Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
I like a chronological Bible for reading, it's not one I take to church or a Bible study but it helps me stay in the timeline of history since the Bible is not set up in chronological order. It bothers me that Paul's letters are sorted out of order! I have the "Daily Bible with Devotional Insights" (in NIV) that I read thru. The notes are more about how things fit together and history vs. "devotional" really, which are helpful. There are chronological Bibles in different versions.
I also like a "Reader's" Bible, where the chapters and verses (and notes) are left out and the text is formatted into single lines vs. columns. They are available in different versions. One I like changes the book order ("Books of the Bible" now renamed "Immerse"), which I like, for example, break up Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts, and John in different places so you aren't reading them in all in row.
I find that I can read so much more when I don't have the interruption of verses and chapter breaks and the type face and formatting lessoned eye-fatigue and increased my comprehension. Most books in the Bible can be read in one sitting, I believe, most books (especially the NT ones and the smaller ones in the OT) SHOULD be read in one sitting, to get the general idea. There is time to go back and study and meditate on smaller sections. But who gets a letter from their beloved pastor (like Paul!) and then only read a bit one day, and a little bit more the next? : )
This may be unpopular, but I like to read different versions. I study in a couple versions, read another couple versions, and try not to be in just one too long. For a first time Bible reader, I've heard good things about some of the newer releases, that come with charts and graphs and photos, especially for a visual learner. No shame in that. There's one called the NLT Illustrated Study Bible and another is He Reads. There's time to get into more serious Bible study and more scholarly translations, but to get excited about God's Word, it's alright in my opinion to find a Bible that is easier to read and understand.