Ignite: The Bible for Teens

The best way to know if a teenager will respond well to this 2013 edition of the New King James Version (NKJV) is to ask. So I did.

Previously, my thirteen and a half-year-old granddaughter had chosen NKJV as her favorite, saying she liked the poetic sound when we read the same verses aloud from a half-dozen translations. Me too. And, having memorized KJV verses when I was her age, I could also relate those verses to this contemporary rendering.

But back to my grand reader. When she picked up this edition, she commented on the simplicity of the cover with its red-orange flame above the word “Ignite” that's been embossed into a thick paper cover with the look of parchment. She liked it.

Inside that non-curling cover, the color motif serves more than decoration as dark orange highlights study aids with such lively titles as “Sparks” (of God’s Promises), “Spotlights” (like headlines for a story), “Flashpoints,” (flashing back to questions or thoughts teens are apt to have during the day), and “White Hot Topics” (to link Bible stories and show their relevancy to concerns teens typically have.)

In addition to those study aids throughout the book, chocolate-colored “Soul Fuel” gives readers an array of delectable verses to taste, remember, and hold close.

Each of those colorful aids will help young people enjoy the Bible on their own and turn to appropriate pages in times of crisis too. For example, the “Find It Topical Index” in the opening pages will help teens know where to look for biblical responses to diverse topics ranging from “Abortion,” “Alcohol,” “Ambition,” and “Anger” to “Witchcraft,” “Worry,” and “Worship of Idols and Heroes.”

Most likely, teens will look up those subjects when alone or with a BFF, but this Bible stands up well to group study too. Besides the key-word concordance and maps at the back of the book, a reader can quickly find any book in the Bible by going to the alphabetical list just inside the flyleaf. A few pages later, a standard table of contents has been included too, and for additional help on finding one’s place or keeping up with the group, large vertically-printed letters show the book, chapter, and verse on the edge of each page.

Although I want to thank Thomas Nelson, Inc., for this review copy, I give deep thanks for an edition that doesn't try to do too much but actually ignites teen interest in what the Bible has to say and shows its relevance to their lives. May God keep these sparks alive and aglow in Jesus’ name.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler



To order this particular edition from Amazon, click on the ad below:




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NASB wide-margin Bible in goatskin

When I posted “Judging the cover on The Book” last year, I mentioned goatskin as the Bible cover of choice and, since then, have found lambskin to be even softer. Either will last longer than the reader, but goatskin has usually been the easier of the two to find. Since both cost more than most editions, however, you might wonder why anyone would want the extra cost.

Besides the fact that the Word of God is priceless, most Bible lovers want a Bible that will endure for years. If you also like to carry on conversations with your Bible, as I do, you’ll want ample margins and an erasable pencil for responding as you read.

A big point to consider before you make an expensive choice is the translation itself. When I just want to read, I like to curl up with an easy-to-read contemporary translation (not paraphrase!) such as the New Living Translation (NLT), Good News Bible, or other thought-by-thought translation mentioned in the posting, “Which Bible would Jesus choose?” Or, if I want to research a topic or study a book of the Bible in depth, I’ll keep my ESV Study Bible, Archaeological Study Bible, or Life Application Study Bible close beside me and, most likely, borrow my husband’s NIV Study Bible too.

But when it comes to reading and responding to a Bible, I want a lap-friendly reader edition with wide margins, a top quality cover, and an accurate word-for-word translation.

For overall accuracy, the main choices include Amplified, Douay-Rheims, English Standard Version (ESV), King James Version (KJV), New American Bible (NAB), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and New King James Version (NKJV.) Any of those work well for a long-term relationship, but most do not come in a wide-margin edition with high quality leather cover, except for KJV, which I love but often miss what’s said.

I’m dismayed to say that the overall quality of Bibles seems to be declining. Many of the newer editions seem more like give-away or throw-away items with cheap paper, glued pages, and short-lived covers that cost more than they’re worth simply because they’re faddish or cute. But, when I ordered the NASB shown below, I discovered an edition of the very highest quality.

Within the two-column text, the cross-references in the center of the page provide help for looking up a subject or following a biblical train-of-thought, and an A to Z topical concordance at the back of the book eases that search too.

Since footnotes appear only as needed, this reader’s edition encourages me to keep on reading as I would any good book. The font is somewhat on the small side but very readable, and I like the writing space all around – even at the bottom of the page.

If that’s not enough for the thoughts, insights, and responses God gives to you as you read, you’ll be glad to know that a bunch of lined pages at the back of the book have your note-keeping in mind.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


NASB wide-margin Bible in top quality leather [Note: Sorry! My copy described above is no longer available on Amazon, but I found the same edition in split-cowhide which has recently become my favorite.]



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