healthy for You (February 2022)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
⇨ Sign up to receive The Abide Bible Initiative free email devotional
▼

7 Encouraging Trends of Global Christianity in 2022 (January 2022)
⇨ Lifeway Research
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, If 100 Christians Represented All of Global Christianity
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Biography of Christianity: An Interview with Ian Shaw
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7 Details Christians Get Wrong About the Bible (January 2022)
⇨ Lifeway Research
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Sorcery Is One of the Most Searched Bible Terms on Bible Gateway in 2021 (December 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway
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Bible Gateway 2021 Year in Review (December 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway
▼

2021 Continued to Drive More Readers to Scripture (December 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
▼

Why ‘Sorcery’ Was the Fastest-Growing Search Term on Bible Gateway in 2021 (December 2021)
⇨ RNS
▼

Covid-Related Confusion Sparks Bible Searches for “Sorcery” (December 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
▼

Vaccine Debates Are Responsible for 2021’s Fastest-Growing Bible Search Term: Sorcery (December 2021)
⇨ CT
▼

Most Americans, and Many Christians, Don’t Believe the Son of God Existed Before the Manger (December 2021)
⇨ CT
▼

Christmas Is a Celebration of a Real Event, According To Most Americans. Just Don’t Expect Them To Know Exactly Why Jesus Was Born and Came to Earth. (December 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
▼

Poll: America Growing More Secular by the Year (December 2021)
⇨ RNS
▼

Fewer Americans Identify as Christians (December 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
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Faithful Bible Reading Makes for Stronger Christians (December 2021)
⇨ Assemblies of God (USA)
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‘Sinning in the Rain’: New Study Finds Crimes Go Up When It Rains On Sundays (December 2021)
⇨ RNS
▼

Why Bibles Are Disappearing From Hotel Nightstands (November 2021)
⇨ Religion Unplugged
▼

Heaven and Hell: Americans Answer 20 Questions on Who Goes and What Happens (November 2021)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Former Atheist Journalist Investigates Case for Heaven: An Interview with Lee Strobel
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, What Does the Bible Say About Hell?: An Interview with Anthony DeStefano
▼

On the Problem of Evil, Pew Research Survey Finds Few Americans Blame God (November 2021)
⇨ CT
⇨ Pew Research Center report
▼

Evangelical Churches Have Higher Percentage of ‘Practicing Christians’ Than Mainline (October 2021)
⇨ The Christian Post
▼

Dominican Republic: The Only National Flag With a Bible On It (September 2021)
⇨ Evangelical Focus
▼

2021 CRC Worldview Survey: Unbiblical Ideas Embraced by Americans (September 2021)
⇨ Missions Box
▼

Study: Bible-Based Worldview Declining Among American Christians (August 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Study: Gen Z Has a Precarious Relationship with the Bible (August 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

What India’s Christians, Hindus, and More Think About Religion (June 2021)
⇨ CT
⇨ Pew Research Center: Religion in India—Tolerance and Segregation
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, How to Live Your Faith in a Rapidly Changing Multi-Religious Society
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, No God but One: Allah or Jesus?—An Interview with Nabeel Qureshi
▼

USA Cities Most Committed to Weekly Bible-Reading (June 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Generational Worldview Shift: Millennials Seek World without God, Bible, Churches (May 2021)
⇨ Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Extremely Low Percentage of Americans Hold Biblical Worldview: An Interview with George Barna
▼

More Americans Turning to the Bible Than in Previous Years and Reporting a More Frequent Reading Habit (May 2021)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Fewer Churchgoers Filled Bible Studies and Pews During the Pandemic (April 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
▼

2021 Cultural Research Center Worldview Survey: America Is Sinking in Syncretism (April 2021)
⇨ Missions Box
⇨ Read the report
▼

Understanding the Factors that Motivate or Hinder Regular Bible Reading Among Adult Christians to Increase Bible Reading Among Believers (April 2021)
⇨ Liberty University Scholars Crossing
⇨ Doctoral Thesis
▼

American Bible Society and Baylor University Study Shows the Benefit of Bible-Based Trauma Healing (March 2021)
⇨ ABS
⇨ Read the report
▼

Church Members Are Minority in USA for First Time, Gallup Says (March 2021)
⇨ Baptist Press
⇨ Gallup
▼

Most Americans Embrace Religion, Spirituality—Even Atheists (February 2021)
⇨ Lifeway Research
⇨ Read Bible Gateway Blog posts on the subject of atheism
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, America’s Religious History: An Interview with Thomas S. Kidd
▼

The 4 Main Themes People Engaged With the Bible in 2020 on Bible Gateway (December 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Bible Gateway 2020 Year in Review (December 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway
▼

New Study Shows Bible Reading Correlates with Harvard Measures of Human Flourishing (December 2020)
⇨ CT
▼

Why Do So Many People Own Bibles But So Few Read Them? (December 2020)
⇨ Center for Bible Engagement
⇨ Visit the Bible Engagement section of Bible Gateway
▼

Research: The US Military and the Bible (November 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Survey from Ligonier Ministries Reveals What Americans Know (or Don’t) About the Christian Faith (October 2020)
⇨ MissionsBox
⇨ The State of Theology website
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, How to Live the Bible — Deepening Your Biblical Theology
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Visual Theology: An Interview with Tim Challies
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Experience the Very Best of Writings from Theology Favorites like C. S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Bible Gateway
▼

Survey: Americans Redefining, Customizing Christianity (October 2020)
⇨ News Release—Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
▼

It’s a New World Record: the Bible in Over 700 Languages (September 2020)
⇨ Eternity
⇨ Read the Bible in multiple languages on Bible Gateway
▼

Only 2% of American Millennials Adhere to a Biblical Worldview, Study Finds (September 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

Most Americans Embrace Religion, Spirituality—Even Atheists (September 2020)
⇨ Facts & Trends
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, How an Atheist Turned to Jesus Despite the Church: An Interview with Mary Jo Sharp
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Thinking Like An Atheist: An Interview with Anthony DeStefano
▼

Most in USA View Religion as Opinion Rather Than Objective Truth (September 2020)
⇨ Baptist Standard
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, What Does It Mean to Live in a Post-Truth World?: An Interview with Abdu Murray
▼

Women Read the Bible More Than Men. Why? (August 2020)
⇨ CT
▼

New Milestone in Bible Translation Work With 700th Language (August 2020)
⇨ Christian Today
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Translation Organizations
▼

A Majority of Americans Think Jesus is a Great Teacher Yet Reject His Claims to be God (August 2020)
⇨ Ligonier News Release
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, A Guide for Jesus Skeptics: An Interview with John Dickson
▼

If 100 Christians Represented All of Global Christianity (August 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Shifts in Bible Perceptions Fuel Changes in Morals and Life Choices in the General Public (August 2020)
⇨ Missions Box
▼

Half of USA Churchgoers Admit They Have Confusion Over the Bible (August 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Survey: Salvation through Christ Attracts Just One in Three Adults; More Believe It Can Be ‘Earned’ (August 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

Nearly 2 Billion Bible Passages Spread Worldwide in 4 Years (July 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

68% of American Adults Are Now ‘Bible Curious’ (July 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Lukewarm Faith Shrinks as More Say Religion Is ‘Very Important’ or ‘Not at All’ (July 2020)
⇨ CT
▼

10 Countries With the Largest Christian Populations (July 2020)
⇨ Facts & Trends
▼

Survey: Majority of Americans No Longer See Human Life as ‘Sacred,’ Yet See Humanity as ‘Basically Good’ (June 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

Trending Searches Over the Past Two Weeks During Social Unrest (June 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Survey Finds America’s Traditional Moral Pillars are Fading Away (June 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
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Survey Finds Americans See Many Sources of Truth—and Reject Moral Absolutes (May 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

God is Absent from Most People’s Views of Purpose and Success (May 2020
⇨ Cultural Research Center
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Americans Continue to Redefine – and Reject – God (April 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

Is the Bible True? CRC Survey Shows America’s Distrust of the Bible Undermines Its Worldview (April 2020)
⇨ Cultural Research Center
▼

Extremely Low Percentage of Americans Hold Biblical Worldview: An Interview with George Barna (March 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Half of Americans Say Bible Should Influence US Laws, Including 28% Who Favor It Over the Will of the People (April 2020)
⇨ Fact Tank
▼

Christians Remain World’s Largest Religious Group, But They Are Declining in Europe (April 2020)
⇨ Fact Tank
▼

What Answers are People Looking for from the Bible in an Age of Coronavirus? (March 2020)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Sorry, James and David: Silas and Obadiah Are Today’s Trending Bible Names (January 2020)
⇨ CT
▼

41% of Pastors Believe Christians Can Hasten Jesus’ Second Coming Through World Evangelism, While 54% Disagree (January 2020)
⇨ LifeWay Research
⇨ Read Matthew 28:19-20 and 24:14 on Bible Gateway
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Research: Read Bible Every Day, and You’ll Grow, Grow, Grow (January 2020)
⇨ OneNewsNow
⇨ Center for Bible Engagement Research
▼

Bible Gateway 2019 on Parade (December 2019)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Bible Gateway 2019 Year in Review (December 2019)
⇨ Bible Gateway
▼

Research: How Christian Congregations View the Bible (December 2019)
⇨ The Association of Religion Data Archives
▼

Preachers Nationwide, Across All Major Christian Traditions, Are More Likely to Refer to Books from the New Testament (90% of All Online Sermons Do So) Than the Old Testament (61%) (December 2019)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

UK Survey: Age Is Most Likely to Define Your Morality, More Than Your Religion—or Lack of It—Social Grade, Gender, or Where You Live (November 2019)
⇨ ComRes Global
▼

Study Finds Men More Likely Than Women to Read Bible Apps (November 2019)
⇨ Aleteia
⇨ Download the free Bible Gateway App
⇨ Download the free Bible Gateway Bible Audio App
▼

Only 18% of Brits Say Bible Relevant to Them Personally Despite 40% Identifying as Christian (November 2019)
⇨ Premier
⇨ Lumino
▼

1 in 5 People Waiting for the Bible in Their Language (October 2019)
⇨ Premier Radio
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Translation Organizations
▼

In USA, Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace (October 2019)
⇨ Pew Research Center
▼

Atheists Outpace Evangelicals in Knowledge of Faith (October 2019)
⇨ Baptist News Global
⇨ Pew Research Center: USA Religious Knowledge Quiz
▼

Bible Tops List of Books Brits Lie About Reading (October 2019)
⇨ Premier
▼

Gen Z Evangelicals Express Their Faith at School; Few Others Pay Attention (October 2019)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read, hear, study, search, compare, share the Bible on Bible Gateway
▼

75% of Churches with Sunday Attendance of More Than 250 Say They Have Wednesday Night Small Group Adult Bible Study Classes (September 2019)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

Poll: 58% of Americans in Favor of Public Schools Offering Elective Education Classes About the Bible (August 2019)
⇨ PDK
▼

Barna Group Survey Offers Key Insights on Bible Engagement and Assemblies of God (August 2019)
⇨ AG News
▼

Christianity Gives Way to Atheism in Britain, Survey Suggests (July 2019)
⇨ Premier
⇨ British Social Attitudes report
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Thinking Like An Atheist: An Interview with Anthony DeStefano
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Study 2019: USA Cities Ranked By Their Most Post-Christian Status
▼

Christians Say the Bible Is God’s Word, but Even Among Protestant Churchgoers Only a Third Spend Time Reading It Every Day (July 2019)
⇨ LifeWay News
▼

The “Understand Unbelief” Study of Atheists and Agnostics in Brazil, China, Denmark, Japan, UK, and USA (June 2019)
⇨ University of Kent
▼

Evangelism Is More Prayer Than Action for Protestant Churchgoers (April 2019)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Evangelism in a Skeptical World: An Interview with Sam Chan
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, How to Embrace Creative Evangelism: An Interview with Peyton Jones
▼

Gallup: Number of Americans Who Belong to a Church or House of Worship Plummets (April 2019)
⇨ RNS
▼

Across 27 Countries, Most Don’t Mind More Religion in Society (April 2019)
⇨ CT
▼

Only 46% UK Christians Agree that Jesus Died on the Cross to Forgive Sins (April 2019)
⇨ Premier
⇨ ComPres Poll (PDF)
▼

The Countries with the 10 Largest Christian Populations (April 2019)
⇨ FactTank
▼

Women More Likely to Believe the Bible Is Literally True, But Study Finds this May Have More to Do with Intimacy than Gender (February 2019)
⇨ Baylor University
▼

About Half of UK Millennials (48%) Say They Don’t Have a ‘Relationship with the Bible’—Including 22% of Christians (January 2019)
⇨ Bible Society
▼

77% of Churchgoers Say They Take an Intentional Day of Rest and Most Do so on Sunday, According to a New Study of Protestants Who Attend Church Once a Month or More (December 2018)
⇨ LifeWay Research
⇨ Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 on Bible Gateway
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Ten Commandments Past and Present: An Interview with David L. Baker
⇨ See resources about the Ten Commandments in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

This is the Most Popular Verse In 2 Billion Pageviews During 2018 on Bible Gateway (December 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

British Christians Are Twice as Likely as American Evangelicals to Contend that the Bible is Not Literally True (48% vs 24%) (November 2018)
⇨ CT
▼

The State of the Bible 2018: Technology and Behavior (October 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

In 2018, Half of Americans Say the Bible is 100% Accurate in All That It Teaches—That’s Up from 47% in 2016 and 43% in 2014 (October 2018)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

Black Men Are Less Religious Than Black Women, but More Religious Than White Women and Men (September 2018)
⇨ Pew Research
▼

A New Way to Categorize Americans by Religion: Sunday Stalwarts, God-and-Country Believers, Diversely Devout, Relaxed Religious, Spiritually Awake, Solidly Secular, and Religion Resisters (August 2018)
⇨ Pew Research
▼

Infographic: Bible Reading Habits (August 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Infographic: The Status of Christianity Around the World (July 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

The State of the Bible 2018: Most Americans Want to Read the Bible (July 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Churchgoers Survey: 27% Want Their Church to Help Them Understand More About God and the Bible; 19% Want Their Church to Provide More Bible Study Groups (June 2018)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

Christianity is the Biggest Religion in the World. It’s Also Still the Most Restricted. (June 2018)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, I Am N: An Interview with Cole Richards and Jason Peters
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Staggering Picture of Christian Persecution: An Interview with Johnnie Moore
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Verses for the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
⇨ See books in the Bible Gateway Store on the subject of Christian persecution
▼

64% of Church-Attending Christians in Western Europe Believe in God as Depicted in the Bible (May 2018)
⇨ Pew Research
▼

Photographs of Bible Lands from 1895 New Testament (May 2018)
⇨ Houston Baptist University
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, A Collection of Bible Museums & Exhibits
▼

The State of the Bible 2018: Five Types of Bible Readers (May 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
▼

Churchgoers Say They Tithe, But Not Always to the Church (May 2018)
⇨ LifeWay Research
⇨ Read about tithing in the Dictionary of Bible Themes on Bible Gateway
▼

People Who Regularly Read the Bible Say It’s Better Than Coffee to Jump-Start Their Mornings (May 2018)
⇨ ABS News Release
⇨ State of the Bible 2018: Bible Engagement Segmentation Report
▼

Blacks More Likely Than Others in US to Read the Bible Regularly, See It as God’s Word (May 2018)
⇨ FactTank
⇨ Read the Bible on Bible Gateway
▼

Bible Translated Into 49 Languages in 2017 (March 2018)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Translation Organizations
▼

‘Christianity as Default is Gone’: The Rise of a Non-Christian Europe (March 2018)
⇨ The Guardian
▼

Poll Finds 0% of Icelanders Under 25 Believe Bible Creation Story (January 2018)
⇨ Digital Journal
⇨ Read the creation story from Genesis 1-2 on Bible Gateway
▼

Half of Germans Have a Bible, Only 6% Read It Regularly (January 2018)
⇨ Evangelical Focus
⇨ Read the Bible in German on Bible Gateway
▼

Do You Live in a “God Has a Plan” State or an “I Can Do All Things” State? (December 2017)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Many Who Call Themselves Evangelical Don’t Actually Hold Evangelical Beliefs (December 2017)
⇨ LifeWayResearch
▼

Most Americans Believe Society is Increasingly Abandoning the Religious Aspects of Christmas, But Most Americans Are Not Troubled by the Trend (December 2017)
⇨ Pew Research
▼

What Focus Groups Taught Us About Bible Reading (November 2017)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

The Top Reasons Soldiers Turn to Scripture (November 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century (November 2017)
⇨ Pew Research
▼

Most Brits Think Only Six of the Ten Commandments Are Still Important (October 2017)
⇨ YouGov
⇨ Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 on Bible Gateway
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Ten Commandments Past and Present: An Interview with David L. Baker
⇨ See resources about the Ten Commandments in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

Young Bible Readers More Likely to be Faithful Adults, Study Finds (October 2017)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

Islam Is Most Official, But Christianity Is Most Favored Worldwide (October 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Attacks on Religious Freedom in US More Than Double Since 2011, Report Finds (September 2017)
⇨ FOX News
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Wycliffe Associates—Helping to Translate the Bible Where Persecution of Christians Is Severe: An Interview with Bruce Smith
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, I Am N: An Interview with Cole Richards and Jason Peters
⇨ Browse resources about the persecuted church in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

The Number of Religious Congregations in the USA has Increased by Almost 50,000 Since 1998 (September 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Most Church of England Christians Never Read the Bible, Survey Finds (September 2017)
⇨ The Telegraph
⇨ Read Bible Gateway Blog posts that introduce you to the Bible
▼

1 in 3 American Evangelicals Is a Person of Color (September 2017)
⇨ CT
⇨ PRRI: America’s Changing Religious Identity
▼

More Americans Now Say They’re Spiritual But Not Religious (September 2017)
⇨ FactTank
▼

More Than Half UK Population Has No Religion, Survey Finds (September 2017)
⇨ The Guardian
⇨ British Social Attitudes news release
▼

500 Years After Reformation, Many Protestants Closer to Catholics than Martin Luther (August 2017)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Authority Of Scripture: An Interview with Matthew Barrett
⇨ See the Reformation Studies section in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

God Or the Divine is Referenced in Every US State Constitution (August 2017)
⇨ FactTank
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Reading the Bible with America’s Founding Fathers: An Interview with Daniel Dreisbach
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, American History’s Entwined Relationship with the Bible: An Interview with Angela Kamrath
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New Zealand Study: Lack of Self-Discipline, Distraction, and Busyness Are Top Barriers to Reading the Bible (August 2017)
⇨ NZ Catholic
▼

Silent and Solo: How Americans Pray (August 2017)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

65% of Christians Face Doubt; 29% Stopped Reading the Bible When Doubting (July 2017)
⇨ Barna Group
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, If In Doubt: An Interview with Rhys Stenner
⇨ Read other articles about doubt on the Bible Gateway Blog
▼

The Rise of the Nons: Protestants Keep Ditching Denominations (July 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

9 Out of 10 Ordinary British Christians Feel Marginalized (July 2017)
⇨ Premier
▼

One In 10 Norwegians Have Read the Entire Bible (July 2017)
⇨ Norway Today
▼

The American Church Has a Better Reputation Than Higher Ed or the Media (July 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Religion Increasingly Seen as Doing More Harm Than Good in Canada: Ipsos Poll (July 2017)
⇨ Global News
▼

Number of Scots With No Religion Reaches New High, Survey Suggests (July 2017)
⇨ Premier
▼

Who Reads the Bible in Norway? (June 2017)
⇨ ScienceNordic
▼

Christianity on the Wane in Australia, But Pentecostal Church Bucks Trend (June 2017)
⇨ The Guardian
▼

USA Protestant Megachurches Number 1,600; California Has the Most (June 2017)
⇨ Facts & Trends
▼

At Year 150, Does Canada Show Where Religion in United States Might Be Heading? (June 2017)
⇨ Get Religion
▼

Religion and Gambling: Studies Find the Wages of Faith May Be Fewer Lost Wages (June 2017)
⇨ Huffington Post
▼

Science Reveals the Power of Being Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak (June 2017)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read James 1:19 in multiple English Bible translations on Bible Gateway
▼

When it Comes to Saying Grace, Americans Are Still United (June 2017)
⇨ The Washington Post
▼

Christians Faced Widespread Harassment in 2015 (June 2017)
⇨ FactTank
▼

Sorry, Old Testament: Most Theologians Don’t Use You (June 2017)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Old Testament Is Dying: An Interview with Brent A. Strawn
▼

Portland-Auburn, Maine: The Most Post-Christian City in the Top 100 Media Markets in America (June 2017)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

Chattanooga, Tennessee Tops List of Cities with High Church Attendance (June 2017)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

Is Going to Church Good for Your Health? Vanderbilt Study Says Yes (June 2017)
⇨ TODAY Show
▼

Only 47% of Born Again Christians Believe Absolute Moral Truth is Found in the Bible (May 2017)
⇨ American Culture & Faith Institute
⇨ Read John 3 on Bible Gateway
▼

Gallup: Belief God Created Humans at Record Low (May 2017)
⇨ UPI
⇨ Gallup
⇨ Read about creation from the book of Genesis on Bible Gateway
▼

Record Few Americans Believe Bible Is Literal Word of God (May 2017)
⇨ Gallup
▼

British Church Decline has Ended, Report Suggests (May 2017)
⇨ Premier
⇨ Report: The “No Religion” Population of Britain
▼

Orthodox Christians in Europe More Likely to Believe Than Practice Their Religion (May 2017)
⇨ Pew Research Center
▼

Barna: Many Practicing Christians Agree with Marxism (and Other Competing Worldviews) (May 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Pew: Here’s How Badly Soviet Atheism Failed in Europe (May 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Americans Worry About Moral Decline, Can’t Agree on Right and Wrong (May 2017)
⇨ LifeWay Research
▼

Christians in the Global South Now Dominate Every Major Protestant Tradition—Except Baptist (May 2017)
⇨ Christian Century
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Biography of Christianity: An Interview with Ian Shaw
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Unexpected Christian Century: An Interview with Scott Sunquist
▼

Though Still Conservative, Young Evangelicals Are More Liberal Than Their Elders on Some Issues (May 2017)
⇨ Fact Tank
▼

King James Bible Still the Favorite Among Christians (May 2017)
⇨ Terre Haute Tribune Star
⇨ IUPUI Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture
⇨ Read the Bible on Bible Gateway
▼

Top 10 Bible Verses in Medieval England (May 2017)
⇨ The Anxious Bench
⇨ The Anxious Bench: The Biblical Heart of Medieval Faith
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Gateway 2016 Year in Review
▼

53% of People Globally (23 Countries) Feel Their Religion/Faith is Important to Them: Indonesia Is First At 93%; Japan Is Last At 22% (May 2017)
⇨ Ipsos MORI Global Trends religion slide
⇨ Ipsos MORI Global Trends 2017
▼

Study: Clergy and Congregants of Growing Churches in Canada are More Theologically Conservative and Exhibit Higher Rates of Bible Reading and Prayer (April 2017)
⇨ Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy
⇨ CT: Even in Canada, Conservative Churches Are Growing
▼

Why Religion Is More Durable Than Commonly Thought In Modern Society (April 2017)
⇨ NPR
▼

61 New Scripture Translations Completed Last Year (April 2017)
⇨ United Bible Societies
⇨ United Bible Societies: Full Report
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Translation Organizations
▼

53 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically (April 2017)
⇨ Biblical Archaeology Review
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Interview: Bible Scholar Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible
⇨ See the Biblical Archaeology section in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

The Attitudes of Skeptics and Antagonists Toward the Bible (April 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Americans Are Fond of the Bible; Don’t Actually Read It (April 2017)
⇨ LifeWay Research
⇨ CBN News: How Americans Treat Bible Reading Like Exercise
▼

Jews Least Likely US Religious Group To Read Bible Weekly—And 2/3 Never Do (April 2017)
⇨ The Forward
▼

Sermons that Teach About Scripture Are the No. 1 Reason Americans Go to Church (April 2017)
⇨ Gallup
▼

Video: American Bible Society’s Jason Malec on Changing Perceptions of the Bible (April 2017)
⇨ Barna
⇨ Barna: State of the Bible 2017—Top Findings
⇨ American Bible Society: News Release
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, History of the American Bible Society: An Interview with John Fea
▼

5 Facts on How Americans View the Bible and Other Religious Texts (April 2017)
⇨ Fact Tank
▼

Educated Evangelicals Are More Religious (April 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Adultery in 2017: Christians Rank What Counts as Cheating (April 2017)
⇨ CT
⇨ Read Matthew 5:27-28 on Bible Gateway
▼

BBC Survey: Resurrection Did Not Happen, Say Quarter of Self-Identified Christians (April 2017)
⇨ BBC News
▼

Only 30% of Born Again Adults Have a Biblical Worldview; But 79% Think They Do (March 2017)
⇨ American Culture & Faith Institute
▼

Only 25% of Christians Think It’s Their Job to Share Their Faith (March 2017)
⇨ American Culture & Faith Institute
⇨ One News Now: George Barna Finds Faith Still Hiding Under a Bushel
⇨ See Evangelism resources in the Bible Gateway Store
⇨ See Apologetics resources in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

State of the Bible 2017: Top Findings (March 2017)
⇨ Barna
⇨ American Bible Society: News Release
▼

Those Who “Love Jesus but Not the Church” Read the Bible Half as Much as the Average Practicing Christian (26% to 56%) (March 2017)
⇨ Barna
▼

7 Out of 10 Americans Call Themselves Christians; Few Are Able to Answer Questions About the Bible and Christian Beliefs (February 2017)
⇨ American Culture & Faith Institute
▼

Bible Reading in 2017: 61% Desire to Read the Bible More Than They Currently Do (January 2017)
⇨ Barna Group
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Poll: The Bible is the Greatest Influence on Contemporary Conservative Christians (January 2017)
⇨ American Culture and Faith Institute
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Bible References Make Very Weak Passwords (January 2017)
⇨ CT
▼

Bible Gateway 2016 Year in Review (December 2016)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

The Three Kinds of Popular Keyword Searches on Bible Gateway (December 2016)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Bible Readers Were Looking for Love in 2016 (December 2016)
⇨ Facts & Trends
▼

Despite Worries, Hotel Bible Remains Almost as Popular as Wi-Fi (December 2016)
⇨ Facts & Trends
⇨ Download the free Bible Gateway App and always access the Bible with the hotel’s WiFi
▼

The No. 1 Bible Verse and Top 25 Topics of the USA Election (November 2016)
⇨ CT
▼

Study: US Protestants Keep Their Children in the Faith at a Higher Rate Than Catholics or the Unaffiliated (October 2016)
⇨ CT
▼

The Bible? Not on My Desert Island, Say Majority of Britons (October 2016)
⇨ The Guardian
▼

Most Americans Believe in Supernatural Healing (October 2016)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

Americans Love God and the Bible, Are Fuzzy on the Details (September 2016)
⇨ LifeWay Research
⇨ CT: Study Examines What Americans Believe About 47 Theological Statements
⇨ Ligonier: The State of Theology
⇨ See the Theology section in the Bible Gateway Store
▼

73% of Americans Self-Identify as Christian; 31% Are Considered Practicing Christians; 23% Are Bible-Minded (September 2016)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

39% of Young Adults, One-Quarter Of All Americans Claim No Religious Affiliation (September 2016)
⇨ PRRI
⇨ Report: Why Americans are Leaving Religion—and Why They’re Unlikely to Come Back
▼

Ethiopian Bible is Oldest and Most Complete on Earth (June 2016)
⇨ Orthodox Christianity
▼

Perspective: Bible Still Most Accepted Despite Being Included on ALA List of Top 10 Most Challenged Books (April 2016)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

New Barna Report: What Are America’s Most Bible-Minded Cities? (January 2016)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
⇨ American Bible Society: 2016 Bible-Minded Cities
▼

The Top Ten Bible Verses of 2015 And More: Bible Gateway’s Year in Review Is Here (December 2015)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Bible on Demand: What 160 Million People Searched Scripture For in 2015 (December 2015)
⇨ CT
▼

God Rivals the Gym Among New Year’s Resolutions (December 2015)
⇨ CT
▼

Study: Most Practicing Protestant Youth Own a Bible—And They’re Reading It (December 2015)
⇨ CT
▼

Are You An Evangelical? Are You Sure? (December 2015)
⇨ NPR
▼

For Many, Bible No Longer Good Book (November 2015)
⇨ Baptist News Global
⇨ LifeWay Research: Sacred Texts and Society
▼

The State of Books and Reading in a Digital World (October 2015)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

Most UK Adults Do Not Believe the Bible is God’s Word (August 2015)
⇨ Barna Group
▼

Americans Rank Bible Most Influential Book in History (July 2015)
⇨ Christian Newswire
▼

Half of UK Christian Teenagers Don’t Read Bible More Than Once a Month (July 2015)
⇨ Premier
▼

95% of Jewish Israelis Have a Bible at Home; 6% of Those Are Not Sure Where It Is (July 2015)
⇨ The Jerusalem Post
▼

Poll: 30% of Secular Israelis Have Never Read Tanach (July 2015)
⇨ JP Updates
▼

Big Drop in Share of Americans Calling Themselves Christian (May 2015)
⇨ The New York Times
▼

Pew: Evangelicals Stay Strong as Christianity Crumbles in America (May 2015)
⇨ CT
▼

Canadians Have Personal Faith as Organized Religion Declines: Poll (April 2015)
⇨ National Post
▼

The Most Churched, Unchurched Cities in the USA Are… (April 2015)
⇨ OneNewsNow.com
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State of the Bible 2015: Teens (February 2015)
⇨ American Bible Society
▼

How We Read the Bible: Bible Gateway’s 2014 Year in Review (December 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Three-Quarters of Americans Identify as Christian (December 2014)
⇨ Gallup
▼

Ten Obstacles That Get in the Way of Bible Fluency (August 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

75% in USA Believe the Bible is in Some Way Connected to God (June 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

A Summary of Recent Bible Reading Surveys (May 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What’s the Place of the Bible in American Christianity? Surprising Results from a New Survey (March 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What Are People Around the World Searching For in the Bible? (February 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What Does it Mean to be “Bible-Minded”? (February 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Bible Gateway’s Most “Bible-Minded” Cities in the UK and Australia (February 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

Bible Gateway’s Most “Bible-Minded” Cities in Canada (January 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What Are Bible Gateway’s Most “Bible-Minded” USA Cities? (January 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What Are America’s Most Bible-Minded Cities? (January 2014)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

2013 Year in Review on Bible Gateway (December 2013)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

What You Look for in the Bible: The Top 20 Keyword Search Terms on Bible Gateway (March 2013)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

The Top 10 Most-Searched Bible Verses: What’s Missing? (January 2011)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

The 100 Most Read Bible Verses at Bible Gateway (May 2009)
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog post
▼

⇨ See Bible News Roundup weekly posts

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Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet, when it comes to actually praying, often it feels awkward and complicated. What do you say when you don’t know how to pray?

In time for America’s National Day of Prayer May 4, Bible Gateway interviewed Adam Weber (@adamweber) about his book, Talking with God: What to Say When You Don’t Know How to Pray (WaterBrook, 2017).

[Browse resources about Prayer in the Bible Gateway Store]

You say your book is intended for people who aren’t sure how to pray. How large a group do you envision that to be?

Adam Weber: I would only hope that the book would encourage and apply to anyone. The person who’s still on the fence about God but is curious to know more about prayer. The person who’s been following Jesus for years and yet is maybe stuck in a rut when it comes to their prayer life. The person who feels like they fall short in relationship with God, and also the person who thinks they have prayer all figured out.

What did Jesus have to say on the subject of prayer?

Adam Weber: Jesus speaks about prayer often. He explains, when you pray don’t do it to be seen by others (Matt 6:5). There’s no need to ramble on and try to pray extravagant prayers (Matt 6:7). God knows what we need before we even ask (Matt 6:8). Instead, when you pray, let your words be simple and speak with God (Matt 6:9). All of this is from a few short verses.

What general principles about prayer should we learn from The Lord’s Prayer?

Adam Weber: There are so many principles we can learn from the Lord’s Prayer. In Matthew 6:9 alone, we learn that God and even his name are holy. This is God we are speaking with in prayer. The same God that angels covered their eyes when in his presence (Isaiah 6:2). And yet, it’s “Our Father.” Not “Our King,” not “Almighty God,” but “Our Father.” God is holy, yet we can speak with him intimately like we do with a loving parent. We don’t have to edit our words or clean our lives up before we speak with him; instead we can approach him. Knowing that he loves when we’re in his presence.

Why do you think even Jesus’ disciples, those who followed him closely, didn’t have prayer figured out?

Adam Weber: Jesus wouldn’t have talked about prayer with his followers if they did have prayer figured out. And it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t have prayer figured out. I’ve been following Jesus for 17 years now and I’m still growing and learning in my own prayer life. We’re all a work in progress. A dear friend of mine was a pastor for decades and yet recently I asked if he was still growing in his prayer life. His response: “I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface.” Through daily prayer, we come to know and understand an infinite, unending God. How wonderful!

What should people pray about? Is anything off-limits?

Adam Weber: Anything that comes to the surface within our heart. Words of adoration towards God. Requests we have of our Father. Feelings of joy and also of pain. Obviously, as followers of Jesus, we should be respectful of God. But learning from David, nothing is off-limits. God can handle our questions, concerns, and frustrations.

What’s a person to say (or shouldn’t say) when praying? (Can the word “just” be used too many times?)

Adam Weber: Whatever is inside of us. Whether we’re excited, scared, or overwhelmed, say what’s inside of you and direct it towards God. There’s no “right” or “wrong” words to pray. Speak with God the way you talk with anyone else. Don’t speak in a different voice. Don’t speak using strange words that you wouldn’t elsewhere. Talk with God.

Are there different ways of praying?

Adam Weber: There are many different ways to pray. My youth pastor once explained that sometimes we need to sing to God because what we’re feeling inside is so wonderful. We’re thankful and in awe of God’s goodness and we need to sing. Other times we need to get on our knees. We’ve made a mistake, we’re broken, or we’re bringing a request to God so it just seems right to be on our knees. Other times we can speak with God just like we do with a friend. Jesus says “I don’t call you servants, instead I call you friends” (John 15:15).

Why should we pray? What difference does it make?

Adam Weber: We should pray to express our love for God. We should pray to hand our concerns over to God. We should pray because all throughout the Bible we’re told that God hears our voice and considers what we have to say.

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Adam Weber: I use Bible Gateway weekly, sometimes daily. What a gift to any follower of Jesus to have such easy access to God’s Word and the different translations. Whether you’re a new Christian or a pastor, what a wonderful gift.

Bio: Adam Weber lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He likes typewriters, drives a Rambler, cheers for the Cincinnati Bengals, has 4 chickens, and a dog named Daisy. He’s the founder and lead pastor of Embrace, a 10-year-old church that has grown to 6 campuses in two states. He and his beautiful wife, Becky, have four kids: Hudson, Wilson, Grayson and Anderson. Fun fact: He once made worldwide news when a turkey vulture fell out of the sky and onto his back porch during an ice storm. Google it.

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