3 Features That Make Olive Tree The Best Bible Study App I've Found

How I study God’s word has changed through the years. For the longest time, it involved a hardback Bible, a journal, and a pen. I started using the Olive Tree Bible Study App as my primary study tool little over a year ago. Each morning I pull out my iPad, click on the little green app and off I go. Over that time several features have improved my learning of God’s word. I’d like to three of them with you.  

Create Notes To Capture What You’re Learning

Olive Tree allows you to create notes and pin them to specific verses. This feature has transformed how I study God’s word and is by far my favorite component of the Olive Tree app. I have immediate and uninterrupted access to all I’ve learned about God’s Word as I dive in and out of conversations throughout each day. If I read something that provides a special insight into a topic or passage I add it to a note. This one feature allows me access information and organizes my learning in a whole new way.

Highlighting Important Verses

One of the primary ways I study the Bible involves marking up the text. Utilizing different colors can be helpful as it allows you to see things at a glance. Every passage of scripture is teaching us something different. Making up each passage are groupings of verses with individual meanings and purposes. Some might be promises, others warnings, and so forth. The Olive Tree Bible Study App not only allows me to highlight these things in various colors but also recall them by color. For example, I can sort by purple and pull up all the promises I’ve highlighted in the Bible. Here is the highlighting key I use:
    
Purple = Promises
Green = Commands
Yellow = Noteworthy
Red = Things to avoid or guard against
Blue = Things of heaven or to imitate

Access Study Resources Within The App

Sometimes you need a little help understanding a passage or more information and context while studying. In these moments outside resources are helpful. This is where the strength of the Olive Tree app shines. You can access to different translations as well as hundreds of other resources including commentaries, maps, and dictionaries without leaving the app. You can even pull up the text and a study resource side by side in a split window. I love being able to immediately access tools that help me better understand a given passage. The Olive Tree resource library has been a real game changer.

Final Take

This is the best bible study tool I’ve found. You get so many features and benefits that you have a hard time believing it’s free. I use it each day and can’t imagine ever changing to a different app. It is simple, straightforward and powerful. The Olive Tree Bible Study app has transformed how I study and interact with God’s word and I couldn’t be more grateful. If you’re looking for a bible study app to help you learn more of the Bible, give this one a shot.  

Where Do You Find Inspiration?

“Every artist,” Austin Kleon said, “gets asked the question, “Where do your ideas come from?” The honest artist answers, “I steal them.” Inspiration is that spark of genius that sets your heart to racing, and your hands to moving. It propels you forward as you strive to create something genuine and true. At least, that’s the way I see it. You may have a varying take on what inspiration is, but there it is striking as it will. It has no master, no owner. It comes and goes as it wishes, leaving behind only that which we make of it.

My sister-in-law gave me a copy of Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon for Christmas. I’ll share some of what I’m enjoying and learning from this great read with you in a few weeks. Today I want to talk about another product Austin’s put out there, The Steal Like An Artist Journal. It's filled with exercises and creativity prompts to bring out the creative in each of us. I noticed it online while reading Steal Like An Artist, and decided to order it.

I’ve always struggled to call myself an artist, writer, or creative. It’s been a lack of confidence on my part, with a dash of imposter syndrome thrown in for flavor. Who am I to publish? Who am I to claim the mantle of an artist? Doubts like these have plagued me, as I’m sure they have you at one point in your life.

The greatest help I've found is to show up every day and put something down on paper. It gives me confidence, and hope that I’m getting better. Sitting down to create something—anything—is more important that the finished product. The journey is more important than the destination.

The journal has served as a helpful tool in training my mind to be on the lookout for new and different ideas. To make connections between things that at first glance have nothing in common. “We are all having ideas all the time.” Philip Pullman said, “But I’m on the lookout for them. You’re not.”

The Steal Like An Artist Journal has helped me improve at being on the lookout for good ideas. In short, it is where inspiration finds me each morning before I write.

Enough about me and my journey for one day. What about you? Where do you find inspiration? Are there any tools, or routines that you find helpful?

Story: The Amazing Fall of '69

October 1969, New York City

Patrick stood there stunned, not moving a muscle. He was still breathing as well as he could tell. He wasn’t dead, he was sure of that—or else heaven looked a lot like his favorite bar on 53rd & Lex. He grabbed an arm hair and gave it a yank, he wasn’t dreaming either. No, it had to of happened. The Mets had won the series. 

Patrick loved baseball and started following the team in ‘62. After averaging over a hundred losses per year since he hadn’t entered the summer with high hopes. Each night he’d meet Bill, Stu, and Bruce at his favorite pub on 53rd to have a few beers and watch the game. The Mets usually resembled the Three Stooges more than a professional baseball team. 

“How,” Patrick had said, “could they be this bad?” 

“It’s like they do this stuff on purpose,” Stu said, “every night for the past six years. They ain’t never had a winning season.” 

“Yeah and it looks like, they won’t have one this year either.” Bill now chiming in, “I’ll have another beer Tommy, maybe it’ll help me forget all about this team.” 

“Remind me.” Bruce said, “Why we watch these guys instead of the Yankees? The Yanks at least win.” 

“Didn’t they win,” Patrick asked, “back to back titles back a few years back?” 

“In ‘61 & ‘62 yeah,” Stu replied, “but, they ain’t our team. You don’t go jumping from team to team, they got a name for fans like that you know.” 

“Uh huh, but this team stinks.” Bruce said, “I mean really stinks. They don’t have a shot at ever winning a title.”  

“Maybe, but they're at least close to .500 this year.” Tommy the bartender jumping in, “Better than last year.” 

Patrick and the guys had gone back and forth all summer. One thing they had all been sure of, was that the Mets weren’t ever going to win the series. How could they? The Mets had exactly zero winning seasons, since arriving in Queens. Most of the way through the summer it didn’t look like this year would be any different. Forty-one games into the season, the team was hovering around .500 with an 18-23 record. 

“Go, go, go!,” Patrick said, “They're waiving him around third. He’s gonna score, he’s gonna score. The throw. The slide. YES, YES, SAFE!” 

“Ahhh! I can’t believe it.” Stu said, “I simply can’t believe it.” 

Everyone else in the bar was going as crazy. The Mets had managed to pull off what seemed impossible two weeks earlier, they’d started winning. In the intervening weeks between that late night and the bar and this one, they’d won eleven in a row. 

“It’ll never last.” Bruce said, “They’ll find someway to ruin it, always do.” 

“Oh, shut up Bruce,” Stu said, “You don’t have to be such a downer. Enjoy the damn streak like the rest of us.”

“Just watch,” Bruce replied, “Wait and see.” 

“I for one,” Patrick said, “Don’t care if they lose the rest of the way. I’m going to enjoy this one. It’s the most remarkable turn around I think I’ve ever seen.”        

The guys would continue to argue back and forth over the several weeks. That’s what men do in bars. It’s crazy what a little winning will do though. They had a new pep in their step, and something positive to look forward to each night at the bar.

Easter 2017

“What’s the big deal with Jesus?” I said to myself, “What do I need him for? I’ll go straight to God.” I’d be bold enough to ask these questions of the pastor teaching the confirmation class I was attending. As a middle school kid, I didn’t understand the gospel. I knew Jesus had died for my sins, and that trust in Him was essential but didn’t have all the answers.

I would have told you I was a Christian if you'd asked. I believed in Jesus and read my Bible on occasion, but still didn’t have a firm grasp on the gospel.
 

A few buddies invited me to come check out a new church one Saturday night my freshmen year of college. “Sure,” I said as I hopped in the car a casual Christian for the last time. That night I came face to face with the truths of the gospel. Matt Chandler proclaimed that there is room at the foot of the cross. For the first time in my life, I got it. I understood what the big deal is with Jesus, and that I needed what He had to offer. I couldn’t go directly to God. No, Jesus is the mediator between God and man. He is my direct access to The Father.

Taking on flesh and living a perfect life, He satisfied every jot and tittle of The Law. Dying on a cross He bore the penalty for my trespasses and sins. Rising from the grave He made me right with God. His death has brought me life, and His life my hope secures.

I still don’t have all the answers. I still stumble over some of the hard truths about life, evil and how to respond. God isn’t afraid of my questions, or my wrestling to understand. No, He is a patient, loving father—who gave His only Son as the ultimate answer to the problems that trip me up the most.  

Think about the words you hear and read as we gather to celebrate Easter this weekend. Open your Bible and read the gospel accounts. Don’t ignore your questions, but set them aside for the moment. Concentrate on the simple truths about Jesus life, death, and resurrection instead. There is good evidence to suggest these claims are true, consider it. It changes everything. If you trust Christ, you still won’t get all your questions answered, but you’ll get God—and that’s all that matters.

5 Ways To Fend Off The Deadly Burnout Monster

Hannah and I work a lot. Our schedule is filled with photo shoots, client meetings, mentor sessions, and more. Few days pass without us having something. We closed out 2016 busier than ever before, not taking a day off for nearly two months. The blistering pace we run often has our calendar busting at the seams, leaving just enough room for friends, family and community group have to be fit in where room is left on the slate.

Working too much is a trap you can quickly fall into when you’re self-employed. Since you don’t have a boss screaming down your neck and passing out deadlines like pezz, you fulfill that role by rarely give yourself enough slack—you know how every ounce of your time is spent after all. When you love what you do, this is especially true. When work is something you enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work. You lose yourself in it, forget the time, and look up only to realize it’s 9:30pm and you haven’t had anything to eat since lunch. Do this too often however, and it can lead to burnout.

Burnout appears to be an American problem. As American’s we glorify work. The 20 something launching a startup who works 90 hours a week, is a hero. The same goes for the normal bloke with a job, and mouths to feed. Ask anyone how they are, and you’ll no doubt receive a list of all that they are doing—completely ignoring that you asked how not what. Busy, busy, busy. It’s a badge of honor. I haven’t traveled abroad nearly enough but, I don’t read of workers in Spain, Italy or Nicaragua struggling with burnout. There is something unique to the American experience going on here.

Our obsession with work has led to amazing achievements and ushered in wave after wave of breakthrough and progress, but it also has an ugly side. Parents regularly work so much their children never see them. Many do so until they end up sick or worse. Robin Williams’ character in Hook is the perfect example. He worked and worked and worked, missing Jack’s baseball games and leaving a dad shaped hole in the lives of his wife and two children. His situation was so off the rails he had to become Peter Pan in order to figure things out and put his life back in order.

Sacrificing family at the altar of success isn’t worth it. Neither is working so feverishly that you end up wearing a paper gown that splits down the back. Your family and your health are important to you. I don’t see you arguing with me on that point. But what about your mental health. Isn’t that just as valuable?

You wouldn’t drink poison—at  least I hope not—but many of you will run and run and run until you hit a wall. You’ll run until you ‘just can’t take it anymore.’ You’ll lose control, swerve and hit the guardrail going 110. Bits of glass, and plastic will go flying through the air and come to rest among the gravel and blood on the roadside. At least that’s how I picture it in my mind. All momentum, and forward progress will stop as you throw up your hands and want to quit. That’s what we call burnout.

Burnout isn’t a pretty sight to behold, but unless you do something to fend it off, you’ll most likely experience it in the not too distant future.

Hannah and I have reached that point far too many times. We used to reach the point of burnout at least once a year early on, in fact. It was debilitating. We wouldn’t want to think about work, much less actually go in the office. We were letting work take over our lives. It was what we talked about on date nights, and what we thought about around the clock, no wonder it was crushing at times.

Since then we’ve decided to do something about it by coming up with a strategy to keep burnout at bay. Like any good game plan it’s two fold—offense and defense. We’ve implemented both solid defensive measures to slow burnouts roll, as well as positive forward moving steps to beat it to the punch.  

1.) Schedule your day, setting time limits for each task on your to-do list. You can write this out on paper, log it on your calendar or use a task manager, but the important thing is that you sit down and think through your day ahead of time. If you don’t plan your day, someone will plan it for you. When you’re making your plan, schedule what you’re best at, for when you’re at your best. Then set a window of time for each project. Maybe two hours here, 30 minutes there, so that you move throughout your day in control of it not the other way around.

2.) Do more than one thing. Bounce from one project to another throughout the day. If what you’re currently working on gets boring or starts to grate on you, drop it for a while and do something else. When you get tired of that, switch back to your first project. You’ll still be getting stuff done, but without feeling like you’re beating your head against the wall.

3.) Take a day off, maybe two. Your mind and your imagination have to recharge. They can’t keep going forever without a reset. Schedule time off into your regular routine. Go for a walk, spend time with your family, and enjoy a bit of time away from your work.

4.) Begin each day in God’s Word. People still call this a quiet time every now and then, but it can be as noisy as you’d like. Plug in your headphones, crank up some Shane & Shane and start your day reading the Bible. No discipline is more important than reading God’s Word. It is the most transforming practice available to us. We face trouble, temptation and pressure every day. God’s Word provides just the encouragement, guidance and instruction we need to face the day.      

5.) Have other irons in the fire. Have creative outlets and hobbies that recharge you. Whether it’s painting, reading a book, or writing a story, find another creative endeavor that fills your warms your soul and breathes life into your lungs. You’ll find, the side projects often lead to new and exciting opportunities for your “real work.”

“All advice,” Austin Kleon said, “is autobiographical.” It peels back the layers and gives you the path previously walked by its giver. Hopefully this foray into our world and how we fight burnout will help and inspire you to turn and face the challenge head on, before it forces you off the road.