Once again, something little different for you this week. I am offering a look a Bible study resources on the web. Some you may know, some maybe not. I hope this helps. If I miss something just add it in the comments.

Bibles

A good Bible search tool is important. When I began preaching we used a concordance; it was a 20 pound book that listed words and where they were found. A typical concordance was limited to a single Bible translation and only one word at a time. Phrases were an impossibility. No more.

I have often used Unbound from Biola University. It’s a little clunky in some respects but its worth learning to use it. The best part is that it is always available from anywhere. Closely related is Bible Gateway. These folks have a nice site and an easy interface. Be sure and drop by.

Far better in my judgement are self contained Bible programs installed on your own computer. These allow a great deal of flexibility and note taking which may or may not be available on the online programs.

I am partial to Logos. I’ve been with Logos almost since it began and have added to my collection over the years. I now of many thousands of dollars of books all inside my laptop! You can begin with a very inexpensive “core” and add to it over time. It supports multiple language including the original Biblical languages and can conduct Greek syntax searches easily. Numerous commentaries are available too.

Some of you are familiar with a product called eSword. Not quite as feature rich as Logos but it enjoys one key benefit far beyond the others…eSword is free!

Clipart and Images

Any preacher or Bible class teacher knows how important graphics can be to a lesson. Here are two sources for you.

The first is free provided you give credit and tell where you got it from. It’s Wikipedia Commons. This is a fine repository of freely useable material which includes photographs, drawings, layouts and even some audio and video.

Another really fine source for images is iStockphoto. This is a pay site and you’ll drop about a dollar for small images. These work very well in multimedia works like PowerPoint. You can easily search for an image on any subject and get thousands of possibilities.

I mentioned Wikipedia Commons a moment ago. I think you should also take a long look at the main Wikipedia site. Some people worry about its accuracy and sometimes it misses the mark. But generally it is spot on, especially with historical information about ancient empires and such. The key is to use your basic knowledge and check the references at the bottom of every article. Most are linked so you can research something quickly. I am administrator there and will be glad to help if you let me know.

Thanks for visiting. Remember, add your resources below in the comments section.