Action Figures
I was driving my kids to school on Tuesday and the children’s station asked a fascinating question:
If you were an action figure or a Barbie doll, what three accessories would you come with?
Coffee, tablet, briefcase, cellphone, backpack, puppy, basketball, top hat, computer, bicycle, and dozens of pets… the kids that called in had a ton of answers. My personal favorite was the kid who called in and said he came with his own Theme Park. Dream big little guy, dream big!
What I didn’t hear, and I am not being critical, after all this was “for fun” was anyone say Bible. When you are told you can have anything, how often does the Word of God fall to the bottom of the list? I often find myself doing it to! Let’s make this year different. Carry your Bible with you. One of the best ways to do that is to work it into what you already carry. If you have a backpack or a purse, a good travel Bible can be a blessing. I personally like this one. But hey, imitation leather and it has a sword on it, what’s not to love. If you are tech savvy and want a phone app there are two that I can recommend you. The first is youversion or the Bible app. They have the Bible, a kids Bible and can even sign you up for devotional plans. It is a great tool. If you really want to study the Bible, I like to use Parallel Plus. Available as a webpage and an app, this handy tool lays several versions of the Bible next to each other so you can see the subtle differences. It even has the original languages! Great is you want to see what they look like, or as a companion tool to those who want to do something crazy like learn Greek!
Which brings me to my next often received question…what translation should I use? I was a youth pastor so I am going to give you the most whimsical chart I can possibly find! Here you go!
You can find the source picture here
So what do I use?
When I study I use the ESV, it tries really hard to be literal.
When I read in front of people I like the BSB, it tries to keep a common language
When I do chapels with young kids I like to use GW.
For Kids first real Bible I like the Adventure Bible.
For the younger kids I like The Action Bible.
I hope this helped, and I pray this year you commit to dive into Scripture with me. After all:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 (BSB)
So what would my action figure come with?
Grace, Peace and Mercy…from Christ and Christ alone.
Live long and prosper! Just kidding, I won’t cross the fandoms.
May the Peace of the Lord Be With You…
- Pastor Dan