I have mentioned before that I see printed materials as a key part of teaching and preaching. Most classes I teach include printed handouts. My Store section of this website features a few of my audio teaching series which have printed guides accompanying them.
Now I am blessed to work at Sunset International Bible Institute where I have access to several commercial full-color copier printers. This allows me to do short runs of my study guides when I need them along with handouts for various Bible classes I might teach. But copying, folding, stapling and trimming study guides is a labor intensive process even for 5 to 15 copies. And the quality, while good, is still not quite “print” quality to my eyes.
I am very excited about an upcoming series I plan to write for Effective Bible Study (this website!) about Johann Gutenberg and the “Gutenberg Bible.” My enthusiasm is for several reasons:
I am a trained printer with a background in letterpress (what Gutenberg Used), offset press, and digital.
I have owned or helped operate several printing companies as a means of support over the years for my ministry.
I have recently purchased a small tabletop letterpress and some other equipment and hope to spend time in the near future teaching my grandchildren here in Lubbock the joy and satisfaction of printing using this method. (For those with the interest, I purchased a 5 x 8 Kelsey Excelsior Press and am waiting for new rollers to be custom-made for it.)
The invention of printing as done by Gutenberg literally changed the world, including Christian evangelism and education.
The story, as much of it as we know, is a fascinating story.
Martin Luther is one of the most interesting people to me in the history of Christianity. From young law student to monk to college professor to reformer – his impact on church history can scarcely be overstated. And yet, he seemed to be laser focused on knowing and doing God’s will, not on elevating himself or trying to profit from his eventual fame.
This month begins the 500th anniversary of his being excommunicated by Pope Leo X in January 1521… and all the things that transpired afterward. Ligonier Ministries are making a documentary and a new podcast available to commemorate what would turn into a “sea change” in Christianity.
Creation or Evolution? This is a question we continually have to answer as scientism has invented an alternative to the Biblical narrative of where the universe, life and humankind came from. This is a crucial discussion for many reasons, including whether the Bible is actually true, whether Jesus was telling the truth (Matthew 19:4), and if there really is a Supreme Creator.
An increasing number in the scientific community, especially among those who are not considered Bible believers, are contributing to the “Intelligent Design” movement. While not actually a formal movement, this is a new way of thinking, and it proposes that many aspects of the world/universe around us cannot be explained by random chance or blind processes. Their research reveals lots of examples of amazing design – examples which have no other reasonable explanation. No surprise that is where many of us have been all along!
Maybe because I’m cut from the cloth of the “old school” Gospel preachers, there’s scarcely anything nearer to my heart than getting more books for my library. But now with the changing of times and technology, most of those books are digital. They are scattered across several of the popular digital platforms – Kindle, Apple Books, Adobe PDF – but the largest number are embedded within the various Bible software programs I own. These include Logos, Olive Tree, Wordsearch, Pocketbible, and my favorite, e-Sword.
In this article I want to mention a way to get FREE books through Logos Bible Software. If you visit their website, you will observe that their software packages range up to $10,000+! But there is a way to get some of their books and resources absolutely free. Here is the way to do it: Continue Reading
I wrote the following article almost exactly one year ago. But I continue to be impressed and blessed by The Bible Project resources, and want to introduce our new readers to this free set of multimedia materials. In addition they have added new resources over the last year we will talk about at the end of this reprinted article. Almost every time I visit their website or their YouTube channel, I find myself spending far more time than planned enjoying previously undiscovered great resources. – Richard Cravy
The Bible Project (www.thebibleproject.com) is a unique and valuable internet resource I greatly enjoy and regularly use for personal study. The project began in 2014 when Timothy Mackie and Jonathan Collins wanted to present the overall story, themes, and beauty of the Bible in a way that would connect with our modern media-centric culture.Continue Reading
As our family continues to do church at home because of the COVID pandemic, we are discovering new resources to help my grandchildren (and all of us) understand Bible concepts better. One such new resource is www.skitguys.com. These guys have produced many short skits, videos, animations and other useful stuff presenting concepts and principles from Scripture. Some of the things are free, while unlimited access is via a subscription. A quick search for “The Skit Guys” on YouTube will turn up many examples of their work. They mix a little humor with good scriptwriting and imagination to produce some very thought-provoking and enlightening material.
I especially want to highlight this short 4 minute video on Grace. The setting is Jesus’ meeting with Peter and the other disciples by the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection.Continue Reading
I have recommended a number of podcasts over the last few months. Podcasts are audio ( or sometimes video) programs posted on the internet and/or in some of the popular podcasting services (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) on specific topics or areas of interest. I often listen to them while driving, especially on longer trips, because I can learn something while being otherwise limited in what I can do other than keep my eyes on the road ahead. Podcasting services provide access to their apps on both Android and Apple phones and tablets. And most podcasts are provided free of charge.Continue Reading
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 was a major event in the 1st Century for both Judaism and early Christianity. And even though that Jewish War and its massive destruction is not recorded in the New Testament, it was predicted by Jesus – most notably in Matthew chapter 24.
I recently had my good friend Tim Brinley recommend a 24 minute animated documentary about the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. I had read several accounts of these events, but was still enlightened and impressed by this 24 minute video. It is conveniently available on YouTube and is produced by a small studio called Kings and Generals. This studio is primarily two history buffs with good technology and media skills who produce short animated videos about various important battles in world history. I highly recommend their documentary on the Siege of Jerusalem 70 AD!
After taking a break partly caused by our present Covid19 pandemic, we are returning with our Pick of the Week segment again. And this pick is free as well as both fascinating and educational.
Expository teaching is a style of instruction in which an in-depth look at the Biblical text is the core of the lesson. Dr. John Piper is a master at this expository teaching. His website at www.desiringgod.org gives access to many of his expository teaching resources. Recently one of our recommendations during this pandemic was his newly released book, Coronavirus and Christ, which he gives away free in digital format. As I write this, over 1,000,000 copies of it have already been downloaded! I greatly appreciate his Scripture-based approach in this book.Continue Reading
Many years ago (1966+) when I went off to college at Rice University, I immediately had my Christian faith challenged and questioned by both faculty members and classes I had. That is when I first realized that I knew more or less WHAT I believed, but not WHY I believed! By God’s providence I was attending a congregation in which the preacher had come to faith in Christ as an adult by studying “Christian evidences” – a term I had never heard of before meeting him.
Studying the topic of evidences with James Wilson completely changed the course of my life! Now, after 50 years in ministry myself, I can say confidently that most believers I have known do not know much about the evidence under-girding confidence in the truth about Jesus, God, and the Bible.Continue Reading
During these trying times with most Christians ordered to shelter in place or at home, and with all church services and classes cancelled, many different faith-based ministries are stepping up to offer free access to their materials. I mentioned and linked to several of them in a post about two weeks ago.
One of those is Ligonier Ministries, who presently makes over 2,500 videos available for free access. Now they have added the ability to download over 100 of their Ligonier study guides in PDF format for free that accompany their various video series. Many of the authors are recognized Biblical scholars and seminary professors.Continue Reading
Martin Luther is one of the most interesting people to me in the history of Christianity. From young law student to monk to college professor to reformer – his impact on church history can scarcely be overstated. And yet, he seemed to be laser focused on knowing and doing God’s will, not on elevating himself or trying to profit from his eventual fame.
Creation or Evolution? This is a question we continually have to answer as scientism has invented an alternative to the Biblical narrative of where the universe, life and humankind came from. This is a crucial discussion for many reasons, including whether the Bible is actually true, whether Jesus was telling the truth (Matthew 19:4), and if there really is a Supreme Creator.
Maybe because I’m cut from the cloth of the “old school” Gospel preachers, there’s scarcely anything nearer to my heart than getting more books for my library. But now with the changing of times and technology, most of those books are digital. They are scattered across several of the popular digital platforms – Kindle, Apple Books, Adobe PDF – but the largest number are embedded within the various Bible software programs I own. These include 
I have recommended a number of podcasts over the last few months. 
Many years ago (1966+) when I went off to college at Rice University, I immediately had my Christian faith challenged and questioned by both faculty members and classes I had. That is when I first realized that I knew more or less WHAT I believed, but not WHY I believed! By God’s providence I was attending a congregation in which the preacher had come to faith in Christ as an adult by studying “Christian evidences” – a term I had never heard of before meeting him.