Life Application Study Bible NIV

We should leave to those who are educationally qualified the task of commenting concerning theology and translation accuracy. Certainly, I would not consider myself a theologian or Bible scholar, but I have read and studied the Bible in various translations over the past 30 years (I'll be 50 in September). Personally, I am enjoying reading this version, and find it to be an excellent compliment to others that are "more scholarly". We are all entitled to our opinions, but when expressing them, let's do so prayerfully, with supporting facts, and humbly...especially when dealing with God's Word and the work of those who try to help others understand it. We are cautioned in that Word not to be judgmental, lest we ourselves come under judgment, and to be careful not to be stumbling blocks to others.

In closing, to those who are looking for a Bible version that will help them understand God's Word better, I can say that this translation and the explanatory content that accompanies it are helpful to me.


Very Good Study Bible, The Notes Are Oriented Toward How the Bible Applies To Our Lives   July 8, 2006
Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This study Bible has a lot of strengths. I love the easy to read print. I appreciate the profiles on prominent Bible characters (Hannah, David, Thomas, Peter, etc). Moreover, each book of the Bible has an outline and a list of megathemes. The (mostly) verse by verse notes are oriented toward practical application of the Bible to our lives, yet there are some notes which discuss the verse in its cultural context.

Another advantage of this Study Bible is that the notes and the book summaries have been prepared by a team of evangelical scholars, all of whom hold a high regard for the integrity and reliability and truthfulness of Scripture.

The only word of caution I have for the study notes is that they can be a bit pointed and preachy. Oftentimes, they end with questions such as "Are you living the way you ought to be living?" Or "What would Jesus say about YOUR life?"

Some will like this approach and others won't. I think that the notes can be overly preachy on occasion, but I suppose that this is par for the course in a study Bible geared more toward application.

This Bible is one that I strongly recommend, and it also comes in the New Living Translation.


If you read the bible without applying it,it is just fiction   August 20, 2000
Brian Nelson (Houston, TX United States)
13 out of 16 found this review helpful

This bible was given to me by my wife a number of years ago and has helped me significantly in really understanding what the bible is all about. It is about the most important thing in your life, your relationship with God. What ever you are doing, you can't take it with you (when you leave this world). Other reviewers have recapped it very well. Let me know if you buy one and what you think. Brian Nelson Marketing Business Critic bnelson@onramp.net 713-467-3025. God Bless.


Deciding on the "perfect" Bible   April 29, 2006
K. Baker
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I have been trying to find the "perfect" Bible for me. You know, the one that will inspire me to spend time in The Word daily, be the last Bible I ever buy, that I would consider my "friend" through the years until my grandchildren dreamed of one day owning grandma's Bible, so full of wisdom. Well that may happen for some people, but I think it's impossible to find the "perfect" Bible for every season and walk in your life and everyone else on the planet's life.
The two best selling study Bibles are the Zondervan NIV Study Bible and the Life Application Study Bible. After reading their reviews, I only became more confused. So I went to my local Sam's club and found both Bibles on sale and sat down and compared them, picking a favorite verse and reading what the notes said on each. I really like the NIV Study Bible's two columns and something about the font and sizing made it really easy to read. But when it came to the notes, I was completely lost. Lots of good info and cross referencing, I'm sure, but it didn't peak my curiousity to look any deeper, and I would have to read the instructions in the beginning to even know how to use them. The NIV Study Bible is a little thinner than the Life Application, and putting a Life Application and a notebook in a Bible cover may pose a problem for space. Yet when I checked the Life Application's study commentary, each note was a complete thought, and some would make me pause and ponder the info provided. Still somehow, I was determined to like the other Zonderman NIV Study Bible because it was more scholarly or something. I couldn't put my finger on it, but choosing the Life Application made me feel guilty, like I wasn't challenging myself enough. I don't consider myself to be a "baby Christian", just not really great with establishing time in The Word. I have finally decided on the Life Application NIV, because it is the Bible most likely for me to find a hunger for more and for God to reveal Himself to me in words I can understand. Why do we think God is limited to speaking only through a certain translation or Bible? My favorite translation is The Message, such a breath of fresh air at times, and speaks to me when a passage just isn't making sense in another Bible. Choosing a Bible should be just as much a heart decision as a head decision. I am thankful we have so many to choose from, because my preschoolers love their Picture Bible, and my husband wants the Zondervan's NIV Study for all the facts. Just like a man, all facts, no relational! :)
I highly recommend the Life Application Study Bible. I really believe it would encourage someone to pick up their Bible and actually read it at other times than just at church or Bible study. All the other reviews pretty much agree with that. Still, don't get caught up in everyone else's opinions and reviews to decide on the best way to learn about God. They are informational and can narrow your choices down, but these people don't know you. Go to a bookstore and look at the actual books. Pick what speaks to you, even if it's not the highest bestselling Bible of the day on Amazon. If you still don't know, pray about it until you have peace about your decision. I'm not kidding! Then buy it or come back to the internet and find a great deal for it. Finally, donate all the old Bibles you have and never used because they weren't for you but you kept because they were a gift or they cost a lot of money or somehow it seems wrong to get rid of "God's Word". Quit hoarding them - it's just more earthly stuff for the theives and mothes to take away. Let someone else be blessed by them. It just may be their "perfect" Bible.


Life Application Study Bible   August 30, 2006
Terry Beard
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I have been reading in my King James Version Bible and alot of the scripture would go over my head. After my church gave my oldest son the Life Application Study Bible, I read a few verses and was delighted at how I was able to understand. Not just by reading the verse, but the "Blue print" and "vital statistics" and "megathemes". These were so very helpful for me. I am more able to apply God's Word to my life since using the Life Application Study Bible. I have even baught several more for family and friends. All I can say is Praise God for His Word. Thank You, Terry Beard