There’s also a wealth of online material suitable for use with children. Bible Society’s ‘Bible Bedtime’ encourages parents to read Bible stories to their children; the Bible apps tell fun, colourful cartoon Bible stories, complete with downloadable, printable images from the narratives.

‘The Bible For Kids’ is a selection of animated Bible stories, with games and activities to help children remember the story. Children can read along with the stories, thus fostering the skill of reading aloud.

‘David vs Goliath – A Righteous Tale’ won last year’s Premier Digital award and offers a modern, child-friendly retelling of the story of David and Goliath (aimed at 7-11 year olds), including activities and online games.

‘Guardians of Ancora’ is a tablet game from Scripture Union aimed at 8-11 year olds which offers an interactive experience of the Bible. New stories are regularly added; this app is entirely free to download.

If teaching children God’s word is the aim, there are a number of useful websites which have games, activities and printable resources. ‘Incredible Islands’ has lessons suitable for use in church services or at home, with each lesson linking to more than 100 online games and activities (charges apply.) ‘Bible Buddies’ is a useful tool providing cut-out figures and backdrops to bring Bible stories to life. And for those of you who love Lego, ‘The Brick Testament’ brings Bible stories to life using Lego characters!

With such a plethora of resources available to us, we have no excuse for not engaging with the Bible. The youngest to the oldest can find something to engage us in such a variety of media that we can all find ways of reading the Bible. God’s Word is not chained; in our country, we have so many resources freely available to us that we should indeed be able to read, learn and inwardly digest this precious book. All that is required is our willingness to immerse ourselves in the world of the Bible.

Ps 119:11 says ‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’ There are a number of online apps designed to help us do just that!

Remember Me is an app that helps you memorise Scripture, using audio as well as word puzzles. Another useful site is Fighter Verses, which focuses 1) the character and worth of our great God, 2) battling against our fleshly desires, and 3) the hope of the Gospel as they give specific verses to learn. Again, a variety of methods help you memorise Scripture, including songs and games.

The Verses Project is another useful website for learning Bible verses, using musical and visual art to help people meditate on and memorise Scripture. Music seems to be a great way of getting God’s Word into our hearts and minds, so this is a really helpful way of absorbing God’s word!

Got Questions? is a website which has 439,557 questions and answers about the Bible, so is really useful for answering questions such as ‘Who was Cain’s wife?’ or ‘What does the Bible say about gambling?’ Great for parents or anyone who really does have questions about the Bible!

There are a whole host of websites which have commentaries on the Bible for those wanting to study the Bible in more detail. Some useful ones are listed below:

1. Step Bible
2. Bible Hub
3. Blue Letter Bible
4. Bible Web App
5. ESword

There is also a lot of sophisticated Bible software available, but some of this is expensive.

There are a host of different apps, websites and games which are available online to help us engage with the Bible, and as we prepare for Bible Sunday on 25th October, it’s good to have a look at some of these for all of you out there who are tech savvy…

Bible Gateway is a fantastic website offering free access to the Bible in more than 70 languages and 200 different translations. It’s a great way to find passages, look up quotations and generally find out more about the Bible. This is the site I really miss when my Internet connection drops out!

Bible Companion is an app which is designed to ‘bring us back to what is most important every day’, helping to ‘build healthy Christian habits of Bible reading’. The Bible Companion App helps create and maintain good Bible reading habits by tracking your Bible readings with consistency meters, progress bars, and reading stats displayed within daily, weekly & monthly charts. Other tracking features include setting goals for prayer, reflection, community, Bible Study, and other readings. For those whose phones seem to control their lives, this is a great way of monitoring what you read!

Bible In One Year is an app which offers daily Old and New Testament readings (along with a reflection on these texts.) A great way to be disciplined about reading the whole of the Bible.

She Reads Truth & He Reads Truth give reading plans in ‘manageable lengths’ for men and women with beautiful text and imagery. They can be read online or on a phone or by email subscription. You’re encouraged to reflect on the passages read by asking the following 5 questions:

1. What does this teach me about God?
2. What does this teach me about man?
3. What does this teach me about the Gospel?
4. How will I respond?
5. How will I pray?

The whole point of all these tools is to get us engaged in actually reading God’s Word. It’s never been easier to do this, when we can carry the Bible with us on a phone or tablet wherever we go. Let’s make the most of technology and dive in!

Bible Sunday 25th October

Bible Sunday is this coming Sunday (25th October), with both services (10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.) celebrating the role of the Bible in every Christian’s life. Find out what our favourite Bible verses are and why and how the pieces of the Bible jigsaw fit together! Don’t forget that there will be a Christian bookstall on Sunday, with books, calendars, Christmas cards and devotional guides on sale.

Baptismal Service 7th November

On Saturday 7th November at 6 p.m. there will be a baptismal service at GPCC. Always one of our favourite celebrations, a baptismal service celebrates new life in Christ and gives the opportunity to hear about what God is doing in the lives of local people. If you’d like to be baptised, contact Garry or Julie for further information. After the service (which will use our new portable baptistery for the first time), there will be refreshments served, so come along to find out more about this important outward sign of God’s grace in our lives.

Mission Aviation Fellowship visit 15th November

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) will be visiting us on Sunday 15th November at 6 p.m. Come along to find out more about this amazing charity, which seeks to fly missionaries and medical help to remote areas of the world. Hear what God’s doing in other parts of the world and be encouraged as you learn about what a difference each person can make.

We also had a birthday to celebrate (the children keep getting in on these birthday photos!)

Guest speaker Yan Hadley spoke tonight on the questions God asks us. Often, we may be puzzled by these questions, since God is all-knowing (John 2:25 reminds us that Jesus knew what was in people’s hearts, so we might think His questions were irrelevant or unnecessary.) We are all too familiar also with Satan’s devious questions (see Gen 3), but God’s questions, however initially baffling to us, are completely different in purpose.

God’s questions set us free from sin and shame. In Gen 3:9 when God asked Adam, ‘Where are you?’, He wanted Adam to realise their relationship had been broken by sin, causing him to stop and reflect on what he had done. Effectively, God’s question was intended to draw Adam out of the shadows of shame into the light of life. John 8:3-11 reminds us that no one can accuse us; Rom 8:33-34 asks us ‘Who shall condemn us?’ with the clear answer that no one can condemn those whom God has justified.

God’s questions also lead to healing from emotional pain. Jesus asked Mary ‘Why are you weeping?’ (John 20:15), showing an interest in and care for her wellbeing which led to her healing. Questions can show us that someone cares about us, which can be the first step to healing. God is close to the broken-hearted and is able to turn our weeping into dancing (see Ps 30:11).

God’s questions restore us from failure. John 21:15-17 shows us Jesus questioning Peter after his betrayal, leading Peter to understand that God had a plan and purpose for him even after his calamitous betrayal. No matter how many times we fail God, He is able to restore us; He is able to set us free from the hold failure would exercise over us so that we can be set free.

God’s questions liberate us from self-doubt and insecurities. Ex 4:2 shows us God asking Moses ‘What is that in your hand?’, but the ordinary staff could be turned into a snake at God’s command. God is able to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things; all He requires from us is our willing obedience. He is the one who blesses us with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3) and therefore He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ever imagine or dream! (Eph 3:20)

God’s questions can help us to conquer shyness and lack of self-confidence. Mark 5:21-34 tells us of a woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’s cloak; when He asked ‘Who touched me?‘, she wanted to remain hidden. His question was not intended to humiliate her, but to give her opportunity to testify what God had done for her. Questions can be a powerful doorway to testimony.

God’s questions encourage overcoming faith (see 1 John 5:4). In Mark 10:51, Jesus asks the question ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ His question encouraged Bartimaeus to articulate his longings. God hears our cries and wants us to keep on believing that He is not only able to do all we ask of Him but willing to answer our deepest longings.