According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition for loyal is "unswerving in allegiance." Some synonyms include "constant, devoted and faithful." As Christians, we are called to be loyal to the word of God. It is the standard by which God calls us to live our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that we can count on God's word because it "is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (NIV)

It is important that our children learn that the scriptures given to us by God will equip them for every good work that they will set their hands to. That is reason enough to be loyal to the Word of God. Let's look at the acrostic of "LOYAL" to learn 5 reasons why we should be loyal to the Bible.

L – Let it be your standard

In today's culture, it is common to hear people say, "Truth is relative." Agreed. Some truth is relative, but God's moral truth is never relative. It is the unswerving truth that should be our standard throughout our whole life. Your children will be fed a lot of lies being masked as truth throughout their childhood. Teach them that if the Bible is their go-to standard, they will be able to discern what is right and good and true according to what God says and not according to the whims of a culture.

O – Obey it

James 1:22 says this: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (NIV) Obedience should be a term that is honored by all. However, over time, it seems to have become more like a four-letter word that is avoided at all costs. It is important that our children learn that obeying God is the BEST possible thing they can do. God will never tell them to do something that is not for their very best, even when it appears contrary to their logic.

Y – You are called to speak it

Romans 10:17 says this: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." As Christians, we are called to speak the truths He has given to us. We are to do so with love and grace. However, we should not shy away from proclaiming what we know to be true in the Bible because it is not popular or because it may go against a culture's belief systems. Teach your kids the importance of speaking the truths of God and their foundation of faith will grow.

A – Accept it with joy

Habakkuk 3: 17-18 says this: "Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; … Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation. "(NKJV) This is a beautiful verse that screams the need for loyalty to God and His Word. The Bible is full of hope and encouragement from beginning to end. But the Bible also paints a picture of reality of life that is second to none. We live in a world that is groaning for the return of Jesus and therefore, life has its many valleys as well as mountain tops. But when you teach your children to stay loyal to God and His Word, they too will be able to rejoice as He leads them on their journey.

L – Love it!

Psalm 119: 97 says this: "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." (NKJV) This psalmist had a deep love for God's Word. In fact, he states that he meditates on it all day long. "Wow! That's loyalty. And while most of our days are filled to overflowing with schedules that make us dizzy, we too, should stop throughout our days and consider our love for God and His Word. Teach your kids to love the Bible. In fact, be the example to your kids of someone who can't live without its life-giving words.

While the Bible is the greatest and bestselling book of all time, many people struggle to read and/or embrace it. On one hand, some believe it is impossible to comprehend. On the other, many believe it has no relevance. Nothing is further from the truth. Moreover, creative strategies exist whether the group consists of children, youth, or adults.

This article recommends a novel approach to this challenge- playing games. Why not employ them in Sunday School or Bible Study? Before you know it, participants will be learning scripture, principles, vocabulary, events, and more.

For this purpose, a review of seven games that can be found online is provided along with suggestions for maximizing content. Another option is to devise your own games. The choice is yours. Grab your Bible and concordance. Then, full steam ahead!

7 Games

1. Bible Scrabble

Use Bible Scrabble as a fun way to test what has been taught. Or use it as an introductory exercise, to get participants in classes and study groups to express topics that interest or confuse them. You’ll gain insight concerning their expectations and fears.

With this in mind: 1) ask participants to use the letters to spell topics of interest, 2) ask participants to spell topics that confuse them, and 3) ask participants to spell Books of the Bible.

2. Word Teasers

Inspire your students to talk about the Bible with word teasers; they strengthen Bible vocabulary, faith talk instead of fear, and prompt conversations about the Word. How can you integrate them into your lesson? Let’s count the ways: Look up terms in the concordance. Locate words used in scriptures. Compose sentences using faith-based words. Do a series of lessons on topics like faith or prayer.

3. Late for the Sky Bibleopoloy

This game is like monopoly but with one major difference: In Bibleopoly, the focus is teamwork not accumulation. The spaces on the game board relate to places and events in the Bible. Unlike the winner in monopoly who secures the most real estate, the winner in Bibleopoly wins when he or she is the first to build a church in a bible city. Along with your Bible and concordance, have your computer handy to search for maps.

4. Bible Quote Board Game

In general, a quote illustrates and inspires. With the Bible Quote Board Game, you can find it in scripture, examine who said it, probe the meaning, and search how it applies to the reader.

5. Bible Sequence

This board game has cards with scripture references and a story title. The winner places five chips in a row. Compose a series of lessons on the stories or scriptures.

6. Bible Trivia

At the same time, Bible Trivia focuses on biblical events from the Old and New Testaments. The game has questions – over 700- for children and adults. If you want to delve deeper into the events, make an outline and use the concordance to obtain additional background information.

7. Save the Lost

Save the Lost is another game to illustrate Bible principles. Aside from being suited for all ages, it can be applied in different formats to achieve different objectives. For example, play Save the Lost in class, at youth conferences, or camp. Moreover, utilize the game to discuss evangelism and how to share personal testimonies.

The Bible says a lot about entrepreneurship. So, if you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, take heed. This article covers some of what it says about launching, growing, and maintaining a successful enterprise.

What the Bible Says

• Count the costs.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you sit down first to estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it (Luke 14:28)? Simply put, count the cost before you launch. Know what it takes. Do you have enough funds? What do you need to get started? What is the cost for supplies? Services? Overhead? How long can you survive without a salary?

Moreover, counting the costs involves taking stock of your ability to persevere and make sacrifices. Building a business takes commitment and faith. Contrary to what you’ve heard, overnight success is rare. So, count the costs before you leap. You’re in it for the long haul.

• Timing is key.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Like any endeavor, in business timing is everything. Is this the season for you to pursue a business? Is the timing ripe for expanding or delving into a new arena?

• Seek wisdom.

Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them (Proverbs 4:5). All in all, wisdom is knowing the right thing to do. Conrad Hilton, for example, prayed before making all business deals; he physically went to the property being considered (to be alone and hear from God).

• Know the source of your wealth.

Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath (Deuteronomy 8:18). When you succeed, don’t forget the Creator. Furthermore, the fortune is not just for you; the money has a mission. Save some, spend some, and give some.

• Get a team of advisors.

Every purpose is established by counsel; and with good advice make war (Proverbs 20:18). At length, you will need the expertise of skilled advisors ( an attorney, an accountant, and an insurance agent). They’re key to establishing, monitoring, and protecting the operation.

• Develop a spirit of excellence.

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord (Romans 12:11). Either give it your all or walk away. This mindset will keep you committed to giving everything your best.

• Sharpen your people skills.

Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19). Customers, workers, vendors, and colleagues will say or do something that rubs you the wrong way. Instead of reacting, shake it off. Anger clouds your judgment.

• Avoid panic.

Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-8). Never make decisions when you’re anxious or emotionally drained. Both breed confusion; this births desperation and regret.

• Be diligent.

Do you see someone skilled in his work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank (Proverbs 22:29). Being diligent in business brings rewards (more business, contracts, contacts, exposure, unique opportunities, recognition, honor, etc.).

• Stay motivated.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13). You will have good days and bad days. Therefore, remember that you have help and the resolve despite the circumstances.

The two fundamental pillars of Western culture are the Bible and the Greek philosophy. The Bible is the best-selling book in the world. There are several reasons why we should read the Bible. The Bible gives us discernment, it makes us much wiser. It builds our relationship with God.

The Bible is a library; it is a collection of sixty-six books. It was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), by forty authors, over a period of 1.400 years. These holy men were powerful kings and simple men, living on two continents. The Bible speaks both the language of fact and of symbol.

The Bible contains two great divisions, familiarly known as The Old and New Testaments. They are “the books”, which came from the Greek expression ta biblia. The Bible contains thirty-nine books of the Old Testament (or Covenant) and twenty-seven of the New. The Old and New Testaments are inseparably bound together, they are complementary the one to the other. Christ is in all the Bible. The New Testament stands at the end of the Bible. They are the Christian writings of the single generation of the Apostles. It is important to note that there are over five thousand Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.

The Bible exists to be read and understood. I suggest bellow five steps for the beginner Bible reader:

1. Ask some questions. Who wrote, when he wrote, to whom he wrote. What are the main theme and the purpose of the book?

2. Let’s begin with the book of the Psalms. The Psalter is a collection of lyrical poetry by different authors. The German reformer Martin Luther said that they may be called a little Bible, in which everything that is in the whole Bible is contained. It offers us a great religious experience of faith and hope; it teaches us how to pray.

3. The four Gospels. Here we are in the world of Jesus. We shall begin with Mark, because it is the oldest text and the most narrative of the Gospels. Mark tells vividly a story; it is full of interest and action. It should be read “at one sitting”.

4. The Acts of Apostles. The book tells stories about the foundation and teaching of the Church. Pay attention to the speeches of the apostles.

5. The beginning. The Genesis embraces the period of the creation. Now we can read the historical, the poetical and the prophetical books of the Old Testament. The last book of the Bible is Revelation. A vision of what the end times will be like. And about the advent or second coming of Christ.

What is the “Pit” mentioned so often in the Bible?

This one’s not so easy as one might suspect. Many words, a little Hebrew and Greek. Attention to context.

I’m using the King James Bible and the Concordance based on it by another “James”, James Strong. Different translations may have used different words in English, but the Hebrew is pretty straightforward.

Let’s start in the Old Testament, and trace the meaning carefully, for there is much false teaching built on a false understanding of “the Pit.” There are three Hebrew words that translate “pit.” I give you the Strong’s item number for your own research:

953. Bore: Basically, a hole that is used as a cistern or a prison. Translated cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, and well. Joseph, in Genesis, was thrown into a bore. One of David’s mighty men killed a lion that was in a bore. David cries out that God has delivered him from a horrible bore, showing us that the word can also be taken figuratively.

Now, there are times when the word is used to speak of death and the grave, and even possibly eternal punishment, as in Ezekiel 31. When the definite article is used with it, it can mean all these latter things, and translators will often capitalize it: “the Pit.”

7585. Sheol. THE Pit. Hades. The World of the Dead. Including the inmates of it. Translated grave, hell, pit. This is the word that, by far, is used most often in the Hebrew to communicate the idea of something ongoing in the next world. Though not often translated pit, it is rendered as hell quite often. Far more than a hole in the ground, though that hole, a grave, may surely be the entry point of the Pit. As righteous spirits go somewhere, “up,” the lost likewise take a direction upon leaving the body. Down. Into a Pit. And of course their spirit is long gone when they are buried in the ground, so we do not have to attach spooky significance to a graveyard. Necessarily. Their soul’s destination is an entirely different world, where evil reigns and is punished by that reigning. Very much alive, in a deadly sort of way.

Those who dared come against Moses went quickly to Sheol. Numbers 16. David claims that the wicked will go into Sheol. David’s son says that false women and their customers will be in Sheol. But not always is it that clear. Jonah claims that he called to God out of the belly of Sheol. And we know where he was. Also Jesus, per David: God promised He would not leave Jesus’ soul in Sheol. Definitely the place of the dead, but still a place from which one can be retrieved. But still also, a pit. It shows us how much the prophet was being punished, and how far down Jesus was willing to go for us.

7845. Shakhath. Pit, (figuratively): destruction. Translated Corruption, destruction, ditch, grave, pit. The usages of this word seem to overlap with both of the above words, and carry no specific significance in our research. We too use different words to express basically the same idea. In the case of this study, we might say, Hell-fire, Hell, the Pit, the Lake of Fire, Hades, and mean the very same thing in every instance.

In the New Testament, “pit” is translated by the Greek frehar, which takes us back to the Hebrew bore. A pit, a hole in the ground, a cistern, a well. Jesus talked about a certain donkey falling into a certain pit.

The only other time it is used in the New Testament (as “pit”) it takes on an entirely different meaning, and has not only a definite article attached, but also includes the word “bottomless.”

A hole in the ground. A cistern. A pit. With no bottom. Possible? Of course. Through gravitational pull the objects are carried along and around the innards of the Earth, falling forever, no peace, no destination. Perhaps being pulled aside to ledges along the way for torment, perhaps a swim in the lake of fire occasionally, then back to falling?

Not until the end of the Bible does this truth come out. The pit spoken of by prophets and historians of the Old Covenant turns out to be a place of unutterable horror, where Satan amasses his troops and sends them out to the planet occasionally. The antichrist himself waits there, according to John, being fueled with venom and power to strut around the Earth for his few years, before his public demise. Oh, it has been a long fall already for Satan, from the top of the Heavenly Mountain to the atmosphere of earth, to the land, and then below the land, to a pit whose bottom cannot be reached.

Though “pit” is not translated any other way in the New Testament (except where the woman at the “pit” calls that “pit” Jacob’s “pit,”) we do know that sheol has become Hades in the Greek language. It also means the place of the dead, with all that goes with that. But we are concentrating on the word “pit” here.

We must see all these words as a family (pit, grave, hole, hell, well, cistern, prison), and check each context carefully to see what is being said. The basic meaning of all of them is merely a hole in the ground. It can be a harmless hole filled with water. It can be a simple grave, where bodies, but not souls, are stored temporarily. Or it can be the greater “hole” that John saw at the end of God’s revealing of truth to His church, that encompasses the entire scope of the prison created for those who have rejected God and His Son.

We are told that Jesus went and preached to such a prison company as a Spirit, while His body lay in a hole in the ground, soon to be taken out of the underworld forever. While he was in the vicinity, He did indeed announce His triumph to the evil spirits. We are not told that He suffered there. It would seem that His suffering for sin was accomplished on the cross, not in the grave.

The Pit, from eternity’s standpoint, is Satan’s prison. It is the place of the dead. It is the entry place into eternal suffering apart from God, for those who so desired to be apart from Him. It is a place to be avoided. This avoidance can only come by way of the blood shed by the spotless Son of the Living God.

The greatest biblical characters are known to be risk takers. Even in the midst of uncertainty, fear and danger, they go forward. They are capable of giving up comfort, power, prestige and security. And they even risk their reputation, future and own lives as they face what lies ahead. Both the Old and New Testaments are replete with exemplary figures that I can learn from when it comes to taking risks.

In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses stand out. Abraham, an old man in better-off conditions, set out to an unknown place with his wife, servants and livestock despite his advanced age and socio-economic stability. These are reasons valid enough against any unlikely risk taking. How in the world could he opt for such a risky journey towards uncertainty? He could have spent the remaining days of his life in comfort and peace.

And there is Moses, son of a Hebrew family who was rescued, nurtured and educated by Egyptian elite and power as their own. He was groomed to rule Egypt like the Pharaohs. But his life changed as he discovered his origin. He saw the suffering of his own people under slavery. He suffered at the sight of oppression. He committed crime in defense of his people and from then on his life went out of proportion. Egypt closed in on him as the sea and desert opened up to terrifying risks. What drove Moses to face innumerable risks in place of his acquired identity and everything good Egypt had given him? He could have been better off ruling at the side of the powerful Pharaoh.

In the New Testament, I focus on Jesus and Paul as models of risk-taking who have impressed me to no end. Jesus, a simple son of a carpenter from Nazareth left his hometown to announce the Kingdom of God for the benefit of the sick, the poor, the hungry, the downtrodden, the prisoners and the sinners to the point of breaking religious laws for their sakes. His words and actions were messages of peace, justice and love. He even called God Abba in the same manner a Hebrew son would address his own father, something daring and blasphemous in his time. By doing so, he became a threat to existing religious structures and ideologies imposed by dominant religious authorities. Eventually, they had Jesus killed to their relief and delight. Jesus assumed the risks of proclaiming what he believed in as God-given truth. What could have run in his mind to the point of giving up his own life? He could have been safer and more respectable following the official religious standards and prescriptions of his time.

The Jesus who took risks and died was the inspiration and model for Paul, a once staunch defender of his religion and persecutor of Christians. His life had a sudden turnaround upon conversion to Christ. His religion which had provided him prestige, power and sanctity suddenly lost its glamour. His ardor in persecuting the followers of Jesus turned into zeal in proclaiming Christ within and beyond the frontiers of his religion and society. He formed communities in the name of Christ. But both political and religious powers were against him. As a Christian, his life was put into a series of risks as he faced hunger, persecution, defamation and consequently, death. What made this devout Paul turn upside down and suffer all sorts of trials? He could have been safe and well under the care of his religion.

Risk takers in the Bible, especially the ones exemplified, have a lot to teach me. First off, I learn that all of them had a vision that was above each and every risk. The promised land and offspring consumed Abraham. Liberation from Egyptian rule and the quest of the promised land drove Moses. The Kingdom of God was the reason for every word and action of Jesus. Living and dying for Christ made Paul run the race to the end. The vision that captured the biblical characters is the final goal, a clear and non-negotiable destination. The risks that come their way are a consequence of an assumed option in view of their vision. Similarly, my life undertakings should be guided by a vision – a clear objective or dream that gives meaning to each and every step I take no matter what risks come along the way. Risks lose their meaning before the vision that sees me through moments of pain and danger.

Second, I learn that every risk taking endeavor needs a strong sense of purpose to prevail over risks. It serves as an inner light to remind me why I am doing what I am doing. It inspires me to believe in my own capacities as well as the people around me. And when I run out of personal resources and external help, I have this light within which keeps on burning. We may call it courage, determination, focus or will power which can go beyond limitations in the face of adversities. Abraham was courageous in his old age. Moses was determined to lead his people to the land of freedom. Jesus did what he did to inaugurate the reign of God on earth. Paul was focused on his mission of proclaiming Christ among believers and non-believers. In moments of pain, anguish and rejection, they suffered and cried like any ordinary mortals in times of weakness. But they knew the reason of their toil and sorrow. Risks acquire new meaning because of the burning light within.

Third, I learn that I have power over risks which God has given me. Call it faith, hope or love, this power is what propels me to victory or success. I know sincerely that my own power is limited, that I tremble at the face of danger and that I lose courage sometimes for one reason or another. I know that I am fragile and incomplete, and therefore need help. When there seems to be no way, when I am down, weary and alone in this journey, and when my own forces fail me, I can rely on a backup power to lead me on. My exemplary biblical risk takers were not supermen. They were able to face risks because of the power that God gave them. I just have to recognize this power and use it to the fullest. Paul says he can do everything through the One who gives him strength (Phil. 4:13).

Finally, once I have the vision, the sense of mission and Gods gift of inner strength, the rest is planning and hard work to the end. And if I do something good that goes against what is ordinary, standard, popular, traditional and official, then like Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul, I should be prepared to risk my comfort, reputation, security, future and even life. After all, risk taking is not a matter of certainty because no one knows the future. It is a matter of surrender and trust in the One who holds the future. The One who holds me firmly and lovingly since birth till death come what may.

It is so much fun to watch little children learn their ABC’s. And it’s even a bigger blessing to watch them learn about God’s wonderful stories in the Bible. Hunting for ABC’s in a Bible story is a great way to combine both activities.

For this fun Bible game for preschoolers, you will want to pick a story that you would like to share. Here is a list of stories to choose from to get you started:

The Story of Creation

The Story of Adam and Eve

The Story of Noah and the Flood

The Tower of Babel

God Calls Abraham

Isaac Get Married

Jacob Tricks His Father

Jacob Dreams of a Ladder to Heaven

Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors

Pick one or more of these stories, then find one or more pictures that you know will really delight your children. Try to find pictures that have various objects in the background. Everything in the picture is “up for grabs” while hunting for ABC’s.

You can find a LOT of great Bible pictures online by typing the title of the story into a search engine such as Google or Yahoo.

Next, print off at least TWO copies of the picture. One picture will be shown to your children while you tell the Bible story. The other pictures will be used to cut out the different objects that are found in the story.

You will also want a poster showing all the ABC’s. As a child finds an object in the picture, you will let him have the “cut out” picture and place it on the correct letter of the alphabet.

After telling the story, say to your children, “We are now going hunting for ABC’s in a Bible story!” Point out all the different objects that are in the story. Say their words and help the children figure out the beginning sound and letter of each object.

For example, there was a great picture online for the story of “Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors.” The picture has quite a few objects. Included are: Joseph, coat, sandals, shepherd’s staff, belt, birds, trees, sheep, grass and hills. All of these words give us the letters J, C, S, B, T, G and H. Nice work!

Now, it’s your turn to pick a Bible story and find some great pictures so that your little ones can go hunting for ABC’s in a Bible story!

How could the Holy Bible – the most revered book, recognized the world over as the Word of God by devout Jews and Christians, have taken over 1000 years to reach the European people? Today, especially in the United States, Bibles are available in many places – from churches, libraries, and bookstores. But what were the main reasons the Bible took centuries to change the hearts and minds of people?

Constantine became the first Roman Emperor in 306 AD to recognize Christianity as an official religion. But before and after 325 AD the scrolls that became the “books” that compose our modern bible were still in the process of being compiled. By 382 AD all of the books were compiled and St. Jerome was chosen to translate the Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament and of the New Testament into Latin. In 405, he finished translating the Bible, and it became known as the “Vulgate” Bible, used commonly throughout the Roman Empire.

Obtaining a personal copy was nearly impossible, unlike now, when you can go to the local bookshop and buy one, or read it free online. But, between 400 – 1450 AD, the only way to duplicate a Bible was by monks who took a lot of time to copy them by hand. Even as time continued, Bibles proliferated but were not allowed to be taken out of monasteries and churches. They were literally “chained” to them so they wouldn’t be stolen because it took a great deal of money and time to create even one.

Even if they were stolen, almost nobody could read them because the majority of Europeans were illiterate. Only the Roman Catholic clergy had been instructed in reading and writing Latin. However, in 1436 AD the printing press was invented and the first Bible was manufactured using movable metal type. The Gutenberg Bible was born and more Latin bibles could be replicated.

A century before the printing press was invented, there were certain people in England and France who disagreed with the interpretation of the Bible by the Roman Catholic Church. These groups called “Lollards” or, later, called Protestants owned manuscript copies of Bibles and used them to argue against many false conceptions by the church. To counteract these deceptive practices by the church, a Lollard named John Wycliffe wanted every person in England to own a copy of the Bible. Wycliffe translated the Latin Vulgate into English, so the people of England could read it for themselves.

Between 1229 and 1234, after Wycliffe translated the Vulgate into English without the expressed approval of the church, laws were enacted by the church forbidding the translation of the Vulgate Bible into any other languages. It seemed the church wanted to be the only institution to interpret the bible, so they didn’t want a lot of people reading it. Ultimately, after Wycliffe died, a group of Roman Catholic clergy burned his bones to put a curse on him.

The laws forbidding translations didn’t stop reformers from their work to give people the Word of God. Another well-known Englishman, William Tyndale translated part of the Old and all of the New Testament. Although he was burned at the stake in 1536, many English Bibles continued to be translated, although agents of the Catholic Church burned most of them. By 1611, the King James Bible rolled off the printing press and, today is the most popular English Bible. In Germany, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. Beginning in 1450, many Bibles could be copied when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which replaced the tedious process of copying by hand, using the movable type of letters and numbers.

In addition, according to a book by columnist Bernard Starr – Jesus Uncensored: Restoring the Authentic Jew, another reason to keep the Bible out of the hands of Christians was to hide the fact that Jesus was Jewish and that Christianity was founded on the practice of Judaism. Many European Christians were anti-Semitic in the Middle Ages, and false tales of Jews killing Christians were rampant.

Today, the Bible has been translated into every conceivable language and copies have distributed and read throughout the world. If it weren’t for reforming Christians such as Wycliffe, Tyndale and Luther, the Bible might still belong to the Catholic Church and read only in Latin.

A character bible is the heart and soul of a cartoon series. Without a proper character bible you cannot even get started on talking to anyone about your concept. I have seen many character bibles from producers around the world in the past few years asking for co-production collaborations. I’ve seen really good ones and absolutely dreadful ones. Having received several questions asked regarding what goes into a character bible, I’ve written this entry to give some insight on this topic. Below are the various ingredients that should make up a good character bible.

It is absolutely important to have a synopsis in your character bible. This is the foundation which you build your entire story upon and it should be concise, but not verbose enough such that it can’t be read or explained in 3 minutes or less. Try to make this a one-pager if possible. The shorter you can make this and still keep it interesting, the better.

Include the designs of the most important characters in your character bible. Be sure to spend considerable time to make them look good and ensure that they do justice to your concept. A character bible should be more visual than wordy, showcasing the character designs to its fullest – with various poses and expressions of the main characters. Props – if any – should also be showcased. These are very important to show the potential of the characters should they become animated or licensed for various reasons. People reading the character bible need to be able to feel the characters for who they are and get an idea of the show through these character designs.

Ideally text descriptions of the characters should not be verbose, because not many people would really read through all that text. The character descriptions should outline only the most important characteristics of the characters to keep things short and quick to read. The visuals should pre-sell, and the text do the selling.

It would be good to showcase certain key locations and also provide illustrations or storyboards of how the world of the property looks like.

Fundamentally, it would be good to leave as little guess-work to the perspective partners as possible, so that the brand identity and values of the property is not compromised.

Lastly – for a property that is being primed for animation – you may want to include something called an ‘episodic synopsis’ – which outlines the stories which could happen in an animated series. These are usually done by a ‘script doctor’ – who can also help out in refurbishing the whole story background and character descriptions.