Resources
Sometimes, you just need a helping hand.
These are resources we think might be helpful in different ways. Some of these resources are our own, and some are owned by others. We have no intention of passing off the work of others as our own, only to share the great ideas and insights others have shared with us. Though we believe these to be helpful and trustworthy, please understand you will be directed to their websites for which we have no responsibility or oversight. We hope these are a blessing to you as you strive to better understand and live the Christian life. Perhaps, these will help as you teach others, too!
studying the Bible
Here are some helpful resources as you seek to study the Bible for yourself or in preparation for a Bible class or other presentation.
Bible Project: An expansive (free!) video library with Bible book overviews, themes, and other very interesting topics. The best part is they are videos with great graphics, succinct and insightful instruction, and most of them are in the 5-7 minute range.
TheBible.net: A website with a lot of OLDER video resources (think 1980s-1990s VHS) ranging from Homiletics (how to preach) to Hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible) to Bible book overviews. These are more in-depth lessons, similar to what used to be taught in older Bible institutes. While the quality is dated, the material is still sound.
Various commentaries: Remember, commentaries are a lot like talking to a friend and asking their opinion on the Bible. These "friends" are often very educated, but they won't always get everything exactly right, so be sure to check the text for their conclusions. The best time to check in with these "friends" is when you are studying and have a question you cannot readily discern from the text. To expand your study, consider these scholars and researchers to help you in your learning journey: James Coffman, John MacArthur, Adam Clarke
Blue Letter Bible: A wealth of free tools can be found on this website for Bible study. From encyclopedias, to charts, to language assistance, you will have a full toolbox many preachers would have at their disposal. A great place to find free translations of the Bible (NASB, NIV, ESV, and other more obscure translations, too), as well as quick references to lexicon-type dictionaries (Strong's definitions, etc.).
World Bible School: World Bible School is a site with several good studies about the church and God's plan to save humanity from their sin. You can sign up for free self-paced courses.
World Video Bible School: There is a plethora of video resources from sermons, to topical explanations, and everything in between. Tour the lands of Jerusalem, hear gospel sermons, explore Christian evidences, hear about controversial topics, explore wisdom about parenting, and many other great videos.
presenting and teaching the Bible
Whether you are preparing for a children's class or an adult Bible study, there are some helpful free tools and resources to make the presentation a bit easier. These resources range from stock imagery (free to use) to lesson plans and craft ideas (don't forget to check out ideas on Pinterest, too!).
Imagery
Remember to use images that are free of license to present so as not to infringe on copyright laws.
Free Bible Images: From photos of reenactments to cartoons, there are many Bible stories in this repository.
Christian Cliparts Blog: Not many options, but the cartoons are well made.
Free Clipart: Themes, holidays, and characters, and they are all free for presentations or announcements.
Canva: Make your own professional-grade graphics with tons of free options (yes, they have "paid" options, too) that look like graphic artist level quality.
Lesson Plans
Associated Press: They have curriculum you can sign up and pay for access to have a full children's curriculum with craft ideas, songs, questions, reviews, and a lot of other helpful ideas (login is here). There are some useful resources in their free section as well.
Free Bible Images (yes, the same as above): There are many slideshows that come with explanations on each of the slides and can be used for teaching a class, especially in a younger age category. One example is Sweet Publishing whose slides all have the "story planner" to help explain what is happening in the story.
Mission Bible Class: Children's teaching class material including lesson plans, craft ideas, and helpful explanations for age-appropriate lessons.
evangelism
How can you help change a person's life both here on earth and into eternity? Study God's word with them. We believe individual Bible studies are one of the most effective ways in our culture we can help change people's lives with the word of God.
Here are some methods/curriculums we think are helpful:
Bible Talk: This is a great series designed by Mike Schneider and has led hundreds of people to Christ.