Month: January 2022

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23, NLT

Article from the Streetlights New Testament

A closed hand cannot receive a gift, no matter how great it is, how much the giver paid for it, or how powerfully the person receiving it might benefit. Therefore, closed hands and hearts can never receive God’s gift of eternal life and the eternal debt of sin paid.

So how will you respond to Romans 6:23?

If you sense you have a debt of sin that has never been paid and are convicted that your life needs an answer for the wrong you are a slave to, then come to Christ. Receive His gift of eternal life. He is merciful and generous, and He will not turn away anyone who humbly opens his or her heart to accept His life paid on behalf of their debt. He will free you from sin, death, and eternal condemnation. That is an incredible gift!

If you have received this gift, don’t forget what Christ has done. The gift still applies to us today, especially through the sin struggles we all face this side of heaven. God’s grace is sufficient for your past, present, and future. His gospel is the gift that keeps giving generously. You are no longer a slave to sin if you are in Christ!

Listen to Romans 6 from the Streetlights Bible

The Streetlights New Testament was created to cut through all the misconceptions about the Bible. To encourage you to listen to, read, and study it yourself with fresh ears and hearts. With a scan of a QR code readers can access the Streetlights audio New Testament and additional engaging content designed for youth. Learn more about Streetlights.

The Filament Bible Experience is a unique, engaging encounter with God’s Word. It pairs a beautiful print Bible with the Filament Bible app, giving you access to a depth of resources that simply cannot fit in a bound Bible. You do this by simply scanning the page number on the page you are reading to access study notes, profiles, devotionals, videos, interactive maps, music, and more that relate to the page you are reading.

You get a stunning Bible that is easy to read and carry, with nothing but the precious Word of God on its pages, and an amazing portal to a vast array of curated content. The content is divided into three sections: Study, Reflect, and See. We are going to share videos that will help you explore each of these sections. We also are including a video on how to get started so you can see how easy it is to start your Filament Bible Experience.

Explore the Study Section

Explore the Reflection Section

Explore the See Section

Learn How to Get Started

Have more questions? Want to learn more? We can help!

by Molly Jo Nyman

The challenges of 2020 brought about something amazing in the life of Levi Gonzales. When the pandemic, the turmoil of the election, and the uncertainty of life left him feeling anxious, depleted, and desperate for God, he decided he needed a total “reset.”

And he was willing to take what some might call radical steps to revive his heart, steady his soul, and renew his mind. He also knew the source of what he needed was found in God’s Word.

Levi said, “I used to read a lot of my Bible. It was pretty common for me to sit down and read an entire book of the Bible, but over the past three years there was a career change and a move, and I wasn’t reading as much. I was desperate for a reset;  for God’s word to realign my thinking. I needed to run away from the world, ignore the news, delete social media. I needed to get God’s perspective. So my initial plan was to read through the entire Bible in three months.”

Levi talked with his wife about his plan, and she was fully supportive, knowing that after Levi worked his full-time job as a software engineer, nights and weekends would be set aside for Bible reading. As it turned out, Levi most frequently settled into his wife’s comfortable chair, often reading 4-5 hours at a stretch.

His Bible of choice was the NLT Thinline Reference Filament Bible.

“I was in the Barnes and Noble in Salt Lake City and chose this Bible. When I was talking with my wife about getting back into Bible reading, she was looking into the NLT. I also have friends and family that read it and enjoy it. I liked the font size, and the Bible was easy to hold up,” Levi explained.

Three months seemed like a rigorous pace, but after acquiring his new Bible and starting to read, things did not go as planned…Levi read the entire Bible in 30 days!

He said, “I’ve read through the whole bible before but this time, at this speed, I was able to really see the ties and connections back and forth between books of the Bible that align historically and prophetically. And seeing the grand picture of Scripture… witnessing the story of redemption unfolding… it was what I needed to be reminded of the absolute and sovereign control of God.

“I feel like the NLT does a great job of explaining what it is trying to say. It is so easy to read. I don’t have to guess at what I’m reading, and I needed a translation that did all the heavy lifting for me.”

His method, his motivation, and his advice for Bible reading all go hand-in-hand.

“My advice is to soak up as much as God’s Word as you need. Consume as much nourishment as you need. Goals are not for goal’s sake, but for what you get out God’s Word,” Levi shared.

“My method was to not go about it like many who start in Genesis and try to read through. I tried that before and got burnt out in 2 Samuel. I feel like I need a little more Jesus at that point!” So Levi’s approach was to follow his interest.

“I just picked a book and read it all the way through, most of the time in one sitting. As I tackled each book I mixed Old and New Testament, usually not in any order and sometimes historically backwards. I read what piqued my interest at the time, because you put more effort in what you’re interested in.”

It was a method that not only led Levi to far exceed his initial plan, it also led him to achieve the results he needed.

“Who I am now, after doing it, is a much less stressed and anxious person.”

Learn more about the Filament Bible Collection