Free Compact NET Bible winners

Below are the winners of our Free Compact NET Bible Contest. The winners expressed well how Bible.org is equipping the front lines of Christian ministry. These people rely on the ministry of Bible.org using our NET Bible and the thousands of free resources online to minister to those around them. Take the chance to be encouraged by their stories below.

Name

Location

Story

Peter B.	California	I currently live in Dos Palos, California. I took a small church here in Dos Palos a little over three years ago as senior Pastor. When I was ask to pastor this small church here in Dos Palos I had no experience in Pastoring nor any schooling from bible schools. I was informed of your web site through another minister. Bible.org has helped me learn so much. I appreciate the fact that Bible.org doesn't give their opinion but they look deep into scripture show true interpretations.Your information is backed by years of study and facts and all the evidence that I need to prove something is right here at your site. I recently did your study on the trinity and learned so much that I will be using your material to teach a class, I didn't realize how much I didn't know, again I didn't get much teaching because I didn't go to bible school and the church I took was in need so I give credit to Bible.org for a lot of my training. I fully enjoy your onsite classes that are so GREAT!!!. I really can't mention ways that you can improve because you are so far ahead of all the other sites that I have been to, so all I can say is please keep up the good work! Many people in my church have learned from me because I have learned from you. Thank you.
Greg P.	Virginia	I am a recent graduate of Moody Bible Institute. I am now serving as a middle school pastor in Winchester, VA. When I first heard of the NET translation, I thought to myself, "Oh no! Not another translation I have to read and be able to tell others why I don't think it is the best translation of the original text (Gk, Heb, and Aram, that is)." Even so, I picked up the second edition from a buddy of mine and now I can't even being to tell you how overwhelmed I am at the accuracy of not just the words of the original, but of being able to capture the original meaning. Now, It might sound a little crazy, but I honestly stopped using the other Bibles I was using and am completely sold out to the NET. I got my first hard-copy (both study and reader addition) last Christmas and have used them for every study, preparation, and preaching I do. When I use this translation, people ask, "what translation is that?" It is those times I get to explain the NET, where it came from and why it is the best. For study purposes, I mainly use the resources in the NET study and on Bible.org. The NET notes are easy to understand and clear enough to use to teach others, including the middle schoolers I work with. When I use it in my power-points/study material, I always see people's eyes light up as they like how the NET has translated certain passages. For example: I have been teaching through the Book of Colossians. Last week we discussed that we need to be "firm in our faith" (2:7, NET). Every other translation did not have the impact as this idea of being firm, or standing upon faith as your house would literally stand upon a solid foundation, which then lead to a discussion on Jesus' parable about the wise and foolish builders. How important it is to know that our "rock" is Christ and in Him, our faith is "firm", or unmoving. What a great lesson of life for middle schoolers who's lives are drastically changing every moment! As for the study resources from Bible.org...... well,....... I can't say enough good about them. Everything is on there! In fact (this too will sound a bit crazy), I have made Bible.org my homepage, because of its tremendous amount of clear, accurate, insightful, challenging resources. I have used Keathley, Wallace, Bruce, Bock, Boa, Deffinbaugh, Hull, etc. And how thankful I am that is it all free. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So, what else can I say other than I have been caught in the NET and I don't see myself ever getting out! 70X7 thanks to all those who put their lives into this translation. It has helped me become a better reader, understander, and preacher of God's holy, inerrant Word.
Robert P.	West Virginia	Hello Bible.org staff, I'd like a shot at a free NET bible! My name is Bob. I live in the US in West Virginia. I've been a born-again Christian for two years and one month now. I was a false-Christian for several years before that unfortunately. I'm thankful that God chose me to salvation and gave me a hunger for His word as He has. I love The Word! The only problem is that their is just not enough time in a day to do all of the studying and reading of it that I'd like to. I'm what you might call a "street evangelist" but I'd say that I'm just a Christian. I have a heart for the lost of this world and try never to let an opportunity go by without speaking the truth of the gospel or giving a tract. I really appreciate the NET Bible. I'm the type that has to know WHY! And having all of the translators notes right there really gives me some insight as to why certain things were translated certain ways. I use the electronic Libronix version of the NET and I don't leave home without it! If I was marooned on a desert island...just give me my laptop with my Logos bible software, an outlet to plug into and I'm good to go! Thank you for your hard work that we all benefit from, it's much appreciated.
Kevin M.	California	Deaf Baptist Church of Fremont, CA exists to reach the community using American Sign Language (ASL), whether deaf, hard-of-hearing, or hearing relative of a deaf person. I serve with the deaf as their Pastor (we are currently on mission support until the group is able to graduate to financial independence). My primary ministry is preaching/teaching in ASL which requires bringing the proper biblical concept out of the text from my first language (English) into the target language of the deaf (ASL) with the sobering reality that the inspired texts (Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek) were in neither! I was introduced to your website by a fellow Pastor in CA while I interpreted about 40 hours of a survey of the book of Hebrews for two of our deaf men who desire further biblical training. Since then, I have used your NET translation as a cross-reference to make sure that when I express something conceptually in ASL it does not deviate from orthodox Christianity and your footnotes/articles for further study often on information that I have not even found in commentaries. Our impact in the deaf community is supposed to be one of leverage; we train the deaf to reach and disciple other deaf people. Several times I have asked deaf who are struggling with understanding their English translation (whether KJV, NKJV, etc.) to consider downloading the NET translation for reading and research but have never considered needing an actual "paper copy". Recently, I have had the chance to minister to deaf in a senior citizen home designed for the deaf and to deaf in the penal system. As you can imagine, internet access in these two institutions is not readily accessible. My only suggestion about the NET Bible is to add access to definitions/parsing information on all the words in the Bible so I do not have to toggle between other Bible software that incorporates Strongs/Vines/etc. This would be a tremendous asset as we face the cults coming out with ASL video "translations".
Kristy M.	New Mexico	I am a 23 year old stay at home mother to a beautiful 5 year old girl. I currently reside in Hobbs, NM. Before moving here with my husband I lived in Missoula, MT where I was born and raised. I grew up with many different perspectives of the bible around me. My mother and one grandmother was Pentecostal, my other grandmother was Catholic, my grandfather was baptist and my mother in law is Seventh Day Adventist. So for a long time I was not interested in what God had in store for me. There were so many religions, if I were to chose one, would I be wrong? One day I just got this need to be near God and wanted all that he had in store for me. It had hit me like nothing I had felt before. I still can't get enough of the word. They call those that believe in Saturday being the Sabbath, Sabbatarians. So I must be a Bibletarian. I decided to just listen and follow what the bible itself says and not anyone in particular. But then I came across the problem of where to start. I didn't want to commit myself to a church if they were wrong. That is where this site came in handy. Like most I suspect I didn't know the story of the entire bible. I had learned this and that as a child but not enough to start me on a in depth study of the word. The NET bible covers almost all of my questions. Unlike other bibles this one explains the verse and helps me to understand the true meaning behind it. I have looked at the one bookstore that we have here in Hobbs but there is not a NET bible available. So when I do my studies I am limited to the internet. I would love to have a NET bible so that when I take my young daughter to the doctor or such I can read the word while I wait. There are many blessing that have been given to me since I have started understanding God and his purpose for me. My husband who was very angry with the Lord picked up his bible and took it to work and has since been coming home with questions pertaining to it. This site has helped me answer those questions also. Getting a bible from you would add to my blessings. Thank you, Kristy McNab
Nic S.	Ohio	I am 20 years old and live in Columbus, Ohio. I am involved in several small groups, a large group, and I lead a High school age small group and small men's group. The groups I lead and attend stress a knowledge of God, devotion to the ideals of the bible, and reaching out for Christ in the community around us and world-wide. How does Bible.org help me: I use many of the resources on Bible.org in my personal studies and to help in preparations of bible teachings. Ministry: My main ministry happens at the high school and college age groups(14-18 and 18-late 20s.) I teach and help run a high school group and attend several college group meetings. I also mentor inside these groups. A main focus in my life is reaching people for Christ within these age demographics. Thoughts on the NET Bible: I am interested in the NET Bible mainly because of it's readablity. I think this bible could be a very unique way of presenting the message to a younger age group, such as high school or lower. The usefullness of it would come from what seems like an idea-based translation instead of word-for-word, which loses some of the confusing speach found in the NASB. The modern english approach to the translation is also appealing, as the archaic speech of the KJV is often unappealing to non-Christians and younger generations.
David F.		I have been leading preteen worship for three years. I love studying the online NET Bible for scripture research. If there is a word I wish to study, I double click it. If there is a concept or character to look into the notes are invaluable. When I sit down to write a lesson I always make sure I have a copy of the NET Bible open. My preteen sermon lessons have become popular enough that several students and parents now also like to use the online net bible. Whether I receive a compact net bible or not I have wanted to say thank you for some time.
Linda L.		I am a middle aged (YIKES! I said it!) woman who has come to a deeply abiding faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. I have always had a deep love for Him, but it wasn't until I became very ill in 2000 that I heard the call clearly. I developed a deep desire and need to learn more about God's word and to become closer to Him as much as I can. I have learned that to open myself to Him is to bring me supreme joy. He has given me so many blessings in my life that I longed to learn as much as I can so I can spread His word to others. About six months ago, God placed in my heart a need to start a Bible Study for Women. Now, I wasn't raised in the church, and never knew very much in the way of scriptures. I had discovered Bible.org site and felt a wonder in all of the information at my fingertips. Through my Bible study, I have encouraged the women of our group to study using Bible.org. I have told them of some of the great articles and have been able to use the information on this site to really make some interesting studies. I have discovered the illustrations (which have come in handy) and have done personal study of some of the studies available on line. For that I thank you and I also thank God for the opportunity to use this wonderful site to serve Him. I even purchased a laptop with a wireless router so I can go to quiet places in my house and study. Bottom line, it has been a pleasure to study the Bible. I love being able to help others grow in Christ through the Word.
Scott U.	Florida	I live in Miami, Florida, and I'm a prison chaplain. Bible.org is the web site I use the most for reference and study aids. I review and read articles almost every week by respected scholars. Bible.org is user-friendly so finding what I'm looking for doesn't take much time. I also refer to "258 Questions Answered" frequently. Not so much to have questions answered but to help me articulate answers to the questions I receive every week from the inmates I minister to. I began using Bible.org before the NET Bible became available in print, and I haven't stopped since. As a prison chaplain I have access to a group of people that are not easily accessible to many people and often forgotten. The stereotype of the person attending chapel services in prison is that many people find God in prison, but leave Him there when they leave prison. I bring the Bible to bear on the lives of inmates so that when they leave prison they take Jesus with them. Many people have heard that God loves them, but until someone comes along and demonstrates that love it's a rather meaningless statement. I try to impact inmates for Christ by demonstrating His love to them. The NET Bible quickly became my favorite study Bible because of its translators notes, but its large size made carrying it everyday impractical. The more I used my First Edition the more I desired to have a copy for general reading purposes. I use Bible.org to do more study after reading the notes in the NET Bible. The two really go hand-in-hand as a resource for me. I love that the NET Bible explains why it translated a word or phrae the way it did. Even if I decide I disagree with the reason, at least I know why. I've found it to be truly unique in that regard. My suggestion for making the NET Bible more useful is in respect to its size. That's why I'm so excited about the reader's edition and compact version.
Jason D.	Washington	I am an elder-in-training at the newly re-planted Taproot Church in Burien, WA. When we chose our new head pastor this past June, God began to stir in my heart a desire to teach. I told Dan (new pastor) this, and he suggested I check out the classes at Bible.org. How best to describe the resulting events? Well, the day I married my wife was the greatest day of my life, but the first day I clicked onto Bible.org is a closer rival to that day than I will ever reveal to my wife :) Actually yesterday I just finished up teaching my 5 week course on Intro. to Bibliogy&Hermenutics, and I could have NEVER done that without the The Theology Program. Of course I could have, eventually, but the program was so accessible and informative that I was able to transfer it to the classroom. I am so thankful that I was able to bring this faith-deepening knowledge to my brothers and sisters at my church and that they were blessed by it. That is the greatest thing that I am thankful for--this wealth of free information (particularly, for me, the MP3's) is so incredibly faith-deepening. Anyway, thank you for being the impetus for Taproot's first ever B&H class in its 44 year history! P.S. - That's the other thing that I'm so thankful for is how excited Bible.org has gotten me about my faith. This knowledge being made available is like an avalanche of water being pored out over the desolate desert landscape that is the intellectual wasteland of Christian culture.
John H.	Michigan	I like the feedback channel, study tools, and illustrations at Bible.org. I'm impacting others in the pulpit and classroom, as well as small group studies. I frequently refer to NET Bible notes on my PDA -- recently gave my print edition to a visiting missionary serving in Brazil. I can't imagine how it could be more useful! [Wallace & Averbeck taught me a bit of Greek & Hebrew.]
Cletis R.	Texas	I live in Pearland, Texas. I acquired my NET Bible because my son who is in graduate school working on his Master of Divinity has one and I really enjoyed using it when he was at home. I am a teacher in a Group Bible Study on Sunday mornings. I have used several of your articles from your website as basis for a given Sunday study as well as secondary info for other studies. Currently we are studying the book of Job and I found several excellent articles to help with this study. I also send a weekly newsletter to all in our Group Bible Study as well as my Pastor and Pastor Emeritus. I use Scripture verses in the newsletter and have found that it is easy to copy from the desktop version onto the newsletter (I do acknowledge that the verses are from The NET Bible). I also have a section called "Food for Thought" in the newsletter and use various quotes from different authors as well as from some of the articles that you have on your website (such a great source for study, learning and growing in the Lord). I know that I have benifitted from these articles and I really believe that others have too. I thouroughly enjoy my copy of The NET Bible. I am currently working on the "Understanding the Basics of the Faith: A Question and Answer Bible Study Series" by Greg Herrick. It is really helping me in my grasp of God's Word, His Holiness, His Truth, and what He wants from me. I am using The NET Bible First Edition along with this. The notes are excellent in explaing scriptures and meanings of words and phrases. Thank you for making all this available. I have recommended your website to several acquaintances and hope that they get as much from it as I have and will continue to do.
Edrich	South Asia	Hello Brothers @ Bible.org and the home of the NET Bible! Here's my chance to tell you my story and appreciate you all who so tirelessly labour to keep Bible.org up and running. I've been a member for some time and enjoyed visiting and downloading the riches stored up for workers like us 'out there'. I serve as a Pastor in church planting on the south west coast line of India. I spent most of my professional life as a deep sea mariner and ultimately in command of merchant ships. When the Lord called me to serve Him in 1988, I quit sea going and came ashore to serve Him in Mumbai first as a Bible teacher and trainer and then as a Pastor. At the time I used to work as a lecturer to support my self and the family. In 1997, the nudging grew more pronounced and so I gave up work to live by faith and plant churches - small ones - that catered to the English and Hindi speaking communities. In 2002, I handed over all the churches in Mumbai to a brother I had discipled and moved to start work here. The work here is tough and slow as there is much warfare to be done before we can see any breakthroughs - real saved ones. 2 Co 4:4. Again the Hindu activists are on the prowl to stamp out any attempts to spread the gospel. So, its a big challenge, and I'm in it up to my neck, family and all!
Jon S.	Michigan	Dear Bible.org, I lead a weekly men's Bible study in Chelsea, Michigan. For about 1.5 years, we have been studying the New Testament epistles in chronological order. We study one chapter each week. (... starting Ephesians next week!) Through the resources at Bible.org, I discovered the commentaries of Mr. Deffinbaugh, which have (thus far) proven perfect for our use and format. Our approach is to first understand what the scriptures meant to the original recipients, and then to discuss the applications for today without departing from that original inspired meaning. Mr. Deffinbaugh's materials have helped to keep us well-grounded (contextually) in this respect. I (we) cannot thank you enough for providing us with study materials that have been used here in Chelsea, Michigan with great effectiveness. God is at work here in our community, through His powerful gospel, and Bible.org has played a supporting role in our humble ministry. I have not yet become acquainted with the NET Bibe, but intend to presently. My wife just "approved" my proposal to order a NET Bible, and so I will be making that transaction as soon as I finish this email. Again, on behalf of myself and the other Chelsea men in our group --- Thank you very much for making so many good resources readily available.
Joann W.		Hello saints it's a blessed day today and thanks for letting me share my story. Well Im a mother of 3 and 3 wonderful grandchildren, and a lovely husband, I just love your web page and everything that goes with it. Without it I wouldn't be able to reach out to the children in my neigborhood, I have bible study classes in the summer, and I'm trying to work out something during the school days. Right now I have 10 kids between the age of 6 to 15, and of course my 3 year old grandbaby, things are going good and I can see the difference in the kids life, not only me but other people as well. I thank you for everything I get from you and it's a blessing to have this web page online. Me and my kids wouldn't be able to do it without you, once again thanks saints and continue to be blessed.
Jala D.	Missouri	I'm writing for my husband who is serving as a campus missionary on the college campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, MO. My husband is currently serving in two ministry capacities in St. Joseph. He is the Baptist Student Union campus missionary on MWSU's campus, and he is the interim pastor of our local church, Missouri Valley Baptist Church. We are also a part of a young adult small group through our church. Paul loves your site! He prepares two important talks every week for the aforementioned ministries, and he uses your site as a resource for nearly every talk he prepares. He mentions your site to many of the college students that he disciples as well so that they may prepare for the small groups that they (the students) lead. My husband does not minister to thousands of people, by any means. But the ministry he does is a reflection of his passion for Christ and for those who do not know Him. I came to this site because he wanted a compact Net Bible for Christmas, and he told me of an offer where you can donate to this ministry and get one for free. I was unable to find the offer he spoke of, but I saw this ad on the screen. Paul's desire was to give a gift to this ministry and get a Net Bible that he could fit in his pocket for use in evangelism when he meets students on campus. He and the leaders have a heart for winning the students of Missouri Western to Christ.I want you to know that your ministry is enabling my husband to have the resources he needs, and that the student leaders need, to impact the nation for Christ. Thank you!
Paul M.		I am a web designer, bush-league theologian, film-junkie, music-lover, sometimes writer, constant reader, and a pop-culture consumer. By day, I serve as an Internet Development Specialist for an online Christian University and I personally hold a B.A. in Bible and Theology. In my work life (developing and designing courses and evangelistic materials) I always consult the NET Bible readings and reference it when able. In my personal life, I read almost exclusively from the NET Bible. I've even got the NET plug-in for my Bibleworks program. Believe it or not, I'm sort of a mentor to a pastor-friend of mine and when he has difficult questions, I am often able to refer him to articles and papers found on Bible.org. Rather than try to explain some things, I refer him to those who have done a better job... and are they are trusted resources. When a pastor asked me to recommend training materials for his Sunday School Teachers, I was able to refer him to The Theology Program as I had already watched the videos online and was very pleased with the material and delivery. Thanks to Bible.org, I also am able to keep up with all the latest major theological issues in world discussion with Darrell Bock's Blog. Thanks for linking to that. It has been very helpful. So, as you can see Bible.org is a resource I use in my professional, personal and spiritual life on a regular basis. The NET Bible in particular has been a real joy and treat. I talk it up all the time... ask any of my friends. It's been a great resource for anyone who wants to take Bible Study to the next level. People use terms like "taking study to the next level" all the time in this context, but in this case, it's true. No matter where you are in your spiritual development, the NET Bible will help get you to the next level. Thanks for all you do.
Timothy M.		The blessings of using Bible.org and the Net Bible: I am a bi-vocational pastor and I am presently pastoring my third small church. I am limited financially and like most bi-vocational pastors, I struggle as far having the time to devote to providing God's heritage with sound, relevant, and spiritually uplifting expository preaching and teaching. I "stumbled" on to the Bible.org site almost ten years ago. It has been a literal God-send--packed with pages upon pages of commentary, replete with reams of quality teaching and preaching material it is far and away the best online Bible site on the entire internet. I thank God for those who are responsible for its origination and for the continuing wealth of resources for the Christian community. The NET Bible continues to uphold the spirit of excellence for Bible.org. May the Lord continue to richly bless this ministry, as it upholds the blood-stainer banner for the Lord Jesus Christ!
Martin S.	Illinois	I pastor an international church (Chicago International Church - EFCA) where many of our people use English as a second language but most have advanced degrees. In my preaching I want to use a translation that is understandable for such people but I don't like using Bible versions that compromise meaning for the sake of clarity. In the NET Bible, I often find the perfect solution for my situation. It is clear but not dumbed down. There is good rendition of verbal tenses which aid people in grasping important application. On another tack...I was using the NET Bible when referring to Romans 3:25 while preaching, the scholar (Dan Bailey) whose notes are included was in the audience and this was a huge encouragement to him. Dan has sometimes felt discouraged about the results of his work in biblical scholarship but that day was a reassurance from the Lord that his work was not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58) I thank the Lord for all of your hard work and ministry.
Danny G.		It's certainly my privilege to be able to share with you what Bible.org has meant to me. I have found the site to be most helpful and informative from many vantage points but, primarily, it has become an invaluable tool and resource for me in the preparation and delivery of quality Bible School lessons at the adult level.When I'm able to quickly access scholarly, interpretative material with which to begin my lesson preparation, it provides an enormous kick-start for me as I begin my own exegetical investigation and subsequent delivery. What used to take me hours, now takes me minutes with regard to doing the "ground" work. As ministers, we are so blessed to have Bible.org in our corner!
n/a	Washington	I am the Senior Pastor of a CBA church in Vanoouver, WA, and have been for the past two years. Prior to that I was a missionary involved in Leadership Development in southern Africa. I have used the NET Bible in ministry around the world and shared it with friends, disciples and fellow laborers.I have found the NET Bible invaluable for my expositional ministry. I use it in all of my preparations and introduce others to it. I found the beta version helpful in my seminary studies and since then own the first edition and the diglot. I often use the NET translation of a passage or verse within my Sunday preaching, and often from that use one of our church members will ask what Bible that is and where to get one. I either send them to netbible.org or give them one for the case I have ordered.Our church is in somewhat of a transition, in that the previous senior pastor was more of a topical preacher, where I am expositional. When I first arrived here, I gave each of the four associate pastors a NET Bible first edition. Since then elders have also begun to use it in their study, one even keeps it on his palm pilot. The Readers edition has been great for some of our seniors. Just recently, our youth pastor was saying he really liked the NET Bible translation the best of various ones he used, but the Bible, even the readers edition, was just too large. Then, within weeks you had come out with the readers edition! Way to go! I look ahead to the day when the NET Bible will be widely enough used in our church that it will be our main pulpit translation and the Bible we give away to visitors. (Actually I'm giving away our NIV pew Bible now toward that end--but don't tell anyone...that'll be our little secret.) The NET is so useful to me because of the excellent and accurate translation. I appreciate the notes that explain any stylistic or interpretive handling of the text in translation. I also appreciate how useful the TC notes are for textual matters, a veritable textual commentary in nits own right. These unique study notes, are very useful for a pastor teacher with language training, I often use it to to shortcut language study or identify the real issues in textual critical problems. The next development I hope that NET Bible will pursue is an OT Hebrew diglot similar to the NT diglot. I should add that I am also grateful for Bible.org. I get the most frequent benefit from the illustrations and some of the other pastoral helps such as funeral and other ministry ceremonies, and other similar helps. I enjoy some of the discussions an papers when I have time to read them. Your ministry is, I am quite sure, a blessing around the world. I believe that God has honored the original NET purpose and your desire to make a modern accurate translation available to all. At a time when too much marketing and commerce have influenced biblical scholarship and the trafficking of versions, you have done it right. May God continue to bless you for it.
Joe M.	Australia	Hi my name is Joe and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a worship leader at my church and I am also on the committee for the Men's ministry too. Next year my wife and I will be going on a missions trip to the Congo and other places like Rwanda as well. Bible.org has been serving me personally for over 3 years now. I first came to Bible.org when looking for audio sermons in mp3 format that I could stick on my iPod. But it wasn't long after that when I found The Theology Program. I loved it so much I listen to it more than once and still listen too it from time to time including sharing it will many other friends. It has been the start of a journey for me to know my Bible better and more importantly know my Jesus more intimately through the knowledge of His word. The impact of my ministry I hope has been an influence to my fellow Christians friends and also to my other friends who are yet know the personal relationship one can have with Jesus Christ. My passion for the word of God, my love of apologetics and my singing are three areas in my life I know God wants me to have an impact in. The NET Bible fast became a favourite Bible of mine as it gave me what I call a 'raw' English interpretation of the Greek and Hebrew texts which I immediately became attached too. The 'notes' on certain words made my Bible study a lot easier also. The resources of the NET Bible and Bible.org have been of great influence to me. The Theology Program from Bible.org alone has had the most impact on my ministry but also many of the sermons and lectures I have also downloaded from Bible.org. I first heard Ken Boa through Bible.org and his ministry as well has been of great influence to me, especially in the area of Apologetics; and my passion to witness to the lost, especially the atheist and agnostic. Other preachers like Deffinbaugh and Miller which Bible.org also introduced me too have been so enriching in my life and walk with Christ. The NET Bible I first purchased in digital format for my PDA and it has become the Bible version of choice when reading along in church. It does distract me however when it gives me the option to read the notes on the definitions of some words. I can't help myself! I must learn how to turn that option off during a sermon. :) I cannot think of many more ways to improve the NET Bible because it seems most of the better ideas have already been spoken for and are being used. My only thought would be to have it available in the bookstores here in Melbourne, Australia as I am yet to see a hard copy of it here for purchase.
David P.	England	I live in England, and belong to a small church with about 70 members. We love to study the Bible in house classes, taking one book at a time and poring over every verse, trying to understand the meaning, and searching for lessons for today. Our 'Tuesday class' started 18 years ago, and has 18 members. In that time we have covered most of the New Testament and much of the Old - currently we are in Genesis 12. I find the Translators' Notes absolutely invaluable. Not being a Hebrew scholar, but with some understanding of grammar (yes, we went to Grammar Schools in England half a century ago!), the notes are brilliant at explaining the reasons why your committee chose a particular interpretation, and bringing out points we would easily miss, such as the play on words in the original text. It is also great to be able to copy and paste from the NET Bible (on the e-Sword package) direct into Powerpoint presentations. We use these for seminars and Bible Study weekends both in the UK and in East Europe. So, keep up the good work!
Taruu	Micronesia	My name is Taruu, I am Palauan, a small island in the pacific and we are also called Micronesians, there are about 8 small island that make up Micronesia. I am a 52 year old woman pursuing my BS degree in Biblical studies. The Bible.org has been a very helpful web site for me and my fellow students. My small island nation has about 18,000 people living in it and it is really hard for me as well as the other students to get enough resources to do our homework, but good thing is that we are connected to the world through internet we can always go online and research for our class. As I am doing my prophetic literature assignment, I went on line and found this contest and I am just trying my luck to see if I could win something valuable, like the NET Bible. I am working at Palau Community College, and sometimes I am ministering to the students, but because of the lack of resources, I am just doing my research every on the net just to prepare me to confront with students who need to know the true God, and what Jesus did to save people. Thank you and I hope this short and unorganized story of mine helps you understand who I am and what I am doing.
JB	Philippines	My Name is JB, and I'm from the Philippines. I have been part of many ministries ranging from sunday school to sound engineer. I am currently handling a college group study, and Bible.org has helped me here a bit, but this is not where Bible.org benefits me the most. Being a member of our church for a long time, many people (especially the youth) view me as a person of authority. I really am scared of being in a position of influence. I fear I may be a bad example, and that my words of encouragement and teaching does not reflect the true meaning of God's word. Bible.org has helped me firm up my doctrines, which in turn gave me the confidence to rightly encourage and instruct those who come to me. With Bible.org, my words are not only based on God's word, but based on it in its correct context. The next bible environment and the articles of Bible.org; and also the theology program and men's discipleship have all been there for my growth. And with that I'm thankful to God and to the people behind Bible.org. Our church uses the NIV, and is a very good translation. I have opted to follow suite for church; but for my personal devotion and for my studies in preparation for speeches, I use the NET Bible. I admire that it has been given out with no copyright costs, and I'd do as much as I can to support it. I do sincerely hope that you could partner with Gideons International. The NET Bible would (I believe) be so much understandable than the NKJV that the Gideons are distributing. And yes, I hope future editions would include more study notes (sn); and could do away with some repetitive tn's. Keep serving the Lord. All glory honor and praise to HIM .