The Bible app, which recently celebrated 200 million downloads, is the best thing to happen to smart phones and a tremendous tool for Bible readers. When people get upset that I am reading or teaching from a digital Bible (By the way, that confrontation is a rarity.), I try to graciously remind them that Scripture from a digital source is not less true.
Live.Church, the creators of the Bible app, clearly feel the same way as we see a new app for a new device. Let me introduce you to the Bible app.
I do not own an Amazon Echo but I have considered buying one. If you are not familiar, Amazon Echo is a wireless speaker and voice command device from Amazon.com. It is sort of like shoving Apple’s Siri in a tube and giving her a fantastic speaker. You can find out more about Amazon Echo here.
While the Bible app on Amazon Echo seems cool, I think there is room to grow. When you want to jump to a specific verse you will have to put up with Alexis digital voice (as the video shows). If you’d like access to the actual audio versions available in the Bible app you will need to say “Alexa play John 15” and you will get a reading of the entire chapter. I hope to one day see indexing in the Bible app that would allow it to begin reading at any verse like the NIV Live app ($20-$96).
Here are a few ways I could see using the Bible app on an Amazon Echo in ministry:
• Looking up Bible verses in your office while studying
• Asking for the verse of the day
• Asking Alexa to read a passage in your small group setting (maybe do sword drills and see if a student can beat Alexa)
• Find amazing passages and ask Alexa to read them to students. “Alexa, ask the Bible app to read 2 Kings 2:23-25.”
If you own Amazon Echo, without a doubt the Bible app should be on it. Do you own an Amazon Echo? Share your experience in the comments below.
Brandon,
I do not own an Echo, though it see,s like it could be cool, I do appreciate your use of quality Scripture that fits who you are!