Bible Listening | Knowable Word

How I Read the Bible When I’m Sleepy

November 22, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

I work on a college campus, and my responsibilities rise and fall with the predictable patterns of the academic calendar. Energy is high and eyes are bright in August and September, but by the time late November hits, malaise is in the air.

This change is most visible in students, but faculty and staff also have tasks that cluster around the end of the semester. At this time of year, we all need rest.

One doesn’t need to be involved with education to feel weary, though. Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you don’t have as much energy as you’d like. Family responsibilities, work, health, financial worries—these all combine to add to our fatigue.

How should a Christian approach their devotional life in a season like this?

God Understands

In my early years as a Christian, I felt guilty for missing devotional times. I didn’t have a good understanding of God’s grace, so even though I wouldn’t have said this out loud, I believed that God loved me just a little bit less on those days when I didn’t pray or read the Bible.

I hope that I have a more biblical view now, that Jesus’s work has demonstrated God’s perfect, fatherly love for me. I am forgiven and adopted by the High King of Heaven. Nothing I do can increase or decrease his affection for me.

So, if you’re struggling to meet with God these days because you’re exhausted, please know that God understands. The Lord is compassionate; he knows our frame (including our weaknesses and tiredness); his steadfast love is great toward those who fear him (Ps 103:11–14).

Combine Two Methods

When I am tired, the primary way I read the Bible is by using my eyes and ears together. I’m far from the first person to discover or suggest this, but let me explain why it is a particular help in this season.

Despite good intentions, if I’m sleepy I tend to nod off when reading my physical Bible. I wish it weren’t so, but those are the facts. To stay awake, I’ve tried pacing around my house when reading, but I’ve had limited success. (I usually end up doubly tired.)

An audio Bible by itself is sometimes helpful when I’m lacking energy. But in this diminished state my mind wanders easily. And closing my eyes to focus is not an option!

So, I’ve found that combining these two methods helps. I keep my Bible open in front of me and my audio Bible playing in my ears. Because I have two senses engaged in the same task, I’m able to stay awake a bit better. The word in my ears helps to propel my eyes across the page. I’m sure that my retention isn’t as high as when I’m feeling tip-top, but I think pressing ahead at times like this can be helpful.

This isn’t a magic pill. I still nod off sometimes. And this adjustment might not work for everyone.

But it often helps me when I’m tired. Bible intake is my goal, even if that intake is with a slow, foggy mind.

Behind the Scenes: My Bible Study Tools and Process

July 22, 2019 By Ryan Higginbottom

Studying the Bible is hard, holy work.

The tools we use for this work are not holy, but neither are they incidental. As we grow and mature we find different Bibles, different processes, and different translations that offer just the help we need at that time.

At the risk of navel gazing, my goal in this post is to let you into my Bible study workshop. I’ll describe the tools and process I use to prepare a small group Bible study.

This is one workshop among many. (My co-blogger Peter has written about this too.) My example is not meant for blind imitation, but I hope some readers may find some inspiration here. I should also note that my personal preferences are in flux. I have adopted some of my work flow within the past four months.

Tools

I use six main tools when studying the Bible and preparing for my small group.

An audio Bible. In my early exposure to the passage I’m studying, I like to listen to the Bible. A lot.
A markup Bible. My current markup Bible is a template of my own design. I copy the text from Bible Gateway into a Word document with fat margins (three inches on each side and two inches on the bottom). This gives me plenty of room for notes, arrows, and symbols.
Colored pencils. I use cheap colored pencils to mark up the Bible text. Color coordination helps me locate repetition and connections.
A Bible commentary. This one’s fairly self-explanatory.
A journal and pen. I need to write in order to understand a Bible passage. I grab a nearby notebook or journal.
Multiple Bible translations. I read the passage in multiple translations at Bible Gateway before my small group meets. (I make a point to consult the translations that my small group members prefer.)

My Process

With my tools in hand, these are the eight steps I take to prepare a small group Bible study lesson.

Before I do anything, I pray. I am weak and full of sin, and I am approaching God’s holy word. I need his help!
My first step is to print out my markup Bible. Simple enough.
Next, I listen to and read the Bible passage a bunch. My goal is to discover and understand the structure of the passage. (I recently wrote about how helpful it was to read a passage 25 times.) I listen to or read the Bible passage at least ten times before I make a single mark on the page.
Now it’s time for Bible study. Using the markup Bible, colored pencils, and a pen, I dive into the Observe-Interpret-Apply (OIA) Bible study method. I make a ton of observations on the paper, and these lead me to interpretive questions, which I also write next to the text. I use the right-hand margin of the paper for these notes.
At this point I try to answer the interpretive questions from the text. I outline the passage according to the central ideas of each paragraph and land on an overall main point. I force myself to make notes about the passage before reading any commentaries. I also write down the primary questions I’d like to learn from the commentary.
Next, I read the commentary. If I found the passage confusing, I’ll spend a lot of time interacting with the commentary. If it was an easier passage, I might skim the commentary or skip it altogether. I write notes from the commentary in the left-hand margin of my markup Bible.
It’s time for more writing. I try to identify the main point of each section of the passage and then the overall main point. (This will use my work from step 5 as well as what I learned in step 6.) I list how my interpretation of the passage connects to Jesus and I think through application. Finally, I write a launching question for my small group.
The last step is to create my leader’s notes for the small group meeting. This is a list of questions to help my friends discover the main point of the passage and discuss application. This is also when I read the passage in different translations, although I may do this earlier if the passage is especially thorny.

One Model Among Many

What I’ve outlined above is just one model among many. Some of it may work for you and some may not. And if what you’re doing already is working for you, you shouldn’t feel any need to change.

Don’t focus on the tools. Get and use the tools that will help you focus on the Bible.

Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time

November 26, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

Lilian Dibbern (2018), public domain

We’re good at learning our surroundings, aren’t we? After living in one place for many years, we know every last detail. We know which noises are normal and which drips and knocks require a phone call. We know the cold spots of each room, the number of stairs between floors, and which floorboards squeak the loudest. If necessary, we could find our bed in the deepest darkness, because we know our place. It’s home.

For some people, this familiarity is comforting. They like the warmth and security that comes from knowing a place inside and out. But for others, the comfort makes them uneasy. It seems boring and dry, like a mouth full of uncooked oats. They start to look for something new.

Some might think of the Bible as predictable and stuffy, especially those who have been reading it for years. They know every beat of every story. There are no more surprises; the excitement is gone.

By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers.

Five Ways to Fight Bible Weariness

There are many ways to guard against the boredom that can come with age and familiarity. Here are five of the best.

Remember why you’re reading. The Bible is not boring because it has a grand, explosive, eternal purpose. We read the Bible in order to know the God of the universe! We wouldn’t know him, or know how to approach him, if he didn’t tell us. And because God is infinite, we cannot exhaust our understanding of him. So, while you might know all the stories in the Bible, you can always know and worship the God behind those stories better. And here’s a glorious follow-up: This is exactly what God wants!

Adjust your routine. There are lots of different ways to take in the Bible. If you’ve been reading a lot, try listening. Read through the Bible as quickly as you can. Or take six months, read one book as many times as possible, and let it sink into your bones. Study the Bible, memorize it, sing it. A different translation or a different physical Bible might offer the fresh perspective you need.

Teach the Bible. Most Bible teachers will tell you they learn far more during their teaching than any of their students. Most churches and ministries often need Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and volunteers at the local nursing home. Don’t shy away from children’s ministries either—you really have to know and believe the Bible to explain it to kids! If your Bible intake is not just for yourself, you may find it more challenging, comforting, and life-giving.

Apply the Bible. Though the Bible’s text and truths don’t change, we do. This means that the same accurate interpretation of a passage at age 25 has massively different implications when we’re 55. Application is the most difficult step of Bible study, so we often skip it, but application is precisely where we are forced to trust in God. Our faith grows the most when we take steps of obedience and witness God supporting our feet. To fight disinterest in the Bible, push your Bible study from observation and interpretation all the way to application.

Share the gospel. It’s tempting to think the Bible is dusty and anemic when we never witness the power of God through its words. In addition to applying the Bible to ourselves, we can see this power as we tell others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit most often uses the words of the Bible to awaken the dead and grant faith in Christ, and we can be a part of this! If you want to see just how powerful the Bible is, pray for opportunities to talk to others about Jesus, and then rejoice and obey when those opportunities arise. (God loves to answer this prayer!)

Ask and You Shall Receive

When we feel fatigue with the Bible, the problem is not with the book. The problem is with us.

But remember—God is a compassionate father who loves his children. At the bottom of every strategy given above is this encouragement: Talk honestly with God about your struggles. Confess your sin, your apathy, your lack of love. Ask him to be merciful, to change you from the inside out.

Don’t let your boredom with the Bible lead you away from God. Take it to him; he already knows and is eager and able to help.

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Dwell: a Deeply Satisfying Audio Bible App

August 31, 2018 By Peter Krol

I have been a fan of audio Bibles for some time. First thing in the morning, while I’m dressing and brushing my teeth, I listen to the ESV: Through the Bible in a Year daily podcast. Then while exercising, I have often listened to a daily lectionary. And as I read and re-read books of the Bible to develop biblical thinking, I often alternate between reading and listening. In addition, we’re training our children for a lifestyle of devotional Bible “reading” through daily time with their own audio Bibles (a practice which has continued in our home long past the preschool years).

So I have tested many options for optimizing the audio Bible experience over the years. Some work out spectacularly. Others far less so.

And now that the Dwell audio Bible app is available, I’m happy to report it sits solidly in the spectacular category.

What is Dwell?

Dwell is not a CD set but a smartphone app. It’s currently available only for iOS, but an Android version is set to release in the next few months.

Dwell was designed from the ground up to be, not a Bible app, but a Bible listening app. You won’t find the text of Scripture anywhere in the app. All you will find is streaming audio of the Scripture being read.

Dwell uses the ESV translation (though they plan to add more over time), recorded by 4 voices with distinct accents and styles. You can set a default voice (my favorite is Felix, the East African), or have a random voice each time. Dwell offers 4 “album” options for contemplative background music, along with the option to turn the music off. You can set the volume for voice and for music independently to get the mix you most prefer.

The app allows you to listen straight through books of the Bible. It also has a library of “playlists,” which collect many verses around topics such as loneliness, creeds, the trinity, or God’s greatness. The app also has a library of “passages,” which are longer sections, but not entire books. So you can quickly choose selections such as Joseph’s story, the Sermon on the Mount, the fruit of the Spirit, or the friendship of David & Jonathan. Of these listening options, I most prefer entire books or passages; I find the playlists, with a few exceptions, to be somewhat arbitrary and unfortunately decontextualized.

Dwell also has many (currently 34) listening plans, such as Esther in 10 days, Psalms in 30 days, or Jesus’ miracles in 7 days. If you’re into daily routine, these plans are incredibly easy to use.

Dwell’s Limitations

You’ll want to know four things up front about Dwell before diving in:

Dwell is still very much a work in progress. The user interface is highly polished and easy as can be, but the content is not yet complete. As of this writing, only the New Testament, Genesis, Exodus, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Esther, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Hosea, Joel, and Jonah are available. But I have been surprised at how quickly new OT books have been added since the app’s release. As they receive more funding, they are quickly recording, editing, and releasing new content.
Which brings me to the topic of funding. If you think of Dwell as only a smartphone app, you may be disappointed to hear that it costs money. (Note: There is a free version, which gives you access to only one voice, regularly interrupted by advertisements to buy the premium version. I found the ads to be frustratingly disruptive to the experience, such that I’d recommend only going unlimited unless you’d like to try before you buy.) But if you think of it as a deluxe audio Bible, the pricing fits about what you might expect. I eagerly supported Dwell when it was on Kickstarter, and I’m making copious use of my lifetime unlimited subscription. Dwell is delivering all that was promised and more.
Dwell works only as a streaming service. You cannot download the audio files for offline playing. Since it consists of four entire audio Bibles (the four voices), the producers believed it to be too costly space-wise to store locally on people’s devices. So it functions only with an active internet connection. This might cause minor delays between tracks/chapters as your phone loads the new file, depending on the speed and quality of your internet connection.
At this point, you cannot customize playlists or listening plans. The app is under vigorous development, however, so I wouldn’t be surprised if these features eventually show up.

Conclusion

I am thrilled with Dwell, and with the way it does everything possible to streamline the Bible listening experience. I can’t wait until the OT is finished, and they launch some through-the-Bible-in-a-year listening plans. This will no doubt replace my daily ESV podcast.

Dwell can’t compete with the quality of dramatization in NIV Live, but it doesn’t try to. For now, Dwell can hold a co-regency with NIV Live in my voracious Bible listening lifestyle. I highly recommend it to you.

NIV Live: A Bible Experience

June 15, 2018 By Peter Krol

in the last few years, I have developed great joy in listening to the Bible. I listen to portions of it every day. Sometimes I like to listen to it while I follow along with the words. And sometimes I enjoy hearing it on its own. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out I actually spend more time listening to it than actually reading it.

This enjoyment has grown out of the fact that my smart phone makes it easier than ever before to have an audio Bible with me at all times. I subscribe to a podcast that follows a daily lectionary of readings. I have two complete audio Bibles (different translations) in my music app. And I eagerly backed Dwell, a Bible app designed from the ground up, just for listening.

With that background in mind, I’d like to tell you about something that has knocked my socks off: NIV Live: A Bible Experience. Calling NIV Live an audio Bible would be a little like calling the Superbowl a football game; while technically accurate, the label doesn’t quite capture the spectacle of the thing. Which is why, I think, the creators don’t call NIV Live an audio Bible; they call it A Bible Experience.

NIV Live presents an audio recording of the complete text of the NIV Bible. And everything about it attempts to draw you in to the experience.

After stating a book’s title, the audio has no unwanted intrusions. No mentions of chapter numbers to distract you from the experience. Just the text.
Dozens and dozens of readers. And many of the readers are professional voice actors. While I’m sure other such things exist, I had never heard an audio Bible treated with full, professional voice acting before I came across NIV Live.
- Each reader has a role, as though the Bible were a very long play. The same actor plays Moses, every time Moses speaks. Another actor plays Yahweh. Another plays Jesus. And so on, down to the most minor characters. It’s fascinating to listen to different gospels, and have the same actor playing Peter every time he speaks.
- Actors who read the role of an apostle also read that apostle’s letters. For example, the reader who plays Paul does both Paul’s dialogue in Acts and all of Paul’s epistles.
- There is one narrator who reads all Old Testament narratives. New Testament narratives are read in the “voice” of the author (Matthew, Mark, Luke (who also reads Acts), and John). The different literal voices of the gospels give each gospel a remarkably different feel.
- Not every reader is a professional. NIV Live employed many pastors to fill minor roles, and these are some of the most distracting parts. It feels mismatched to have someone act a role, while another person in the same scene is merely reading a text. But I can imagine hiring this many professional voice actors would have over-exceeded the available budget.
Tasteful music. My first impression (Genesis 1 and 2) was that the music was distractingly repetitive and annoying. But once I got used to it, I came to love it. I found it very well placed to highlight the mood, a climax, or a transition in just the right way.
Sound effects. Listening to the Bible was like listening to a movie. When we were in a city, I could hear (and therefore picture) the bustle of the busy marketplace. Battles were chaotic. Encounters with creation were framed accordingly.

I listened to the entire Bible in just over a month earlier this year. I couldn’t believe how fun it was to have the Bible not only read but also dramatized, without abridgment or interpretive summarization. If you think it would be too distracting to have the Bible dramatized in such a way, NIV Live might not be for you. But if you’re willing to try something a little different from what you’re used to, NIV Live provides an experience unlike any other.

One technical note: I prefer listening to my Bibles (or any spoken-word audio) at faster-than-normal speed. While NIV Live has a beautiful and fancy app, I can find no way to change the playback speed within the app. It is possible, but annoying to download the complete audio after purchasing it, because you have to download 66 files, one book at a time. But once you do, you can sync it with an audiobook app, which should enable you to change the playback speed.

The Lost Skill of Listening to the Bible

January 17, 2018 By Peter Krol

Last week, The Gospel Coalition published an article with the intriguing title “Don’t Just Read the Bible.” I was expecting the article to be about Bible study (Don’t just read the Bible but study it.) But in fact, the author went in a different direction: Don’t just read the Bible; listen to it being read.

I have valued Bible listening for quite some time, which is why I’m happy to allow for audio-Bible listening in our 90-day reading challenge. Listening to the Bible is a marvelous way to soak in the big picture, the main ideas, the overarching story line. And in his TGC article, Jonathan Bailey makes a good case for the practice:

So how do reading and listening shape us in different ways? When we read, our default tendency is to study, to pull apart the text and piece it back together, and to draw conclusions. We’re after comprehension: to grasp with the mind, to sharpen our thinking, to learn, and, above all, to understand. When we read, we want to get something out of it.

When we listen, we have to leave all that behind. We lose our ability to be precise; there’s no underlining, cross-referencing, or consulting commentaries. Listening is more leisurely. When we listen we’re after apprehension: to lay hold of something, or better said, to have something lay hold of us.

Now of course, comprehension is not a bad thing. But I certainly appreciate the useful distinction between comprehension (getting something out of it) and apprehension (merely beholding the wonder). This sounds just right. And anyway, having our own Bibles to read is a rather recent development in the history of the world. Before the 16th century, most people would only get to listen.

So in the bio at the bottom, I noticed that Mr. Bailey just launched a Kickstarter project for a new Bible listening mobile app. An app designed to perfect not the reading experience but the listening experience. Different vocal tracks with a variety of English-speaking accents. Seamless synchronization. Original music scored to highlight the text. Listening plans and playlists.

I must say I am impressed. So impressed that I immediately backed the project to get a lifetime subscription to the app. Perhaps you might want to consider this project as well. It became fully funded within 3 days, but it’s still open to new backers. The more they raise, the more features they can add at launch. But regardless of how much they raise now, it sounds like many more features will come over time.

So I encourage you to check it out! Here is the Kickstarter campaign for the listening app. And here is the article at TGC about the unique value of listening to the Bible.