A friend
asked if I could share which smartphone apps I have found most helpful. I have
quite a few apps that I use but I am going to limit this article only to free
apps and only to those that have been helpful to me specifically as a
Christian. I am not claiming that these are the best free Christian apps
available, only that they are the ones that I have found helpful. I have an android phone but I believe that all of these are also available for Apple phones. Feel free to
add any others you have found helpful.
The
Holy Bible app from You Version includes many different resources. It allows
you to read the Bible in various translations as well as bookmark, make notes,
highlight, and share Bible content. You can look at devotional texts, verses of
the day, and setup a Bible reading plan. It also includes text, audio, and
video links to supplemental material and teachers/preachers addressing the
selected texts. I am sure that it has many other capabilities but I almost
exclusively use it to stream audio of the Bible text itself. The narration is
well done and the audio controls are easy to use.
One
of the best applications for streaming audio is the sermonaudio.com app. This
app allows you to have access to the content on the sermonaudio.com website. As
of this afternoon, there are 797,820 sermons on the site from conservative
Christian Churches. The site includes not only contemporary sermons but also recordings
of the reading of many sermons preached prior to the invention of recording
equipment.
The
Biblical Training app gives you access to the content on the
biblicaltraining.org website. The Biblical Training program is designed to
provide foundational, leadership, and pastoral training to believers around the
world who might otherwise not be able to get training. The teachers include
many well-respected Evangelical scholars who allowed their college and seminary
lectures to be shared. You can tailor your courses to your interests and can
choose to listen to introductory or advanced classes on the subjects that
interest you.
Another seminary that is making course
lectures available free is Reformed Theological Seminary. The RTS mobile app
gives you access to seminary lectures by teachers such as Ligon Duncan, John
Frame, Douglas F. Kelly and others. There are a number of courses available providing many hours of instruction.
The Ligonier app contains articles, sermons,
and audio from Ligonier conferences. When most people think about Ligonier ministries
they think of R.C. Sproul who is the chairman of the ministry and has spent
years growing it but there are many other very good teachers and preachers who
provide content to the various Ligonier outlets (Reformation Trust publishing,
Table Talk magazine, RefNet etc.) and the app is no exception. Over 50 Reformed
teachers from various traditions (Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian, etc.) have
content available through the app.
The
Reformation Network is an extension of Ligonier ministries. The RefNet app provides
access to a continual lineup of programing from a Reformed perspective. I did
not realize everything available until I looked up the programming schedule
while writing this post. Honestly, I only downloaded the app so I could listen
to the Christian news program The World
and Everything in It at 5:30pm. I was surprised at the quality list of
programming they have assembled. You can view the schedule HERE .
When I
need to do a quick Bible search on my phone or just look up a text, I generally use this ESV app. It does not contain many of the options of other Bible apps but
I have been using it so long that I am used to it and it is the first one I
pull up when I need a quick and simple verse check.
One of the best free study apps available is
the Logos Bible app. I mentioned that use the ESV app if I just need to do a
simple search or verse check but if I need to do anything else I go to this
app. It contains a series of resources that I have not found available in other
free Bible study apps. You have access to original language, word study, and
cross-reference resources. An exegetical guide, text comparison tool,
translation map, and various other tools are also included. In addition, the
app gives you access to other resources beyond just the Bible tools. It also
allows you to sync your study across any web-enabled devices so you can pick up
where you left off. Just like the computer software, you can continue to add to
your digital library and work with the content in many ways.
As you
might have noticed, one of the main ways that I use my phone is to stream audio
when I am driving. I sync the phone to the vehicle so that I can listen to the
streaming content through the car stereo system. This way, I do not need to
download content as long as I have a cellphone signal. Most of the time, even
if you cannot pair your phone to your car, you can often do the same thing by
connecting your phone to your stereo using a standard 3.5mm double male cable.
Simply plug one end into the phone headphone jack and the other end into your auxiliary
input on the stereo. You can then stream the phone using the auxiliary setting
on the stereo.
As
frustrating as this technological age can be, it is amazing how much
information is now available literally at our fingertips. Please feel free to
share others that you have found helpful.
