Practise Scripture

Welcome to the Bible

We believe you’ll meet God through it. This isn’t just a book to read – it’s a place to encounter God, hear his voice, and begin a real relationship with him. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Just start.

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A simple way to begin

Step 1

Pick a place to start

Not sure where? Start with the books of Mark or John, two of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life.

Step 2

Pray

Say a simple prayer, like “God, please help me understand this.” The Bible is more than a document – it’s one way God speaks to us, so it’s important to read it prayerfully.

Step 3

Read

Read it – slowly, prayerfully, and consistently. The Bible is something we return to again and again as we go through life.

As you read, ask:

What’s happening here?
What does this show me about people?
What does this show me about God?
What might God be saying to me?
What could this change for me today?

You don’t need perfect answers – just be honest and open, with yourself and with God.

Got questions?

The Bible is a small library of books – 66 books, in fact – that emerged out of the people of ancient Israel.

The books were written by dozens of different authors over a period of more than 1,000 years, wrestling with the deepest questions of life. The books are divided into two sections: the Old Testament, which tells the story of God’s creation and the people of Israel, and the New Testament, which tells the story of Jesus and his first followers.

Christians believe that the books of the Bible contain God’s words that he’s speaking to each of us, today.

The short answer is: the one you read and find most helpful for you!

There are lots of different translations of the Bible. Each takes a slightly different approach to translating the same original languages. Some translations are word-for-word, meaning they try to translate the ancient languages literally. Other translations are thought-for-thought, which try to capture the original meaning in a way that makes sense for today. Still other translations are somewhere in the middle.

The best and easiest translations to start with are generally the ones in the middle. Good examples would be the New International Version (NIV) or the New Living Translation (NLT).

The best place to start is probably with the Gospels – the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

The Bible has four Gospels, called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Each has a different flavour. If you want a brief introduction, try Mark, which is the shortest.

Each book in the Bible contains numbered chapters and verses. Verses are short sections in a chapter – a few words, sentence, or line of prose. Numbering the Bible helps us to break down the Bible, understand it, and point people to parts of it e.g. John 3:16.

Sure! A great place to do that is BibleGateway.com

You won’t understand everything straight away – and that’s normal! The Bible can feel confusing or unfamiliar. But keep going. The Bible is something we prayerfully return to, again and again. Over time, things become clearer and deeper.

Free resources like BibleProject , the YouVersion Bible app, or the Bible In One Year app can help you explore areas you want to learn more about.

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