8 Digital Resources to Help You Break Language Barriers

8 Digital Resources to Help You Break Language Barriers

January 4, 2023

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Making time for the Great Commission is easier than ever

The United States of America is home to an increasingly diverse population. As a result, believers who want to reach the nations for God don’t always have to travel to do so.

You can start by developing friendships with people of other cultures—even if those people speak different languages. But while learning a new language is a noble endeavor, it can be difficult to prioritize. 

Thankfully, technology has made it easier than ever for us to cross language barriers for the kingdom. A willing heart and a bit of Spirit-fueled courage are enough for God to use you to spread the gospel.

Here are just a few apps and websites to help you start focusing on evangelism today:

 

Apps

1. Jesus Film Project

The Jesus Film Project began in the late 70s when Cru (then Campus Crusade for Christ) created a feature-length film to tell the full gospel. Since then, the film has been translated into thousands of languages, many of them in partnership with Seed Company. Their app offers a full digital library of more than 200 full-length movies, miniseries, and short films produced to help the world know Jesus better.

2. YouVersion

YouVersion, the Bible app developed by Life.Church in 2007, has been installed on more than 500 million devices around the world. The app provides the text of the Bible in hundreds of different languages and versions. You can use the app to help people read, listen to, watch, and share the Bible every day—completely free.

3. Deaf Bible

Deaf Bible Society is devoted to engaging Deaf people around the world with the gospel. Their app allows users to experience sign language Scripture in an interactive and easy-to-use interface. Available in a variety of translations, the site features skilled signers in sharp, close-up, color video.

4. Bible.is

Faith Comes By Hearing, which started in the early 70s as a Christian tape-lending library called Hosanna, has since grown to become a global leader in the production of audio Bibles. Their app, first developed in 2010, allows users to hear, watch, read, and share the Bible on their mobile devices anytime, anywhere for free.

5. 1Cross

This app debuted in 2013 and provided dozens of short videos featuring native speakers of various languages sharing gospel testimonies. Now, 1Cross is an evangelistic tool that combines the text of the Bible, audio/visual presentations of the gospel in multiple languages, and resources designed to foster a passion for evangelism in its users.

6. 5Fish

Global Recordings Network, the ministry behind the 5Fish app, has been creating, preserving, and distributing recordings of Bible stories since 1939. The app provides access to audio recordings, feature-length movies, short films, and more—in over 6,000 languages and dialects. Organized by global region, country, language, and dialect, the content is useful for learning about and sharing the Christian faith.

 

Websites

7. ScriptureEarth.org

This website, managed by SIL International, is an online compendium of Scripture and Scripture-based resources in thousands of languages from all over the globe. Their search functionality allows you to find links to access audio recordings, videos, and online stores to purchase Bibles in thousands of languages.

8. Find.Bible

Find-A-Bible was created by members of the Forum of Bible Agencies International. Their goal: make it easier to find and obtain Bibles and biblical resources in every language. Their site is a directory with links to 4,877 Bible versions and 23,909 biblical resources in 4,598 languages from 1,022 organizations.

 

So what now?

In Romans 10:14-15, Paul made it clear that the process of expanding the kingdom of God starts when people are sent to preach, which leads to lost people hearing and calling on the Lord. While it may be easy to come up with excuses not to participate in the Great Commission, that was never an option. These resources make the Word of God more accessible today than at any other point in human history (with the possible exclusion of the Holy Spirit’s miraculous and direct translation in Acts 2).

Who in your community needs to hear the gospel today? Will you make time to bring it to them?

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Help Reach People Waiting for God’s Word

God’s Word changes everything. And everyone deserves to have God’s Word in the language they understand best. You can help make that happen.

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