It has been quite some time since I have done a segment on Bibles.  Don’t be fooled, there are still some in the church library that have yet to be featured, and I will get around to them some day.  Those Bible’s rarely get used and are what I affectionately call, “in the garage.”  Keeping with the theme, the ones on my desk getting daily use are the ones, “in the driveway.”   That driveway just got a bit more crowded.

You’ll be shocked to know that I recently bought a new Bible.  Okay, maybe not, but surprisingly it was not purchased second-hand.  One of the websites I keep an eye on had a decent sale recently and I broke down and bought the Experiencing God Bible.  I had read up on it a bit when it was one sale previously and it really piqued my interest.  Some reviewers said that it was an updated version of the Serendipity Bible, which I looked at in a blog dated October 8, 2024.  That was the 48^th garaged Bible that I wrote about, and it was also a gift given to me by the previous pastor here at Timberville.   Since that review, it has been out of the garage and in the driveway.

The Experiencing God Bible is similar, and I have really come to love the prompts and questions that both of them offer.  It is wonderful food for thought or even a possible idea for parts of a sermon.  Either way, the questions cause you to think more deeply about the text and push you to do additional study.  There are differences.

The Experiencing God Bible I purchased is in the CSB translation, the same as the Bibles we have in the pews (Serendipity is NIV).  The new one is also an attractive fake red leather, but that’s not the best part.  The font and type are far superior for reading.  If it is not the same, it is very close to the same thing used for the Spurgeon Study Bible, which is incredibly easy on the eyes.   While some find it to be an unwanted feature, I also appreciate that it is what they would call a “red-letter” Bible, meaning the words of Christ are in red.  It would be unfair to say that the Experiencing God Bible is better for leading a Bible Study or Sunday School class.  You could still do it, but the Serendipity Bible is truly made for it and has more resources for those purposes.

For now, both the Bibles mentioned here are on my desk along with the Baker Illustrated Study Bible and the Spirit Filled Life Bible.  As I sit here looking over at the bookshelf in my office, I see about a half dozen others that I’d love to make room for.  Maybe I’ll get one of those round tower bookshelves that I can put right next to my desk and have them all at my fingertips, or maybe I’ll just keep shuffling them in and out of the driveway.

The Bible’s I have written about and all the rest that are in my office and in the library are available to look at and even borrow.  I encourage everyone to find a Bible that inspires you to spend time in the Word every day.