The fourth step of The Loved Bible Project process is “Give it away.” When you start a Loved Bible, often you start with thinking about who it will go to, and this step is really straight-forward. But maybe you’re not sure. That’s ok! Keep praying and ask God to make you aware of the people around you. Take a few minutes to think of the people around you. Is there anyone experiencing grief or loss? Is there anyone who is graduating soon? Is there someone you know battling cancer? Is there anyone getting married? Is there someone suffering? Is there anyone who is a recent believer? A Loved Bible can be given to anyone in any of the above circumstances. Creating a Loved Bible shows you care about the recipient.

We often are asked, “What should I include in a Loved Bible?” In this blog, we are going to walk you through the basics and then provide some “recipes” of different things you could put in a Loved Bible depending on circumstances of the person receiving the Loved Bible.

Creating a Loved Bible

How to Get Started:

The first thing you will want to do is read our Getting Started Guide.

What Type of Bible?

Consider if this will be a primary Bible for the recipient or does he/she already have a Bible? Some suggestions for Bibles are: 

• ESV Large Print Compact Bible: perfect size for someone who already has a Bible
• CSB Compact Bible: another great option for someone who has a Bible
• ESV Women’s Study Bible: contains study notes and reflections from many great teachers and authors.
• ESV Legacy Bible: no study notes but generous margins for notes and at a 6×9 size it is easy to bring along to church or Bible study.
• ESV Journaling Bible or NIV Journaling Bible: Both of these Bibles feature wide margins and come in various cover choices. 
• Scriptura Bibles has a number of heirloom quality Bibles that would be perfect for a Legacy Loved Bible or a Loved Bible for a wedding.
• You may want to look for a Bible with large margins if you hope to write prayers/notes in the margin.

What TLBP Resources Should I Use in my Legacy Loved Bible?

We would suggest that you start with these 3 resources. They are foundational for every Loved Bible.

• The Foundations Workbook: We recommend you start all Loved Bibles using the Foundations Workbook. This gives an overview of the gospel and how the gospel is for all of life. The gospel saves us, sanctifies (grows) us, and sustains us (we never grow out of our need). Include a few (or many!) of the recommended Scriptures for each question. There are usually about 50 entries in total. As you repeatedly go through this process, you begin to rehearse and memorize the Scriptures and their meanings, helping you to grow as a disciple-maker.
• The Attributes of God Worksheet: Attributes are words that tell us what someone or something is like. When we read the Bible, we discover the attributes of God everywhere! God tells us who He is, and what He is like. Every story, person, place, and event in the Bible is true and helps us learn ore about God.  
• The Story of Scripture: Grab a few note cards and an envelope! You can write out the foundations of this unifying story and stick it in the front of your Loved Bible. We love the way Harvey Turner unpacked this in his book, Friend of Sinners.

Loved Bible “Recipes”

• A New Believer: The resources above will be foundational for a new believer. In addition, you could add quotes from our Names of God and Identity in Christ Worksheets.
• Someone suffering: Walking with someone through a difficult season gives us an opportunity to show Christ’s love to them. We may walk alongside others in a variety of ways, providing comfort to their emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. A Loved Bible can be a tool to show you care. Try to skip religious platitudes. For example, regarding Romans 8:28: Yes, all things work together for good for those who love God, and yet a grieving person likely won’t find this comforting. “Cancer [grief] is painful no matter how convinced you are of God’s sovereignty.” – Marissa Henley, Loving Your Friend Through Cancer. Add quotes from our Suffering and Grief Worksheets. You also may want to check out this blog on Loving a Bible for someone suffering.
• A Soon to Be Bride or Groom: Add quotes from our new Marriage Worksheet!
• A Friend Going through Cancer: Add quotes from our Suffering, Grief, or Cancer Worksheets.
• A Graduate: Add quotes from the Names of God or Identity in Christ Worksheets.
• For Your Child: Check out our resources on creating a Legacy Loved Bible.
• For someone who lost a baby: The Grief, Suffering, and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Worksheets would provide applicable quotes. We would also suggest reading this blog.

We hope this helps you use the available resources to put together a Loved Bible for a specific occasion or circumstance. We also encourage you to check out our Resources page for recommended books that will also help you with other ideas and notes to add for specific topics.

Are you creating a Loved Bible for a specific situation? Let us know!