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Thanks to Bible software programs such as Logos 3, Christians can grow deeper in God's Word faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Scripture tells us that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Life, on the other hand, pulls us in a different direction with an endless to-do list. Sadly, studying God's Word takes a back seat more times than it should—even for pastors and seminary students.

Bible study software programs like Logos 3 were developed to speed the discovery and learning process. Rather than spending time looking for and paging through reference books, let a programmed search engine find all the relevant information you'd want in a fraction of a second.

Want to dig deeper into a passage, unpack a single word, or find sources related to a topic? Simply enter the word or phrase and click Go! Logos 3 quickly launches a detailed report. Released in May 2006, developers have spent thousands of hours redesigning the main interface, building new tools, and making things faster behind the scenes. While the software boasts over 100 new features, we will look only at some of the more popular ones.

One advantage of using a Bible software program is the ability to take different versions of the Bible, commentaries, and other resource material along with you on a laptop. Rev. Dale Durnell of Cordell First United Methodist Church in Cordell, Oklahoma, has been a Logos user for nine years. "While it's not always as cozy as cuddling up with a good book," he says, "having access to multiple resources on my computer monitor at the same time is a lifesaver."

While those who have been using Logos for a while will notice some nice changes in release 3, some folks simply appreciate the sheer volume of resources that are integrated with the software. Mike Johnson, a church planter with New Tribes Missions, uses Logos to disciple new believers in Northern Asia. "In my line of work, it is not easy to maintain an adequate paper library," he says. "And keeping the tools available while traveling is practically impossible. E-books, and specifically Logos Bible software, has been the perfect solution for me; thousands of good-quality Bible study books all safely stored on my little laptop's hard drive."

The engine behind Logos 3 is the Libronix Digital Library System (LDLS), which allows publishers to integrate their works into Logos 3. More than 7,000 titles from over 100 publishers are formatted for the LDLS. Users can purchase additional libraries of works and commentaries from their favorite pastor or author and easily integrate them into Logos 3. Many collections include the recently created reverse interlinear Bibles like the ESV English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament, which was co-published by Logos and Crossway Books.

Mike Breen, an attorney and seminary student, also appreciates the value of having a portable library at his disposal. With over 2,500 books accessible from within the software, he says, "There is no way I could tackle my seminary studies, practice law, and raise a family without the hours I save using Logos."

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