Can Software Make You a Better Disciple-Maker?
Can software make you a better disciple-maker?
Maybe.
I say maybe because any tool in the world, be it a chainsaw, paintbrush, pencil, or software can be used well, or it can be used really poorly. Even though the “Mythbuster” Adam Savage has a book called Every Tool’s A Hammer (and my friend Peter turned his book into an actual hammer) it doesn’t mean that every tool should be a hammer. In many ways, it comes back to how we use a specific tool.
So, can a piece of software tech make you a better disciple-maker? If used well, then I would say, “Yes, yes it can!” This is why I want to introduce you to Faithlife’s newest Bible study software release, Logos 9.
Logos Bible Software is two things. On one hand, it’s a dynamic research engine. Far better than just Googling for a biblical term or phrase, Logos allows you to search deeply and thoroughly across the Bible and every other resource contained in your library. The “under the hood” systems of Logos 9 provide a powerful tool to efficiently search, study, and interact with the Bible.
Secondly, Logos Bible Software is a personal theological and Biblical studies library. The power of your library is related to the size and quality of the resources it contains, but Logos houses all these resources in one place and works to get these resources interacting with one another, to help you in your work with the Bible.
Now, how can Logos 9 help you be a better disciple-maker? Let me address two groups that might ask this question:
PASTORS
First, if you are a pastor, Logos is an indispensable tool for your study and preparation to preach, teach, and counsel. Basically, if you have anything to do with the Bible, Logos will help you to do it well.
There are a few new features in Logos 9 that I find really useful for pastors in their work. One has to do with sermon preparation, the other with pastoral counseling.
The sermon preparation tools in Logos 9 are great. Not only are there incredible resources for your study to help enrich and unpack the text of the Bible itself, but guides and editors to help you develop, organize, and deliver your sermon or lessons clearly. You get both books and systems to help you put together your sermon efficiently.
I’ve been a user of Logos for close to ten years now, and within the last three years started using the “Sermon Editor” tool as a place to outline and write my sermon notes. Logos allows me to copy quotations from my various resources right into the sermon document itself and instantly produces a slide to project on the screen with the quotation. Furthermore, it links back to the resource, so when I review those messages, I can click the link and visit in location the remarks a specific author was making.
With Logos 9, they have upgraded and updated the Sermon Editor to become the “Sermon Builder.” With this version, they have improved the resources to write and edit your sermons alongside any note documents you may use. I found it helpful to be able to create a notebook for my sermon this last Sunday, highlight and mark up the various commentaries I was referencing, and then when I went over to write my notes for the sermon, I found I could just click in the quotation that I had highlighted in the right spot.
With the “Sermon Manager” feature I can organize, search, and plan my preaching calendar for the year to come. It gives me a visual guide to seeing where I’ve preached in the past, and how I can prepare for the year to come.
One other new feature that I find particularly helpful for pastors is the “Counseling Guide.” Like a topical tool that would give you specific answers on a subject or resource, the Counseling Guide helps a pastor think through topics related to counseling and how to help serve in the “care of souls” on a more personal level. A pastor can pull up the guide, input the issue they are seeking to address, and get an overview of the issue itself, related topics, and then links to the supporting books and resources. I find this a helpful pre-meeting resource if you are aware of what counsel you will be giving.
Logos 9 helps a pastor be a better disciple-maker by providing resources that enable them to engage, study, and deliver the message of the gospel, both in the pulpit and on the ground level in their counseling and evangelism.
EVERYDAY CHRISTIANS
What about every-day Christians who aren’t in paid ministry positions? Does Logos 9 have a place in helping them be better disciple-makers? Absolutely. A few features stand out to me to help the everyday Christian.
First, the updated Factbook and the “Factbook Visual overlay” are exceptional resources for Bible understanding. The Factbook is a comprehensive collection of the people, places, and concepts in the Bible and provides an overview summary of the particular concept and then connects with other resources in your library that explain and develop that subject more fully. Consider it a first-stop in your process of study.
The Factbook Visual Overlay provides a way right in the Biblical text to access the Factbook as you read the text. For instance, imagine you are reading 1 Peter 2:13 and come across the term “institution” and would like to know more about what Peter is talking about. With the visual overlay, you can see the word is underlined, click on it, and the Factbook opens to unpack the concept of “Ruler” in the entire Bible. From there you can dive more into the world of the Scriptures to understand better what those “institutions” are that Peter says we should “be subject to.”
The other feature that stands out for everyday Christians is the improved Reading Plan resource. Logos 9 enables a user to select any book (or Bible) in their library and craft a chapter-by-chapter reading plan for that book. You can then regularly follow that plan and read through resources that will help you become a better disciple-maker. Because Logos is a library, the resources you include and purchase within the Faithlife ecosystem can be utilized in this way. Essentially, you can build your own library.
A TOOL FOR DISCIPLESHIP
Logos 9 isn’t the end-all-be-all of discipleship tools, but it’s a very effective one for helping anyone read, study, know, interpret, and apply the Bible well. For pastors, church-planters, ministry leaders, small group facilitators, Sunday School teachers, and everyday Christians, Logos 9 can be a strong asset to your work.
GCD readers can get Logos 9 for 15% off and five free additional books from a selected list by clicking here. Pick up some great tools that will help you become a better disciple and disciple-maker of Jesus.
Disclosure: Faithlife provided me with a Logos 9 Base Package in exchange for my review.
