The most important thing is to know God for yourself. Follow Him, not any man or woman. Be taught from Him by reading and studying the Bible for yourself. There’s no shortcut to intimacy. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you as you read the Bible. If you’re already doing that, then here are some other great resources from around the web:
What Bible translation should I choose?
Mike Winger explains some translations available today.
Personally, I use NASB and ESV for Bible study, and NIV and NLT for daily devotions.
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/
A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.
Bible Hub: https://biblehub.com/
Look at the Greek and Hebrew words used in a verse to get a better sense of the intent of the writer. Words don’t pass between languages 1:1. There’s connotation, and inference attached to each word that often is not directly captured in a translation.
Chronological Bible:
The Old Testament is arranged by writer, not in chronological order. The Old Testament between the book of 1 Samuel and Malachi (most of the Old Testament) really comes to life when you read it in chronological order. Read a story about David escaping into the desert to avoid being killed, followed immediately by the psalm he wrote praising God and asking for His protection.
Here’s a version I personally love: The Daily Bible by F. LaGard Smith
There’s also a paperback version for less cost.
Mike Winger:
Learn to think biblically about everything.
Words fall short in describing the impact Mike has had. His commitment is clear to teaching the word of God as it is written, and submit his thinking to it instead of trying to make it fit his own understanding. His content is packed with solid, simple and clear teaching straight from the Bible as plainly as possible.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikeWinger/about
BibleThinker.org: https://biblethinker.org/
Expedition Bible – Joel Kramer:
Expedition Bible brings you the teaching of Joel Kramer, a biblical archaeologist and former expeditioner in his younger years. Joel teaches by “taking you into the Bible,” showing you Biblical sites, and giving you context, evidence, and experience to understand Scripture more profoundly. Watch, learn, and be encouraged as Joel lays out the evidence for the historicity, authenticity, and authority of the Word of God.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExpeditionBible
ExpeditionBible.com: https://expeditionbible.com/
Associates for Biblical Archaeology:
A Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible through archaeological and Biblical research.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEJXWn54pBoS6l6KY-hhS3Q
BibleArchaeology.org: https://biblearchaeology.org/
City of David:
The City of David is the place where Jerusalem began and is the original site of Jerusalem from the Bible. Buried and forgotten for thousands of years, ground breaking excavations are revealing treasures that bring Jewish history to life and reveal the historical and spiritual DNA of billions of people throughout the world.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cityofdavidsite
CityOfDavid.org: https://cityofdavid.org.il/en/
Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology:
The Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology is a nonprofit, academic and education institution headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. It sponsors and participates in archaeological excavations to promote Israel’s biblical archaeology.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@armstrongstinstitute
ArmstrongInstitute.org: https://armstronginstitute.org/
One for Israel:
Perhaps saving the best for last.
One for Israel is a cutting edge, dynamic evangelism initiative that seeks to compellingly share the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) with Israeli Jews and Arabs in the Hebrew language, with an emphasis on media and internet within the ancient land of Israel.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ONEFORISRAEL
OneForIsrael.org: https://www.oneforisrael.org
Podcast: https://www.oneforisrael.org/podcast/ (it’s quite excellent, and also on their YouTube channel)