Disclosure:
These recommendations contain Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a cent more, but I’ll get a small commission, which helps keep this ministry going. Thanks!
The NIV Study Bible. There are several reasons why this is a great Bible to study. First is the readability of the New International Version of the Bible. Second is the numerous footnotes authored by noted scholars. Third is the charts, maps, and biographical outlines.
Devotional for New Believer:
Your Daily Walk: 365 Daily Devotions to Read Through the Bible in a Year. Bruce Wilkinson. This excellent new believer devotional takes you through the entire Bible, starting from Genesis and ending with Revelation, within one year by reading 3-4 chapters a day with good overviews, insights, and applications. This is the best devotional I’ve seen for new believers.
Devotional for Mature Believer:
Search the Scriptures: A Three-Year Daily Devotional Guide to the Whole Bible. Alan Stibbs. This mature believer devotional has you digging deeper into God’s Word by using the inductive method of questions to determine the truth and application of the passage. It begins in Luke and hops around to the different books.
The Hayford Bible Handbook. Jack W. Hayford, Executive Editor. I purchased this commentary in 2009 when I was in seminary and taking a class by Pastor Jack. What made this one commentary different was its emphasis on the Holy Spirit in each book of the Bible.
Nelson’s Quick Reference Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Commentary. Warren W. Wiersbe. I stumbled upon this commentary when I was looking at used books at Goodwill. Wiersbe is best known for his Be Series, a commentary on each book of the Bible. Wiersbe is a master wordcrafter of the English language and uses it well to describe each chapter of the Bible.
A Popular Survey of the Old Testament and A Popular Survey of the New Testament. Norman L. Geisler. I first read Dr. Geisler’s books when I was interested in apologetics. I later acquired his four-volume series on systematic theology. When I came across his two-volume set on Bible survey, I wanted to get them to add to my Geisler library. Geisler writes well and is easy to understand.
Talk Thru the Bible: A Quick Guide to Help You Get More Out of the Bible. Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa. I came across this book back in 1985 when I attended my first Walk Thru the Bible seminar. What attracted me to this book was how each book of the Bible was summarized by a chart. Throughout the years, this has been my go-to reference guide whenever I wanted to get a quick understanding of a book.
Reproducible Maps, Charts, Timelines & Illustrations. Gospel Light. This book gives a simple overview of each book of the Bible; it doesn’t go in-depth. However, it does have great illustrations. The value of this book is the permission the publisher gives to make copies of the pages when used in a classroom environment.
What the Bible is All About. Henrietta Mears. For many years, Henrietta Mears was the Christian Education Director for First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, growing it to the largest Sunday School in America, with over 4,000 people per week in the mid 1900s. This is one of her best known books which also includes a daily devotional that guides you through the Bible in a year.
Rose Publishing produces some of the best Bible reference materials anywhere. There are able to take massive amounts of information and turn chaos into order and make the complex simple – which is a high value for me. Here is a list of books on my bookshelf from Rose Publishing:
• Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Time Lines
• Rose Book of Bible Charts 2
• Deluxe Then and Now Bible Maps
• Rose Book of Bible & Christian History Time Lines
Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps. This book has all the geographical references mentioned in the Bible, chronologically arranged. In other words, when you are reading Exodus, there is a map showing the pathway from Egypt to the Promised Land. When you are reading Joshua, it has a map detailing where the battles of the southern and northern cities were. Also included is a PDF CD of every single map and page of the book.
30 Days to Understanding the Bible. Max Anders. This is probably the best book to get a quick understanding of the whole Bible. Anders is a former Walk Thru the Bible instructor and uses that knowledge to help readers understand the major people, places, and events of the Bible. Although he uses the technique of repetitiveness to help the reader, it accomplishes its purpose.
Willmington’s Guide to the Bible. Harold Willmington. Do you remember the large dictionaries that libraries used to have? This book is about the size of those dictionaries! This phenomenal teacher is a dean at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and he has done a fantastic job making the Bible easy to understand with his thorough outline of each book of the Bible, character studies, and dozens and dozens of lists.
He has two other books that are excellent: The Outline Bible and Willmington’s Bible Handbook.
