Category: NLT Resources

“‘Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.’

But Moses protested to God, ‘Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?’

God answered, ‘I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.'” Exodus 3:10-12, NLT

Moses: Notes from the Wayfinding Bible

Moses escapes Pharaoh’s death decree and is adopted into the royal household. There he grows up, all the while knowing that he is a Hebrew. At thirty years old, embroiled in a murder scandal, Moses flees Egypt and settles in far-off Midian. He spends fifty years there herding sheep before God takes action, lights a fire, and calls Moses to be the leader of the Hebrews. It will require Moses to return to Egypt and face a new pharaoh.

Without his realizing it, Moses’ whole life had him trained for leading God’s people. He was educated as a royal prince in the palace of Egypt. He showed compassion for his own people and tried to help, but he failed. He intimately knew the desert land of Midian, where he would later lead the Israelites. At eighty years old he was well equipped to be a leader, but he protested again and again that he was not the right person. Sometimes God calls people who don’t think they are ready for the task. He sees potential that we can’t see, then strengthens us with his power.

Look inside the Wayfinding Bible

“Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. ‘How could I become a father at the age of 100’ he thought. ‘And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?’ So Abraham said to God, ‘May Ishmael live under your special blessing!’

But God replied, ‘No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.'” Genesis 17:17-19, NLT

Sarah Personality Profile from the Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition

There probably isn’t anything harder to do than wait, whether we are expecting something good, something bad, or an unknown.

One way we often cope with a long wait (or even a short one) is to try to help God get his plan into action. Sarah tried this approach. She was too old to expect to have a child of her own, so she thought God must have something else in mind. From Sarah’s limited point of view, this could only be to give Abraham a son through another woman—a common practice in her day. The plan seemed harmless enough. Abraham would sleep with Sarah’s servant, who would then give birth to a child. Sarah would take the child as her own. The plan worked beautifully—at first. But as you read about the events that followed, you will be struck by how often Sarah must have regretted the day she decided to push God’s timetable ahead.

Another way we cope with a long wait is to gradually conclude that what we’re waiting for is never going to happen. Sarah waited until she was 90 for a baby! When God told her she would finally have one of her own, she laughed in disbelief, not so much from a lack of faith in what God could do, but from doubt about what he could do through her. And when she was confronted about her laughter, she lied—as she had seen her husband do from time to time. She probably didn’t want her true feelings to be known.

What parts of your life seem to be on hold right now? Do you understand that this may be part of God’s plan for you? God may give us something else to do while we wait. But sometimes what we need to do is trust God, pray for patience, and wait for his perfect timing.

Learn more about the Life Application Study Bible

We often think of love as a feeling, but if we look at Scripture we see love is a choice. Let’s get a definition of love from the HelpFinder Bible and then read what the Bible has to say about loving even when we don’t feel like.

Taken from the HelpFinder Bible

A healthy definition of love is crucial to understanding the central message of the Bible. According to the Bible, love is not confined to sexuality, and it isn’t primarily a feeling either. The Bible teaches that love is a commitment. As a commitment, love is not dependent on good feelings but rather on a consistent and courageous decision to extend oneself for the well-being of another. That commitment then produces good feelings, not the other way around. Jesus became the perfect demonstration of God’s unconditional love for us by laying down his life for our benefit.

Must I love other people? What if I don’t want to?

• JOHN 13:34 | “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
• 1 JOHN 2:9 | If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.
• JOHN 13:35 | “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
• 1 PETER 4:8 | Love covers a multitude of sins.
• 1 JOHN 4:12 | If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Being a Christian comes with certain expectations, and one of them is that we will love others. Our Christian conduct is proof as to whether we love each other, and loving each other is proof that we belong to Christ.

How can I love people I don’t even like?

• 1 JOHN 4:19 | We love each other because he loved us first.
As you reflect on God’s love for you and receive it for yourself, you will grow in your ability to love those you do not like.
• 1 PETER 4:8 | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Love is an act of spiritual maturity, based on the eternal significance of each person and on what God is doing in your life. When you learn to love the unlovable, you have developed the ability to see others as Jesus does.
• ROMANS 12:20 | “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.”
Even if you don’t like certain people, you can still choose to do tangible acts of love for them.
• ROMANS 12:3 | I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.
Before you are too quick to dislike or dismiss someone, remember that you, too, have qualities that others may find unattractive.
• MATTHEW 5:43-44 | “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Only in Christ’s love can we love our enemies.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

Note from the Swindoll Study Bible

“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” 1 Peter 1:22, NLT

A central command of the Bible is to love one another. As Peter turns to this command, he reminds his readers of some important factors that go into the deep love we should have for each other.

He knows that we need to develop unity and community in the midst of trials. What makes this possible? First, Peter speaks of purity of soul: “You were cleansed from your sins.” Second, me mentions obedience to the truth. Third, he calls us to a lack of hypocrisy: “Show sincere love to each other.” These things make it possible to pull together.

We are to obey the truth, not our inner urges or the counsel of others who would like to turn us against each other. We are to do away with ulterior motives and deal in integrity.

Look inside the Swindoll Study Bible

Activity from the Hands-On Bible

Look in the mirror and what do you see? Yup – you see a reflection. Read from Acts chapter 8 below to meet a man who reflected the love of Jesus.

ACTS 8:26-20, NLT
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

Now, Try This!

Gather two empty paper towel tubes, a mirror, a flashlight, and a friend (parent, grandparent, or sibling works well too.)

1. Set the paper towel tubes on a table in front of a mirror. Place them in a V-shape pointing toward the mirror.
2. Use the flashlight to shine light through one tube toward the mirror. Angle the second tube until you see the light reflected back through the second tube.

That’s Enlightening!

When we treat others the way Jesus says to, we reflect the love Jesus shows us. Philip reflected Jesus’ love when he helped the Ethiopian understand the Scripture.

Who can you reflect the love of Jesus to this week? Write it down so you don’t forget! Or even better do it right now!

Learn more about the Hands-On Bible

by Ellen Elwell, member of the Tyndale House Ministries International Team

Did you know Tyndale House Ministries works with Christian publishers around the world to help minister to the spiritual needs of people in their own languages? Just a few months ago we were able to rejoice as the first Hungarian edition of the Inspire Bible was launched in Budapest, Hungary.

“As I drew, colored, and made notes in my Inspire Bible, I felt that there was only God, the Scripture, and me. It was a tremendous experience,” said Eszter, who enjoys using the new Inspire Bible.

This beautiful Bible started as a passion from Harmat Publishing House, headquartered in Budapest, to see women engage with the Bible in a more personal way. When they discovered the Inspire Bible with its coloring and journaling pages, they knew this was the perfect Bible to be the first journaling Bible published in the Hungarian language.

Combining the Karoli-Bible text in Hungarian with the original artistic illustrations of the Inspire Bible, Harmat Publishers were overwhelmed with the positive responses they received after it was published.

“Using the Inspire Bible was a wonderful and unique experience for me. When I started to draw and color in it, I felt as though I was able to ‘turn everything else off,’ and the only thing that remained was my Bible and me,” said Panna, a young woman who was one of the first to try this new Bible.

To encourage engagement, Kornel Herjeczki, CEO of Harmat Publishing House, hosted a Bible journaling workshop so attendees could experience it firsthand. Participants were able to try out their own creative Bible study and journaling under the direction of Hungarian artist Brigitta Budahazy. And many local news outlets added to the excitement by cover the release of this unique Bible.

“The One who created the eyes can see, and the One who created the ears can hear. He also knew what I had in my heart and that I longed for such a Bible, in which I can freely express my thoughts and feelings toward him,” said Timea, an early user of this Bible.

We love being able to celebrate growing in God’s Word with our brothers and sister around the world. Like Time, may we all long to get into God’s Word so we can express our love for him.

You can learn more about the Inspire Bible in Hungary on its website www.inspiralobiblia.hu

You can learn more about Inspire Bible in English

by Kim Adetunji, brand manager

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” John 15:4, NLT

God is moving in hearts, communities, and nations all across the world! In what ways has God been encouraging, sharpening, loving, and challenging you through Scripture? Have you seen your faith and trust in him expand? Have you loosened your grip on things you previously thought you could control? Has your faith been impacted through troubles or pain or loss or new wisdom or gratitude or a big or small victory? Has God changed your perspective on anything? Has he been nudging you to share about the hope of Christ more frequently or to serve him in a new way? How have you been obedient to God in this season? What are ways God is convicting you? How have you seen God transforming your life?

Our world is in a heightened season of reflection that was brought on largely by fear—but also from isolation, loneliness, discouragement, and desperation. Regardless of our personal circumstances, many people are developing a keener awareness of God’s sovereignty and his very near presence and faithfulness. Many have been asking themselves if they truly believe the truths in Scripture, and if so, how should it impact their life and choices—especially when it comes to dealing with our fear or suffering or extended periods of waiting. God is on the move in mighty ways, and with everything that we are going through, it can make our hearts fertile ground for God to accomplish his good work in and through us. Let Christ transform your life as you remain in him. Keep listening. Keep reading. Surrender. Obey. Wait patiently. Hope in him. Trust him. Lean into God’s faithfulness with a grateful heart.

If you’re looking for a place to capture your faith journey, you may be interested in picking up a journaling Bible. Journaling Bibles have lots of extra space in the wide margins next to Scripture to capture truths and observations, notes, learnings, meaningful verses, written prayers, or even for original art. Bible journaling has become a treasured way to express worship to God for his loving-kindness and faithfulness. The Inspire Bible is a special journaling Bible that is available in three unique editions, each with an exclusive set of over 400 illustrations: Inspire Bible, Inspire Praise Bible, and Inspire Prayer Bible. Upcoming new releases include Inspire Bible Large Print in July, the all-new Inspire Prayer Bible in September, and Inspire Catholic Bible Large Print in October.

The all-new Inspire PRAYER Bible has even wider margins and over 400 line-art illustrations to color (including 94 full-page illustrations), plus prayer-themed features including prayer prompts and the beloved colorful vellum pages we first introduced in the Inspire PRAISE Bible. Coloring-book style editions are also available in Psalms and Proverbs, and there is an edition for Girls.

Take a look inside our Inspire PRAYER Bible releasing this fall.

Follow Inspire Bible on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tik Tok

Taken from the HelpFinder Bible

Anger is a fire that burns and consumes—smoldering, flaming, at times white hot. Anger is passion. Of all emotions, it may well be the most passionate, for it has the power to fuel hatred and smother love. Anger itself is not necessarily bad; it is not necessarily wrong. God himself gets angry.

What we need to consider is the object of our anger, the motive for our anger, and the outcome of our anger. Anger that is self-righteous, protects our pride, is self-centered, or demands its own way is dangerous. If allowed to continue unchecked, it will consume us. This kind of anger seeks harm and revenge; it seeks to destroy. Thus it can lead to bitterness and hatred, emotions that can cause violent behavior and obliterate compassion and forgiveness.

God’s anger, however, is directed against sin and unrighteousness. He blazes hot against evil. His anger, like ours, becomes a consuming fire, but its focus is to eradicate the sin so that the sinner can be restored. Our anger often consumes others and even ourselves; God’s anger burns against evil and becomes a cleansing fire. The fires of our anger may aggravate our sinfulness and self-righteousness. His anger burns away sinfulness and allows the “gold” to emerge and make us fit for the Master’s use.

When I am angry, what should I avoid?
• EPHESIANS 6:4 | “Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.”
Avoid discipline in the heat of anger.
• JAMES 3:5 | “The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
Avoid speaking your mind when you are angry. You are likely to say something you will regret.
• 1 SAMUEL 19:9-10 | “As David played his harp, Saul hurled his spear at David.”
Avoid acting on impulse in the heat of anger. You are likely to do something you will regret.

When is it okay to be angry?
• JOHN 2:15-16 | “[Jesus] drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins . . . and . . . told them, ‘Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!'”
• NUMBERS 25:11 | “Phinehas . . . has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was.”
Anger at sin is not only appropriate but also necessary. It is a sign that our priorities are in line with God’s, that we understand the destructive force of sin, and will confront it with the same passion that God does.

We all get angry at times, so what should we do about it?
• EPHESIANS 4:26-27 | And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Anger is like a skunk in the house. Don’t feed it to encourage it to stay. And carefully try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
• MATTHEW 5:21-23 | “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder.’. . . But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! . . . Go and be reconciled to that person.”
Confront those you are angry with in order to restore your relationship.
• 1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 | [Love] is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Love is the mightiest weapon in overcoming anger.
• PROVERBS 11:29 | Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
• EPHESIANS 6:4 | Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
To knowingly provoke your family to anger weakens the binding force—love—that bonds your family together. The control you seek actually enslaves you.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

Article from the Swindoll Study Bible

“After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31, NLT.

Peter and John had been preaching in the streets and had attracted enough attention that they were called to face the religious officials, who wanted to intimidate them into silence. But when they looked those officials in the eyes, the officials “were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures” (Acts 4:13). Why was this? It was because the Holy Spirit had come and empowered them. The officials began to recognize that these were men who had been with Jesus. There was a different dynamic with them—and it was entirely due to the work of the Spirit.

Just as Jesus had promised, Peter and John had been baptized with the Holy Spirit, and they were filled with the Spirit, giving them power (Acts 1:5, 8). That power has always existed. The Spirit was there at Creation and when the Red Sea was opened. His power had been evidenced in the lives of the Old Testament prophets and had brought Jesus back from the dead. It is the same power that is active in believers today and that gives them the ability to be open and effective witnesses for the cause of Jesus Christ.

That is the secret to how these apostles, who earlier had been shrouded in fear and hiding behind closed doors, began to preach Christ openly. They had seen the resurrected Jesus, and the Spirit of God had come. After those events, these men had pushed the doors open and walked out into the streets with the audacity to face persecution and even martyrdom for their testimony about Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit would move them the rest of their lives, in and out of persecution, with and without earthly comforts, and under all sorts of adversities. We see Peter and John facing the same religious officials again in Acts 5:26-42, and there they stand, firm as ever in their obedience to God rather than people (Acts 5:29)— even up against those who would just as soon kill them (Acts 5:33).

The Holy Spirit’s power is for all believers, not just for the twelve apostles. We see in Acts 6:3 that the apostles looked among the believers and found seven men who were “full of the Spirit.” This means they were consistently tapping into the Spirit’s power, which is available 24/7 to every believer. One of those chosen was Stephen, a man who was not an apostle but was every bit a witness by the power of the Holy Spirit. He later preached such a powerful message that the religious officials became angry and stoned Stephen, making him the first martyr.

The daily question we each face is not whether we will be martyrs nor whether we will face opposition bravely. The question we face is whether we are tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit or stifling Him (see 1 Thes. 5:19). When He empowers us, it is not a matter of whether we have guts or creativity. When the Holy Spirit is in us, there is a special dynamic at work transforming us and making our lives and our words a witness. Sometimes that witness may offend others—and it will always bring conviction—but it also powerfully displays the love and humility of the Lord Jesus in its proclamation of the truth

Look inside the Swindoll Study Bible

Devotional from the THRIVE: A Journaling and Devotional Bible for Women

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8, NLT

Love Letter from God
You are my witness in this world. When you live by the power of My Holy Spirit, you will be an effective witness for Me. Some people try to manipulate to get what they want, but that is a dangerous game. You do not have to operate your life in your own strength. Show others what I am like by how you live. Introduce them to Me, and I will do the rest. I want you to rely on the power of My Holy Spirit as you witness and tell people about Me.
Love,
Your heavenly Father

Reflection
Relying on our own strength affects our witness for God. We have a limited voice with little power and only a temporary ability to influence others. Permanent change is only possible when the power of the Holy Spirit works through us, giving power to the weak and new life to the rest.

Treasure of Truth
The Holy Spirit’s power in us can accomplish infinitely more than we can on our own.

Look inside THRIVE