Boomer’s Favorites – Bible Teachers
I love to listen to great bible teachers. I’ve gotten to the point in my baby boomer life where I prefer to listen to great bible teachers in the car versus music. Granted, I’ll still rock some of my favorite albums at the gym to help with some treadmill motivation, but I can never get enough of a great bible expositor. Over the last few years I’ve taken note of some of the great ones, which I’ll share here.
Best Bible Version for Study
Before we get to the teachers however, let’s chat briefly about bible versions. Though I’m not qualified to weigh in heavily on the topic, I prefer the ESV (English Standard Version) as my daily bible.
For new Christians trying to work their way through the bible the first time, a Living Bible is a great option for that first complete read-through. I would however graduate to one of the more accepted versions for daily bible study. In evangelical circles, the aforementioned ESV, the New International Version (NIV), and the New Kings James are all solid versions you can trust.
The Blue Letter Bible
One great bible study tool I discovered a little over a year ago is the Blue Letter Bible. The Blue Letter Bible isn’t quite what it sounds like. This isn’t a single bible type or version, but rather an entire bible study tool in an all-encompassing digital platform available for web, tablets, or mobile devices. Not only does it include virtually every version of the bible you can find, it has in-depth bible study commentaries from great bible teachers. You can access sermon notes and commentaries from top bible teachers like:
- Chuck Smith
- David Guzik
- C.H. Spurgeon
- Dr. J. Vernon McGee
- John MacArthur
- and more….
My favorite commentary choice is from David Guzik, because in addition to his own intelligent commentary, he aggregates relevant text from C.H. Spurgeon, Matthew Poole, Adam Clark, John Trapp, F.B. Meyer, and others.
Additional Features of the Blue Letter Bible
In addition to the commentaries, the BLB includes a concordance, bible version comparison, and an audio version that allows you to listen to the bible. They also pile on dictionaries, notes, bookmarks, and highlighting. In short, this is the tool bible teachers use, and it is amazing. It is also completely free. They will prompt for a donation now and then, which I was both quick and proud to do. It’s a life-changing bible study tool in my eyes.
Back to The Bible Teachers
Now let’s look at my favorite bible teachers. Most of these I have heard on the radio at varying times over the years. There are dozens of good ones, but as this is a Boomer Favorites segment, these are my favorites.
- Pastor Chuck Smith
- Dr. David Jeremiah
- Pastor Steve Dewitt
- Pastor Paul Shepard
- Dr. Rob Randall
- Pastor Jack Hibbs
- Pastor Jeff Wickwire
- Evangelist Greg Laurie
- Pastor Bill Quinn
Basically, if one of these guys comes on the radio, I find it hard to get out of my car! Pastor Chuck Smith is now with the Lord of course, but the recent movie about him titled Jesus Revolution, as well as the availability of his sermons makes him as relevant as ever.
You Must Still Be Berean!
Being on my Boomer Favorites list does not automatically make everything they say 100% factual or correct. They are men, and they do their best, but they are not perfect. As bible believers, we must follow the model set by the Bereans in Acts 17 who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
When you hear something new, different, or interesting that you don’t understand (or believe), it is up to you to seek God in prayer and ask him to show you what He means.
Use tools like the Blue Letter Bible to educate yourself. This article I wrote about God’s sacrifice was an answer to prayer about something I just didn’t comprehend, and God found a way to answer this in His time, in a way that would impact me forever.
A Word About Bible Prophecy
Not all bible teachers will dive deep into bible prophecy. I list a few folks that address this topic more head-on in this article that I also listen to frequently, and seek out specifically if questions or concerns about the end times crop up…especially lately!
Bible Teachers Help You Turn the Corner
We don’t always spend as much time as we would like studying God’s word. If you are stuck in your car for any amount of time during the day, try listening to the word of God. Not only does it feed your soul in ways you may not be experiencing by yourself or in your local church, it beats the heck out of the local radio stations that insist on playing the same stupid songs over and over and over and over again.
You’ll also find that the continual exposure to God’s word causes you to crave it even more. If you are striving to turn a corner in your faith and your bible study, listen to more bible teachers. It will be worth it.