Book Introductions will help you understand what each individual book of the Bible is all about. These introductions follow the format of answering five key questions: Who Wrote the Book? gives you insight into the person or people God used to record this book of Scripture. Where Are We? addresses the key details about the book’s setting, such as the date of writing and the political or social situation the author and audience were facing. Why Is This Book So Important? covers the unique contribution each book makes to the Bible. What’s the Big Idea? highlights one or more big themes that the book covers, giving you an idea of what to look for as you read. How Do I Apply This? brings the message of the book right home to you, reminding you that the Bible is always about life change. Each book introduction also includes a chart showing the book’s structure and highlighting important verses, themes, and events that will help you see how the book holds together. Most books also include a map to help orient you to the real-world places where the events of the book took place.

Application articles are full-page articles where Chuck explains important passages in his winsome and engaging style. These articles have all the wit, charm, personal stories, and clear biblical wisdom that you have come to expect from listening to Chuck’s sermons on the radio, each complete with a few main points from the passage for you to take away and apply directly to your life.

People profiles highlight key figures in the biblical story with an eye to the lessons from their lives that will hit home for Christians today. Each of these full-page features also contains a section highlighting key facts about the person’s family and setting, the key lessons you can take away from their life, and guidance on where in the Bible you can learn more about them.

Holy Land Tour will take you on a journey through the lands of the Bible. This tour visits many major archeological and geographical sites that relate to the Bible in some way, and each tour stop explains why a site is important in the Scriptures and includes a photo of the site or an artifact related to that place. It is almost like being on a bus tour of the Holy Land with Chuck and his team! You will find six unique guided tours that will walk you through several tour stops arranged around a theme. Check out the Holy Land Tour Itineraries beginning on page 1955.

Note on the maps in the Holy Land Tour: The borders of Israel have expanded and contracted over the centuries and continue to be a point of contention even today. The tour maps in this Bible represent the modern State of Israel, and the dotted lines denote the cease-fire line—which once enclosed what was called the West Bank— that came as a result of the armistice following the 1948 War of Independence. There is an expectation that final borders still need to be negotiated. Amazingly, in the future Kingdom of God, the borders of Israel will reach “all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River” (Gen. 15:18).

Prayer moments are brief prayers adapted from the ones Chuck delivers at the end of each of his sermons. These prayers apply the message of the Scriptures, asking God for help in living out the truth He is teaching His people.

Living insights are found on almost every page of this Bible. Drawn from Chuck’s sermons during his ministry of fifty-plus years, these brief notes highlight important teachings from the Scriptures. It is like having Chuck sit right alongside you as you read Scripture, pointing out the things he’d like to pass along to you.

Phone app Your purchase of this Bible entitles you to download a complete digital edition of The Swindoll Study Bible that includes all text, notes, and features. Additional app-only features include searching, note taking, bookmarking, social media sharing, and much more. The Swindoll Study Bible app is available for both Android and iOS. Your individual code is located on the pages immediately following the color maps at the back of the Bible. Secure your copy today by visiting SwindollStudyBible.com/App and entering your unique code.

Charts and maps Charts provide concise and helpful information including the structure and major themes of the book. Maps are included in almost every book. They show valuable geographic information to help readers sense and understand the setting of the book.

Searching the scriptures This article is an excerpt from Chuck’s book of the same name that helps you go deeper into Scripture using Chuck’s approach to Bible study.

Additional features (map of Paul's missionary journeys) These include Bible reading plans, indexes, a dictionary/concordance, and full-color maps.