Mobile Ministry Magazine

Some time back I posted how I have a laptop that I got on the cheap and would be using mostly browser-based applications with it. Its been a good bit since that post and I thought it good to give an update, especially in light of other mobile happenings going on in my life.

From the side of those things browser-related, I am realizing that such a mobile existance without broadband is not very fun. Sure, I used my Treo in order to get online, but the connection speeds made many of the websites that I visited to be more of a bear than a blessing. I could harp there on how web developers need to take that into mind more, but I look at the fun [mess] that is MMM and know that we all need work making more accessible site (regardless of connection speeds and device types).

That being said, I'm not happy with the Bible solutions. YouVersion and eBible both suffer from lags with such a slow connection. Though, the bookmarking and journaling aspects have been ok for spotty usage.

I've found that using WordPad to setup many posts and documents has been beneficial since I would be able to reread many things before emailing or posting. But that too has become something near cumbersome.

So far the conclusion is that I need faster connections in order to mitigate some of the issues. Maybe with the 3G connection of the N75 I'll be able to find some help there. But even when I get to that point, I'll need to get past the size of the device, and the real usability of it. Because if the battery only last enough for short stints (really short working stints), then it will be relgated to a desk. And there's nothing mobile about sitting on a desk.

Labels: mobile, tech

In airing last week that I am moving to a new device, there's also a bit of a change that I'd like to do that is a lot more far reaching. I'd like to make an effort in this coming year to be a almost-always mobile blogger. Meaning that I'd like to not just post the occasional post to the blog, but even go as far as produce and admin all the content for it.

Doing this is going to be a good bit of a challenge. The major hurdle will be getting the devices and accessories needed to make this happen. Right now I have the 3G phone, but looking at either expanding that to the N95-3 (US 3G super phone) or just getting an Internet Tablet and running from there.

Sidenote: the N95 would allow a good bit more play in terms of creating multimedia-themed aspects to things (here and elsewhere), while making outreach something that will challenge perceptions. The Internet Tablet aspect is more personal and would allow for the investigation of reading and study solutions that haven't been pursued as much.

I've gotten a keyboard ($30 at Amazon). But then I'll need to make sure that my charging solutions are together (car and solar are already on tap).

After that, it will be a matter of just doing it. And by it I mean everything. As it stands right now, there is not a suitable web/offline application that works as a great reading, studying, and journaling Bible (still). That's something that I'd like to see (and would help develop if time permits). I'd need a suitable platform to admin this blog, and might even have to move to another platform to make that easier. And then there is the web/offline office apps that I'd use. Its a lot that I'd be pushing to happen on this move, much of which I've aired in part before, but will be a bit louder about making happen.

In a recent Brighthand editorial, I mentioned that moving away from the the Treo the the N75 was like changing into a new relationship. And in a lot of ways it is. But the kicker is that I've made this change so that I can walk even more fully into the mobile life that will probably define most of the rest of my 20s (not that many more to go there). I think there is value enough in what's to come that I'm willing to push out and try something not-yet-done.

My only hope is that I don't reach too far, else no-one benefits from this, and I end up with a nice sized empty wallet. I've already seen this happen with my inability to get to BibleTech 2008. I've got to make sure that this move is a good bit more planned, and then executed so that the intersection of what works and what doesn't in terms of faith and tech, is made clear.

Labels: Bible, BibleTech, internet tablet, mobile, mobile accessories, N800, N95, software, tech

Its been the better part of a few good days with the N75 and I am somewhat comfortable with it. IT does a few things different than the N95 that I looked at last year, but all in all isn't a bad device.

One of the problems that I ran into with it was using the Mail4Exchange software with it. For some reason, it would not recognize the hostname of my mail server and so I ended up going with DataViz's RoadSync. Currently using its 30 day trial, its ok, but a bit more than I need. Battery life has taken a considerable hit with it on "push" mode for most of the day though. I'll need to figure out something there, as that is one mail account that needs to be active all the time.

I am finding though that other parts of the device are solid, and even praiseworthy. The keypad is probably the best that I've ever had on any mobile phone. The buttons are big and give great feedback. I type pretty fast with T9, and have not had a problem with getting out messages or typing web page names.

The music player has been a solid accompanyment as well. Music comes thru nice and clear (except at the highest volume range). And being able to use it without opening the flip has been something pretty neat too. I only wish that the side buttons were as finger friendly as the internal ones were.

I have been using it teathered to my desktop for internet and that too has been quite favorable. Besides getting about 3hrs of a connection before a low battery warning, connecting has been seemless with the Nokia PC Suite software. And yes, 3G speeds are here and accounted for.

So far what needs to get better, change, improve:
- Battery life could be better. But I am a heavy user, so this is something that can be given a pass on.
- Definitely a phone first. I see where many people like Nokia's user interface. I don't. Its not very good, and its easy to get lost in looking for a setting for the phone or a program. Also, simple things like replying to SMS messages or refreshing a web page takes too many clicks.
- The idea fo controlling the phone without opening the flip is great, but could use some refining in aspects such as viewing text messages, not just being notified of them.

Overall, its ok. Outside of sending a mass-run of Christmas text messages with the Treo 680, I have been on the N75 a lot. Its cool, and I could see a lot of people using one (or an updated one, or the N76) and being happy with it. In terms of mobile computing though, it needs a device like the N810 in order to be totally mobile-useful. That is not to knock it, its a nice day to day device. More phone than communicator, and for a lot of people, that will be just fine.

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, N75, Nokia

An excellent study on prayer has been posted at Trailblazin Ministries called Prayer God's Way: The Disciple's Prayer. This is a two-part study looking at prayer and specifically a breakdown of Matthew 6. Here is a snippet:

...Now that we know why and when we pray, we now reach the greatest question we will face during this study on the subject. The question is this: how do we pray? To answer this question, we will again turn to Jesus Christ and follow His example. In two instances recorded in Scripture, Jesus taught His disciples a model to be used for prayer. The first instance is recorded in Matthew 6 during Jesus' Galilean ministry while teaching His Sermon on the Mount, and the second is found in Luke 11 during His Judean and Perean ministry after being approached by His disciples about how to properly pray. This model is important for us to have a proper understanding of how to pray...

Read both Part 1 and Part 2. I encourage you to share this as well (I've bugged TM for a PDF downloadable version of this). Prayer is more essential than anything techie, so please, get an understand and talk to our Lord.

UPDATE
Download the PDF version

Labels: Bible, devotion, Devotions

The Carnival of the Mobilists is up at The Mobility Weblog. The good thing about those things mobile is that holidays do not seem to slow down the thought and expereinces that many are having with their devices.

Check out this latest CotM as some delightful holiday reading.

Labels: Carnival of the Mobilists

Just caught this at The Digital Sanctuary.

Labels: Bible, software, WordSearch

I've got a new Nokia device to talk about some. This one didn't come from Nokia Blogger Relations, but I'll blame them anyways for getting my appitite wet for something even better ;)

I now have the Nokia N75. The N75 was the first 3G enabled Nokia phone to hit the US. It is about as speced out as you can get, except for wi-fi. But unlike my Treo, it does not have a QWERTY keyboard. It will be an adjustment towards getting used to a number pad, but I can tell you that T9 will have to learn quickly else this phone goes to the side, heheheh.

A few apps that are going on here:
- Jaiku Mobile
- S60 Bible Reader (2GB MicroSD card with that)
- Mail for Exchange (for connecting to MS Exchange)

There are a few more apps that I am sure that I'll want to get, but I like to keep things light.

One of the other reasons for going with this is that I want to be a bit more applicable to the 70+million people who this year have chosen a Nokia Symbian device, but want to learn how it can be used for mobile ministry. There's a lot, and just watch us pour it on this coming year towards what we can do.

Happy holidays all.

Labels: Bible, Jaiku, mobile, N75, Nokia, tech

This week Olive Tree Bible Software announces the release of 11 new software collections, specifically designed to meet a variety of Bible reading and study needs. These new bundles group together different types of related products into packages that are easy to download, install, and use on many different handheld mobile devices. The collections include groupings of eBooks, Bible commentaries, devotionals, study tools, biographies, and sermons. For a full list of new collections, visit the Collections section on Olive Tree's website, at http://www.olivetree.com/resources/collections/. Olive Tree offers a total of 33 different collections available for download, as well as 14 collections that are available on CD. Collection prices range from free to several hundred dollars, depending on the amount and type of material.

Olive Tree's customizable BibleReader(TM) application makes it easy to use these resources. With an intuitive feature called the "verse chooser" all versified material such as Bibles and commentaries can be easily navigated by selecting the book/chapter/verse of the specific reference location. Many resources also support searching and bookmarks; and on Palm and Pocket PC, personal notes can be written on each verse of the Bible. The text is easy to navigate, with 5-way support, scrollbars, and a toolbar and shortcut keys that can be customized. The BibleReader is a full-featured eBook reader that is designed to make Bible reading and study an excellent experience on the mobile handheld platform.

About Olive Tree Bible Software
Olive Tree Bible Software provides Bible versions and study tools for Palm OS, Pocket PC, Smartphone and Symbian cell phones, iPods, and BlackBerry devices. Web and online Bible search engines are also available. The BibleReader(TM) application enables users to read Bibles and other resources, quickly navigate to new references, search documents, bookmark passages, create personalized notes, and much more. The company publishes over 450 electronic resources, including commentaries, dictionaries, devotionals, Christian eBooks, and over 100 translations of the Bible. The Bible is offered in many languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, and Spanish. Original Hebrew and Greek texts with parsing tools are also available. Visit www.OliveTree.com.

Labels: Bible, mobile, mobile accessories, Olivetree

I've been having a good discussion with LJ of Trailblazin Ministries over the past many weeks about making a common format for electronic Bible readers. There are several reasons for doing this, but the best ones are highlighted by LJ in the latest post on his blog. Here is a snippet of that posting:

...But that led me to think even more, and it's something my friend Antoine and I have discussed a bit of late. It'd be great if I could use my WORDsearch library in Logos and vice versa. For me, considering all the works I have in WS, there is no logical reason why I should have to go and purchase those same works in Logos just so that I can use it in their software. For example, I love John MacArthur's New Testament Commentary series, and I have pretty much the entire set in WS, but none in Logos; I would love to use it in Logos, but why buy it for that application when I already have it in digital format elsewhere. The key point here is that I already have it in digital format; it's not like I'm trying to go from print to electronic, but from electronic to electronic on the same computer, just in different applications. It would be great if I could get the book from one company and then use it in the other's software. It's for that reason alone that WORDsearch will remain my primary application for daily use. Again, content is king...

Read the rest of LJ's post and make your voice heard if you too would like to see a better emphasis on creating Biblical content that moves easily from one type of device/program to another.

Labels: Bible, community, tech

Laridian introduces the first PC Bible software that can be run from a USB flash drive

Cedar Rapids, IA (MobilityNewswire) December 13, 2007 -- Laridian, Inc., the leading developer of Bible software applications for mobile devices, today announces the release of its acclaimed PocketBible for Windows. The Windows version is available as a download from the company's website, or on a USB flash drive - the first PC Bible software that can run from a USB flash drive and also synchronize personal data with a mobile version on a Windows Mobile or Palm OS device.

Laridian designed the new Windows version of PocketBible to make studying the Bible easier than ever. It is distinguished from other PC-based Bibles as it was developed with mobile users in mind. The PocketBible program and library can be used from a USB flash drive so it can easily be run from any computer. Further, any Bibles and books purchased with PocketBible for Windows are compatible with the mobile versions of Laridian software.

"Electronic Bibles should be as portable as those who use them, and PocketBible is designed for those who want to study their Bibles whether they are at home, on the subway, on break at work, or at church," said Craig Rairdin, President of Laridian, Inc. "Our aim is to not only make PocketBible the most portable Bible software, but also the easiest to use. From the moment you open the program, you'll find it does everything you want to do with a Bible software program - without the learning curve."

Bible software like PocketBible for Windows contains the complete text of several versions of the Bible along with dozens of Bible reference books, allowing users to search for passages, find historical and cultural background information, look up the meaning of words, and copy passages into sermons, lessons, and research papers.

A key advantage of purchasing electronic Bibles or books from Laridian is customers will not have to purchase them for another platform when they upgrade to a new device. All Laridian Bible translations and books purchased for one platform can be viewed on any other platform.

A new feature for users of the PC and Windows Mobile Pocket PC versions, and soon to be expanded to other platforms, is the ability to synchronize personal data (such as notes, bookmarks and highlights) between devices. For example, notes entered with a particular Bible passage on the Pocket PC will synchronize and appear when the PC version is being used.

The PocketBible program is priced at $10 for mobile versions and $29.99 for Windows. Bibles and reference books range in price from free to $129.99. PocketBible Libraries, which combine the PocketBible program and a selection of popular Bibles and reference books at a discount, are also available. Complete pricing and product information can be found at Laridian's Web site: http://www.laridian.com.

Labels: Bible, Laridian, mobile accessories

We wrote a bit earlier this week that we'd touch a bit more on the upcoming response to technology that the Body needs to pay attention towards. As we understand things now, tehre are 3.4+ billion people who utilize a mobile phone, and several hundred million who use some from of desktop/laptop computing. Essentially, there is a lot of tech ground to cover if we want to reach "the ends of the earth." So how do we look at this in the context of mobile?

Cynthia Ware (of The Digital Sanctuary and Digital.Leadnet) approached me about writing a piece that speaks towards the church's response to ministry in the 7th area of mass communication - mobile. Here is the output of that line of thinking:

...The new challenge to the church isn't just mastering technology, specifically computing. While there is something very profitable about websites, graphic design, A/V production, and the like, we have always excelled when the technology got us into interpersonal relationships with people. In the latest media dimension - mobile (called the 7th mass media) - the Body has a chance to get back to its roots of getting into the lives of people, while also taking some of the best parts of other media types to the engagement and discipleship process...

Read the rest of the Church in the 7th Dimension at The Digital Sanctuary.

What will you/your church or organization's response to those things mobile be in 2008?

Labels: community, mobile, tech

The nice folks at WMExperts have done a compairson (with video) of some popular Bluetooth keyboards. Here is a snippet:

Really, we're pretty big fans of folding keyboards, we just wish that the drivers for them were a little more standardized. All three worked with our Motorola Q9h "out of the box" without any drivers ....except for the "enter" key. The enter key, it's kind of important, it turns out. So downloading drivers from the manufacturers is a must. Fortunately, the drivers work pretty well.

While this article is slanted towards Windows Mobile devices, the keyboards can work with a variety of mobiles, laptops, and even desktops in some cases. As a mobile option, you cannot beat pulling out one of these and getting a good deal of work done.

Labels: mobile accessories, review

One can argue that this has probably been the first time since the late '90s that mobile devices have captured so much attention. In many ways, its flat out been the "year of the mobile" for a lot of areas:

- According to a recent report, over 1/8 of USAmerican households are totally mobile
What that means is that more often than not, people are choosing accessibility that is not based on a fixed location. Sure, wireless networks in the US are comparatively horrible, but considering the speed of innovation, that won't be the case for long. Are ministries equipped to roll with this trend?

- The iPhone has spurred several innovative approaches to mobile applications and mobile device usage beyond the techie-influencer cross-section of users
After years of life being stagnant for mobile users, the iPhone has come in to bring a measure of fresh air to several aspects of mobile technology. The really neat part is how the Body has responded to this. The next questions to be answered though are more far reaching, yet if reached have the potential to change a lot more than what's in our pockets.

There's always a ton more that can be said, but the point is pretty clear that there is more attention that's being paid to being mobile, and then making sure that being mobile is no more of an invasion of personal space than any other technology. In an upcoming article, I'll speak towards this attention to mobile, and what it means for the Body in more detail.

Labels: accessiblity, community, iPhone, Laridian, mobiles

To any of the readers out there; I'm having some issues with Blogger (small things) scripting. Please use the contact form to respond to this.

Amazon's Kindle has developed a good following since its introduction a few weeks ago. The agressively priced, wireless eBook reader has very much made its presence felt however with a very large (and growing library).

Of course, it was only a matter of time before readers would demand to get the Bible on their Kindle readers. In a post at the ESV Blog, this is something that was just announced as being available for $9.99.

So what are some of the features of the ESV on Kindle? Here are a few as stated from the ESV Blog posting:
- Chapter numbers are larger than verse numbers to provide better readability.
- Opening the ESV on Kindle takes you to the table of contents for the Bible, letting you move easily to any book. Once you arrive at a book, you’ll see links to each chapter (right-aligned for easy use with the Kindle cursor), letting you get pretty close to your intended passage.
- The ESV textual footnotes are all hyperlinked in the text, with hyperlinks back to the relevant passage from each note.

According to the ESV Blog, there are also plans to consider "making the ESV Literary Study Bible available on Kindle if demand warrants it." As with most software development, make your voices known by emailing the developers to get a feature request in.

The Kindle and the ESV for Kindle can both be purchased from Amazon.

The ESV (and other Bible versions) on the Kindle and other electronic Bible readers is an excellent way to use technology in ways that just aren't consumer/consumption driven. Even noted on at the same ESV post was a note of a user who thinks on the merits of the Kindle as a Bible study platform. While I am not sure that the device itself will be the key (due to costs), having a platform that makes suitable and versatile formats for the content will go a long way towards helping the Kindle spark a bit of a reading revolution.

- thanks to LJ for the tip

Labels: Bible, ESV, Kindle, mobile

One of the hardest things to do these days it seems is to keep up with the amount and breadth of what's going on in technology now. It gets a bit easier when you can focus on one or two specific areas, but even then it can be a bit much to keep up with what is going on.

A few news items I've read recently gave me two different, yet appropriate viewpoints on technology and our response to it. The first item was found at a site that I visit pretty regularly, GigaOm. The question being would less frequent posting and more thought-provoking posting lead to "more chances for interesting ideas and useful analysis to emerge."

Considering the stance that I've taken here at MMM towards posting less frequently, this would seem to be correct. I've found that posting less has enabled me to think more on the ramifications of various aspects of technology. And at the same time, address specific issues that would require some measure of analysis, not just consumption.

That being said, would you prefer to hear news and thought faster here, or is the pace of things just right for you?

The second item comes from another news/blog site, Techcrunch. It was at this site that I learned that News Corp/Fox (Twentieth Century Fox, MySpace, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Network, Zondervan, HarperOne, Harper Collins, Fox Faith, and the National Geographic Channel among many of their assests) has acquired the faith-based site Beliefnet.

In reading the comments of those responding in their community towards the news, I have mixed reactions. On one end, I totally agree with some of them that association with such a volitile company such as News Corp can call a few things into question. At the same time, it could be part of Beliefnet's mission to getting into major media and allowing for those resources and influence to push them into a better position of leadership and focus.

As the acquisition is new there is going to be a interesting time of change. But for many, this acquisition was just a sign of the times. The speed and amount of change that happens is something kinda fierce. And at the same time, we were not called to touch a world that would remain the same. At the intersection of faith and technology there might also be a new speed limit sign, as well as the stop and yield signs. Whatsoever that speed though, we should carefully consider where we are going next.

Labels: community, mission, reading, tech

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend weekly Bible study with a new piece of technology. A Palm LifeDrive that has been donated was getting a workout to ensure that it worked fine and I used Bible study as the event to test it out. The goals were to see how well it would work with a keyboard for writing notes, how would I be able to deal with using it for a Bible, and how it worked alongside my Treo (the Treo playing the Bible and the LifeDrive playing the notes device).

When I got to the coffeehouse - we hold our Bible study in a coffeehouse - I pulled out the LifeDrive (LD) and set it up with my Palm Universal Wireless keyboard. Connecting to the infrared keyboard was easy (I synced the driver to the LD before I went to the study). Throughout the study, the keyboard and LD stayed responsive to one another.

After that, it was just a matter of answering a few questions about the "new device that I [am] carrying now" and all was underway.

Some Positives
Having a larger screen that what was on my Treo was a big benefit. Also, with the device not being a phone, I did not have to worry about SMS/calls interrupting my reading or writing of notes.

The screen was bright and easy to read in the coffeehouse setting, and the size of the buttons made it easy to switch from the browser to the memo pad easily.

And Some Negatives
While the keyboard did work well, the LD does not come with the ability to turn the device on its side and see a landscape view. This made typing a little less natural.

The browser on the LD was not up to snuff for viewing eBible or YouVersion. It was able to view ZBible.mobi just fine, but ZBible is just a simple site for reading; it does not offer an ability to bookmark, write/save notes, and share them. This is one of the reasons why I'm so adamant about better Bible readers.

I fired up the browser to get the LD online with the coffeehouse Wi-Fi which was pretty simple. However, because of the screen and power settings, this was something that I would have to repeat a few times during the study. Unfortunately, the LD does not have a setting where you can stay connected to a wireless access point even after the screen has turned off (this might need a software update, which has yet to be installed).

Overall
I did this experiment on one end to see how a two device solution would work for Bible studies. Obviously, this is not something that all people can do (cost), but there are benefits that can be had when a small handheld or mini-notebook device can be used in the mist of a Bible study. The ability to write and share notes is a big thing; but more than that, one can use online resources to look up information that would further enhance the conversation (we were studying the book of Exodus, so there's a lot that we could pull).

The other reason I did this was to see how a change in computing would effect me. I'm used to a one device solution, however I am looking at getting an N810 Internet Tablet and would be more apt to use it (and its larger screen/more capabilities) to be a catalyst in learning and sharing the Word. I see a lot of possiblities here, and many of which that can be shared by a lot of non-smartphone-carrying users.

Now how about you. Do you use a mobile device of some kind when you attend Bible studies? What are some of the benefits that you have seen? What are some areas that can be improved? Let's here how devices aide your study :)

Labels: Bible, community, internet tablet, mobile, N800, tech

There are two sides to mobile computing hardware that are sometimes easy to confuse but not always easy to use. Most of the time it is because the combination of size, operating system, wireless needs, and cost rarely meets the expectations of most users. However, the aim of mobile tech is usually to get accessible and usable information in a package that is as easy to manage as possible.

Two devices that are relatively new, yet by no means incapable of meeting this need, and most expectations are the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet and the Asus Eee 701. Both are Linux-based mobile computers. Both have an 800x480 screen (but different physical sizes). Both use some type of internal Flash-based memory (2GB for the N810 and 4 or 8GB depending on cofiguration for the Eee). The only real question for either of these well-priced (under $500 for both) mobiles is whether you need something more pocket-based, or something larger and geared to replace the light work of a laptop.

Thankfully, a solid review by Thoughtfix (UltraMobileGeek) compairing Asus Eee 701 vs. Nokia N810 has been done so you don't have to make that compairson (so much) yourself.

Like the OLPC, these are solid non-Windows alternatives to doing various aspects of computing. I really encourage you to take a look at how you are using your computing hardware, and see if something lower-cost, and more specificly tuned to specific tasks might work for you. There's no need having three high-powered laptops and a server in your home if all you do is browse and email. These solutions are much better, and overall will decrease you time fixing things, and increase your time making sure that your computing tasks are relevant.

Labels: Asus Eee, internet tablet, mobile, N800, tech

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing users with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Trees cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Trees site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The Contemporary English Version Learning Bible is the work of the combined efforts of the editors and writers of this version and the CEVs corresponding commentary.

In the Forward to the book Creating and Crafting the Contemporary English Version (1996), America Bible Society President Eugene B. Habecker describes the beginnings of this version:

Work on the CEV began in 1984 when Dr. Barclay Newman, Ph.D., a distinguished biblical scholar who had provided several decades of service as a translations consultant in the Asia Pacific Region of the United Bible Societies, first began to apply his considerable knowledge to his own first language, English. He meticulously studied the language that people, and especially children, used and were exposed to on a daily basis through books, magazines, newspapers, the movies, and television. This eclectic and careful study helped him to understand what terms and sentence structures were most understandable to people who used English in their day-to-day communication. He learned what sorts of constructions confused readers, and even more significantly, he learned which terms and grammatical constructions were likely to be misunderstood by people who heard texts being read aloud.

Those who do not have much of a religious or Christian background can manageably understand the CEV Learning Bible as it succeeds in simplifying the texts meaning. Additionally, the CEVL is also good source of deeper study and biblical exploration for more experienced readers. It was written with todays modern sensibilities in mind. Moreover, the CEVL has writing that is very direct and imbued with more force whenever the text requires it.

A good example of this is taken from Hebrews 11:1:
Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.

As compared to another popular version of the Bible:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Although the meanings are similar, the Contemporary English Version Learning Bibles text is written in a stronger imperative voice, expressing it with more command and affirmation.

One of the concerns with producing a modernized version of the Bible is the risk of filtering out the original meaning that the ancient writers intended. I have always encouraged those seeking to understand the truths of the Bible to read alternative versions to deepen, amplify and enrich their understanding on greater levels than if the reader had only read a singular version.

The Contemporary English Version Learning Bible comes with is a Bible and bible handbook in one! The CEVL comes equipped with many tools to enliven and strengthen the novice and veteran in their personal Scriptural study.

The commentary contains over 10,000 notes to assist readers in a deeper exploration of history, people, geography and the times. The commentary is divided into six helpful and informative categories:

Geography
People and Nations
Objects, Plants, and Animals
History and Culture
Ideas and Concepts
Cross references

There are tons of Scriptural and contextual cross-references that lead you to other verses and articles to enrich your personal study.

The CEVL is a good addition to anyones biblical library. Its modern sensibility makes it easier for newcomers or seekers in Christianity to get an initial grasp of deep, spiritual meanings and concepts. Moreover, the added commentary and content truly makes this a great learning experience for novices and more experienced readers alike.

You can find out more about the Contemporary English Version Learning Bible and other products at OliveTree.com !


Originally published in Palm Addicts

This is from a post on my personal site, however the content and subject relevant enough to be shared here as well. Here's a snippet:

... As I spend time here in Charlotte, I can see that there is a need for this kind of techie engagement to happen a bit more often. I've come across those who have smartphones, but all they use the the voice and occasionally the calendar features. I've come across those looking for work, but have very little working knowledge of MS Word and other programs. The way I see it, they have the tech, but not much of a knowledge on how to do anything with it. I have these skills and want/need to share them. Somehow, I need to help people to understand that if they are not more technologically savvy, that this world (the Americanized, computer-driven side of it) will run them over...

Read the rest of this post.

And what are your thoughts? Clearly, there has to be more attention paid towards enabling others to understand and use relevant technologies, but there is not always a simple solution available (labs, classes, initatives such as the Give one Get One program, etc.). How does the Body address this need to empower technolgically with the Spirit of God and the Gospel, but do so in a way that doesn't Bible thump people into not wanting to receive anything we'd have to offer?

Labels: mission, OLPC, tech

I was forwarded a link to this post at the Lampmode Records blog and just wanted to share it here. While the context of this is towards those doing holy-hip-hop (HHH), the principals spoken here are vital and sound for nearly anyone in any field where they are calling themselves doing a ministry. Reading it has me doing several inward looks and will cause some more changes on my end. I hope it too is edifying for you as well. Here's a snippet:

...This is by far the most important distinction in the phrase Aspiring Christian Artist. If you need to focus on one of the three, let it be this one. Many aspiring artists end up in hell. Does your Christianity scream as loudly if not louder than your aspirations and your artistry? Can Christians who know nothing about your hip-hop music easily identify you as belonging to the household of faith? Before anything else, we are Christians. That is, we have been born again into a new relationship with God through faith in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:3). As a result of this new relationship, we have turned from our old life of sin and embraced a new life characterized by increasing holiness and love for the people of God, or the church (Romans 6:17-18, 1 John 3:10). This may seem obvious to some, but it must be said...

Read the rest of this posting.

Labels: devotion, Devotions, mission, reading, worship