NKJV, The Modern Life Study Bible: Gods Word for Our World

The Modern Life Study Bible Gods Word for Our World New King James Version NASHVILLE DALLAS MEXICO CITY RIO DE JANEIRO The Modern Life Study Bible: Gods Word for Our World Copyright 2014 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) may be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission with the following qualifications: (1) up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the verses quoted amount to less than 50% of a complete book of the Bible and make up less than 50% of the total work in which they are quoted; (2) all NKJV quotations must conform accurately to the NKJV text. Any use of the NKJV text must include a proper acknowledgment as follows: Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday school lessons, church newsletters, and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or other religious assembly, the following notice may be used at the end of each quotation: NKJV. For quotation requests not covered by the above guidelines, write to Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attention: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All images in The Modern Life Study Bible, including maps, diagrams, illustrations, and other, are copyright 2014 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. eISBN: 9781401679682 Contributing Editor: Kevin Johnson www.kevinjohnsonbooks.com The Bibles pages are populated by real people who encountered issues that span all times and places. eISBN: 9781401679682 Contributing Editor: Kevin Johnson www.kevinjohnsonbooks.com The Bibles pages are populated by real people who encountered issues that span all times and places.

From the worlds beginnings in the Book of Genesis to the New Testament days of Jesus and beyond, the Bibles major and minor players longed for God to lead them through lifes drama. They fell in love and raised families. They relied on friends and guarded against enemies. They toiled at jobs. They threw parties. They wept for their losses.

The citizens of the biblical era contended with crooked governments and weighty social expectations. They endured war, famines, pandemics, and environmental upheavals, some caused by their own greed and carelessness. Their world was every bit as complicated, every bit as messy, as our own. Yet these imperfect people also intimately experienced God as He revealed Himself to them at specific times and places. They discovered that He is Lord of all of our world and all its history. They discovered that we are His children, created in His image and called to reflect His holiness.

Even when they met hostility, God instructed them to engage their surroundings. Where there was darkness, they were to shine light. Where there was hunger, they were to give food and drink. Where there was evil, they were to respond with wholehearted goodness. Like us, these early disciples struggled to imitate the God who is infinitely greater than us. They wondered who the Lord is, how to discern His will, and how they fit into His plan.

They fought to hold their communities together as they wrestled with issues of human worth. Hardly a day went by when Gods people did not suffer economic stress, political tension, and ethnic strife. Their story is our story. To overlook this powerful portrait is to miss what God wants to show us about living out our faith in the twenty-first century world. The narratives of the Bible illustrate truths about following God that tie us together. We dont need to build bridges between the Bible and modern life.

They already exist. We just have to open our eyes to see them. God invites every human being to be a part of His work, a grand mission that stretches from individuals to families and communities to encompass the world. When Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (), He committed us to a faith that touches every part of lifenot just personal salvation but justice made real and grace offered without boundaries or prejudice. This is a Bible for you and your friends to gather aroundto study, to discuss, to act on as you grow together. The Modern Life Study Bible was created by a team of scholars, writers, editors, and artists boldly committed to the truth of Scripture and fully convinced of its relevance to modern life.

We pray that The Modern Life Study Bible will inspire and equip you to follow God moment by moment no matter where He leads you. We trust you will discover opportunities to engage your faith in new ways and places, filling your world with Gods glory. Kevin Johnson Contributing Editor Contents

Gods Word empowers us to answer the call. Understanding the Bible The Modern Life Study Bible includes thousands of articles, maps, illustrations, diagrams, charts, and other helps that throw light on the people, places, cultures, and teachings of Scripture. Historical insights and thoughtful explorations of the Bibles timeless truths and themes aid in understanding the text and considering its impact. Applying the Bible With a deeper understanding of Scripture comes a conviction to put our faith to work. The Modern Life Study Bible examines how to apply Gods Word to everyday life, with an emphasis on community and social justice. Life Studies of sixty-six followers of God, taken from all over time, all over the world, and all walks of life, help to illustrate our potential to make a difference.

Thinking Independently The Modern Life Study Bible challenges us to develop our own thinking. The articles are designed to guide the reader without forcing an answer for every theological issue. Sometimes several possible answers are suggested; at other times the focus is on the broad significance of the text rather than specific details. At all times The Modern Life Study Bible encourages thoughtful faith. Themes to Consider Cultures may change, but our basic challenges stay the same.