One of the ways that I keep track of which passages I have taught to my students, is to make notes in the margins of my Bible and underline/highlight those passages. Another thing that I decided to start doing several years ago (before the Lord called my family to the Eastern Shore of Maryland) was to begin a new ministry with a fresh Bible. When we arrived in Salisbury… I was already using a New Century Version that I loved so I decided to keep using that one for a while at Allen.

After a couple of months, I realized again how important is is for me to start fresh when I was preparing to preach through 1 Peter chapter 1… and found no space in the margins to record my notes and no room to underline any of the text without marking through words or drawing crazy arrows all over the place like a confusingly chaotic road map. So… I gladly ventured to the “wonderful Land of Ollie’s“ with the purpose of picking up a brand-spankin-new-mini-hardback New Century Version translation.

I grew up reading an NIV Student Bible… and have much Scripture memorized in the context and phraseology of the NIV translation and the New International Version is very special to me… but I have found that the New Century Version better meets the readability and understandability level that I need in order to effectively minister to Junior Highers, High Skoolers, and College students.

The NCV is a literal translation that had two basic premises: faithfulness to the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, and the use of language that is clear enough for anyone to read and understand the Bible. The more than forty Bible scholars who worked to translate the NCV acheived a third-grade reading level… and a huge fan in Ryan Weaver.

I love going back to my classic NIV, grabbing a copy of The Message for some blunt perspective, and occasionally referencing the NASB and ESV and even the NKJV… but for this Pastor to Students, the NCV is the clear cut choice.

PRESS ON!!!

-Weav