App Update! Get the iPad Fix & More!

Hello TTW friends!
I've got news - we just launched an update to our mobile app, so go get it! There are a few minor fixes, and most importantly a big fix for anyone using an older device - especially old iPads. Some of the latest features were causing issues on older devices, so we made an update that should work for everyone. We've also added a few feature upgrades for new devices, so please get the update asap!

How to Get the App Update: Just open the App Store on your device, search for Through the Word, and hit update. Easy peasy.

That's it. Go get it! I added a little more info below for those of you looking for details, but the main thing is simple: go get the update!

See you on the journey,
 - Pastor Kris = ]

In the studio recently for the Manhood Talks

What's Coming Next: The next big update is still a few weeks away, and will include new translations and better audio Bibles. It took us a few years and a surprising amount of work, but we finally got the licenses to add the NIV and CSB versions. We hope to launch those in a few weeks. We're so excited!

Why Older iPads Weren't Working: We are sorry for any frustrations caused by the iPad issue. Basically, older devices cannot load the newest version of iOS, which is the operating system. Sometimes new features don't work right on the old operating system, and it causes basic features to break down. You'll see the same thing on lots of apps (the Starbucks app shuts down on our old iPhone).  So it a balancing act for programmers to keep the app updated so that it has new features and works on the latest operating system - but also doesn't break down on old devices. However, it can be done, and we want everyone to be able to use TTW.

What to do if your TTW app doesn't work: Anytime you have trouble with any app, it always helps to make sure you have the latest version of the app, and also the latest version of iOS or Android. If you still have trouble with the TTW app, contact us at info@throughtheword.org and let us know about it. We want to help!

New: Check out the b-side audio!

Hey TTW! Pastor Kris here. We just added something brand new that I've been wanting to do for a very long time: the b-side audio guide!


If you're over 30, you probably remember b-side songs from vinyl and cassette singles. Basically it's the bonus content. Every time I record an audio guide for TTW, there is so much more that I want to share - but we respect your time, and we want to help you keep that daily habit in the midst of your busy schedule. So we keep it short. Still, I know that some of you wouldn't mind a few more minutes to dig deeper in the chapter together. So for a very long time, I have dreamed of recording a few extra minutes of content that I had to trim - and put it on the b-side. But there was just no where to put it on the old app. But now at long last, the new TTW app has made it possible - and the b-sides are finally here!

Now I'm only just getting started on these. If I had better foresight, I would have been recording these all along. But I didn't. There's an old saying: The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second best time is today. So we recorded the first few b-side audio guides at the end of Proverbs, and you can find those now. More will be added as we move forward. I'll be recording more with Genesis 36-50 (finally recording Joseph's epic story!), and we'll keep doing more as we continue to record guides for more books. At long last I'll be able to dig a little deeper on those verses and topics that we had to skip or rush through in the past! (Can you tell I'm excited about this? I don't think you know how hard it is for a long-message teacher like me to get every chapter down to 9 minutes!).

Of course the b-side is just optional - if you've got a little extra time and interest. If not, you won't even see it. To find it, just tap on the little down arrow (triangle) next to the audio title to bring up more available audio, then tap on the b-side. Like I said - only the end of Proverbs is available now.

Hope you like the bonus material. I'll see you back on the journey!

 - Pastor Kris = ]

PrimeDay: Good & Bad Reasons to Shop

Hello TTW Friends!
Today is Prime Day, which means that Amazon is posting lots of deals to encourage us all to buy more stuff! And if you shop through Amazon Smile, you can support Through the Word and lots of other great charities. That's pretty awesome - but it should also be balanced with a little perspective. First of all, please don't buy more stuff just to get that donation going. That's a bad reason to shop. In all things, we should always be wise stewards with the money that God has entrusted to us. Shopping is not inherently good or bad of course, and neither is money. They are part of life. But we are called to handle our money, and our shopping, with wisdom. So here are some good and bad reasons to shop today:

Good Reason to Shop: "I need a new watch - my old one broke. It's on a great sale, the reviews are solid, and if I open to smile.amazon.com and enter Through the Word Inc as my charity, they get half a percent. I'm buying it anyway, so why not help TTW?"

Bad Reason to Shop: "I don't need another gorilla costume for my toy poodle, he already has seven. But hey, if I buy today, it helps TTW!"

Reality Check: TTW gets half a percent of your purchase price if you designate us. That means a $100 purchase gives us 50 cents. It's a nice little bonus, and it adds up eventually, but it is by no means a reason to do any unnecessary shopping.

So please be wise with your money and your shopping. If you're already shopping on Amazon, just remember to open to smile.amazon.com and designate Through the Word as  your charity before you buy (it only works if you open that page every time!). If you don't need to do any shopping, good for you! I have to admit I was a little hesitant about signing TTW up on Amazon Smile, because I don't want our dear listeners to get coerced into any unnecessary purchases. But of course, you can make your own decisions. So be wise, shop smart, and store your real treasures in Heaven! "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

In Christ,
Pastor Kris = ]

My Kids on Mission! (Prayer request from Pastor Kris)

Hello TTW! Pastor Kris here, and I would like to introduce you to my kids. I have three amazing children, thanks to God, and thanks to my incredibly amazing wife, Andrea. Two of our kids are spending most of the summer on the other side of the world from us, serving God on two different mission fields. I'm so excited. We've been taking our kids with us on mission since they were infants - but it's a whole new thing to send them off to the opposite end of the planet for several weeks apart from us. So for those of you who know us, I sure would appreciate your prayers!

Here's a quick intro to each of my kids and the missions they're up to this summer:

This is Daisy. The very first kid I ever had. She's not really a kid any more, as she's almost 21, but she has an amazing heart for kids, and she just pours out God's love on them in children's ministry week after week, serving at multiple churches. She's also a musician and pretty much all around amazing. Right now she's in Romania, serving at a camp for orphans this summer. She's been part of this mission trip since she was two, and she's gone the last three years without he family, joining the team from Refuge. She's awesome.

Daisy loves coffee almost as much as her mom.

 Oh, and the other guy in the photos is her boyfriend Noah. He's pretty great too. He's part of the TTW team, and he and his family are also on the Romania mission with Daisy. Please pray for the team and for the many kids they have brought to camp.

We were all in Budapest together before missions started.

This is Kaleb. My one and only son. He'll be a senior in high school this fall, and he's spending the whole summer with a team in Budapest as part of a program called "A Vision for Life."  It's basically like a bunch of missions all strung together, plus lots of Bible study, team building, and time to seek God for His plan for your life. So awesome. Please pray for Kaleb and the whole team!

Kaleb worked for months to save up for his trip.

Joining me in the studio for a series called Manhood Talks.

This is Shiloh. The very last kid I ever had. All my kids are funny, but Shiloh may well be the silliest of the bunch. She's got an amazing wit, and even more amazing smile, and she's pretty much the best baby sitter in town. After the five of us went out to Europe to drop off the teams for missions, we came back with just Shiloh - so she gets to play only child for the summer. Thanks for praying for my family. I love my kids!

This was on the road to Corinth - following the footsteps of Paul.

This kid cracks me up.

Here's a few more pics from our trip to drop them off for mission.  I had a conference in Athens with Bible societies and Bible app ministries from around the world - it was called the Digital Bible Library Summit. Amazing people and amazing work God is doing!  Thanks again for praying!

 - Pastor Kris  = ]

This is Mars Hill - where Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens! My crowd was a little smaller than his.

The view from the top of the Acropolis. So awesome.

Gyros in Greece. Hello delicious.

Gotta thank Ryanair for making travel in Europe so amazingly cheap! 

Some of the amazing missionaries and Bible translators at the DBL Summit.

Thanks to the Hellenic Bible Society in Athens for hosting us!