The Bible App

I love churches that think outside of their own walls and seek to bless the body of Christ at large. Lifechurch.tv seems to be one of those churches. If you’re a Christian and you own an iPhone or an iPod Touch, first of all, shame on you for being so materialistic. Secondly, you’ve probably downloaded Lifechurch’s free Bible app. It was one of the first apps I downloaded after I sold my soul and got an iPod Touch. (And thank you, Verizon, for not supporting the iPhone. Jerks.)

There’s a lot to like about this app. First of all, it’s free! And they carry a wide range of translations, including the NIV, TNIV, NLT, The Message, ESV, and many more. I’m sure that’s a hefty licensing fee on their part, but they swallow all the cost and pass it on to us for free. Thanks, Lifechurch! (And some of those translations are even available for download!)

Probably my favorite feature is the reading plans. There are a lot to choose from, and they’re all linked to their website, www.youversion.com. This was a smart move because the app has proved less than reliable at times, and it would be a major drag to lose track of where you are in your reading plan if the app crashes.

There is also a nice Contribs feature where you can publish your own thoughts on particular passages. I have yet to take full advantage of this feature, but I can see the potential. All in all this is a fantastic app, and because it’s free and offers so much, I really can’t complain about the occasional crashing. The only thing it doesn’t have now that would put it over the top (and make it worth paying for) is Hebrew and Greek versions. Or maybe BibleWorks or Accordance should just put out an app.