A Guide to Apps for Christian Living
By: Daniel McGarry
Distractions are everywhere. Most of them live on your phone and notify you about all the different ways to waste your time. Before we know it, we've spent way too long scrolling a never-ending social media feed. We are seeking comfort, killing time, or looking for ways trying to distract ourselves.
In this area, I am the chief of sinners. I recently was recommended a book called Digital Minimalism that speaks directly to who I am as a person. It touches on curbing the number of mindless activities we engage with daily and how they leave us so distracted and feeling unfulfilled. I wanted to put some of this into practice and simultaneously redeem some of the time I spent listening to podcasts or scrolling through social media.
So I went on a search. And I've compiled this list of my favorite apps that offer a better way to fill the time.
These apps are all audio-based because I really wanted to lessen the amount of time my eyes are looking at a screen. And I can pop in some headphones to get some work done around the house or go for a walk while enjoying these apps.
1. TRIBL
The Home of Curated Live Worship Moments
Imagine you gathered a collection of Christians together to worship the Lord and recorded what happened. That sounds overly simple. But that's the vibe of TRIBL. Recordings are raw. It's professionally recorded, but they make no effort to polish anything beyond what it is. You'll hear the crowd. You'll hear the shouts of joy. You'll hear the room tone. And you'll sense the space they were recorded in. This is POWERFUL worship. Give yourself space to respond to what God is doing in your heart. Many of the video recordings are also available on Youtube. But there is an official app with much more.
Watch a sample of what you'll hear on TRIBL
Cultivate a habit of listening to the Bible.
For listeners of the Bible that value contemplation, this app gets so much right. Dwell reads the Bible and adds a soothing bed of music underneath that complements the reading. All of this is customizable too.
Choose your voice from 4 different readers with varying accents and deliveries. Then fine-tune the volume of the music, the voice, and the overall volume level. My favorite feature is the Dwell Mode, which allows you to customize the reading with repeats and reflection time before each repeat. Allow this app to help you dwell on the word of God.
3. Streetlights
Creative Christian communicators engaging the global urban culture
By far, this app is my favorite of the bunch. The Streetlights app doesn't just read you the Bible, it gives it a dramatic performance. There are different voices for different characters, but yet a conversational cadence that makes it easy to follow along. Currently, only the New Testament is available, but they are just getting started.
Like Dwell, Streetlights adds music to the reading of Scripture. But unlike Dwell, this music will get your head nodding. Streetlights make it clear that their mission is to engage the global urban culture. And you can tell from the original tracks that were expertly produced for each book of the Bible.
Wrap-Up
So whatever your go-to distraction on your phone has become, consider replacing it with one of these apps and begin soaking in the love of God.
