If you haven't watched Dr. J's latest podcasts yet, you're really missing out. Episodes 69–71 all focus on teaching you how to study the Bible more effectively. Episode 69 teaches how to study a single book of the Bible, Episode 70 discusses how to choose the best translation for various Bible study tasks, and Episode 71 focuses on how to read the Bible better.

In each of these podcasts, Dr. J shows how to create an Accordance workspace which will accommodate the Bible study methods he demonstrates. He also discusses how to choose the best resources for each task, and offers an innovative way to organize those resources in your library. While obviously helpful for Accordance users, these podcasts will prove helpful to any student of the Bible. Be sure to watch them and share them with others. In my opinion, they represent some of Dr. J's best work.

Not long ago, we announced the release of the UBS Translators' Handbook Series on the New Testament. Now Dr. J has devoted an entire podcast to showing the usefulness of this unique commentary series. In this podcast, he examines several important passages and shows how the UBS Handbooks help to clarify their meaning in terms anyone can understand. Watch it, and not only will you learn more about this new Accordance resource, you'll also learn more about the Bible!

In yesterday's post, I talked about how our Bible Lands PhotoGuide (currently on sale) could be loaded on an iPad or iPhone and used as a tourist guidebook on steroids. It was Tim Jenney, known to most of you know as Dr. J, who first hit upon this idea as we began touring the ruins of ancient Chorazin. He observed that we had all been consulting the PhotoGuide on our iOS devices, much as one might thumb through a tourist guidebook. It was a simple observation that got us all thinking about the PhotoGuide in a whole new way.

That's just the way Dr. J thinks. He has a real gift for identifying and explaining the practical uses of technology—a gift he brings to every episode of our Lighting the Lamp podcast. If you want to learn how to use Accordance in creative and practical new ways, you owe it to yourself to check out the various video training sessions Dr. J has produced. The most recent episode shows you how to learn more about a Biblical place, and it combines a simple methodology anyone can follow, with Tim's own . . . um, what's the word? . . . unique brand of humor.

Be sure to check it out!

Curious to see the new features of Accordance 9.2 in action? Dr. J's latest podcast shows you how to use Magnify Zones and image browsing, including tips on helpful keyboard shortcuts you may not be aware of. Be sure to check it out.

Here are a few things I think you'll find worth checking out:

• Dr. J's latest podcast offers a helpful comparison of our two most extensive Holy Land Photograph collections: the Bible Lands PhotoGuide, and the new American Colony and Eric Matson collection from Bibleplaces.com. Not only does he compare the strengths of each of these resources, he gives you a brief sampling of some of the photos they contain.
• In pointing his readers to Dr. J's podcast, Todd Bolen of Bibleplaces.com included a comment from a user who had great things to say about having this collection available within Accordance. Also, Bolen's most recent blog post points to an interesting Jerusalem Quarterly article on the history of the American Colony Photography Department.
• Another blog post mentioning Accordance comes from James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries, who relates how he identified passages of P46 at the Chester Beatty Library using the Accordance app on his iPod.
• This review of the The Sacred Bridge at Biblical Archaeology Review praises the atlas for its thorough and careful scholarship. The reviewer's only criticism is that the font size of the print edition is too small to read comfortably. Of course, this criticism does not apply to the Accordance edition.
• Finally, Adam M. Lowe has been comparing the functionality and costs of various iPad Bible apps, including Accordance.

Dr. J has just posted a new Lighting the Lamp podcast entitled Power Tips and Tweaks. In it he does an excellent job of exposing you to a few options and settings that can improve your workflow and make your life much easier. Of the power tips he covers, my favorite are the various copy options that are available. Be sure to check it out.

Dr. J has just done a new Lighting the Lamp podcast on the recently-released NIV Application Commentary series (NIVAC). In it, Dr. J shows how NIVAC is distinct from other commentaries and examines NIVAC's take on five different passages. This podcast can help you make an informed purchasing decision. Just be sure you make it before the introductory sale ends!

Yesterday I posted a link to the TUAW review of Accordance. A blog focused on all things Apple, it has an audience with a wide range of religious and non-religious views, and that showed in the comments on the TUAW review. But amid all the noise several users voiced their personal enthusiasm for Accordance. One even gave his own excellent comparative review. Be sure to check it out.

By the way, the author of the TUAW review lamented the poor signal-to-noise ratio of the comments his Bible software reviews have received, and I told him we got the same mix of reactions whenever we would exhibit Accordance at MacWorld Expo. Here's a link to a January blog post in which I talk about some of the strange looks we would receive.

A few Accordance users have also made their voices heard in response to a blog post on the "Other Best Bible Software." The author is a PC user who seems to take a dim view of Macs, and by "other" he means a second Windows program in addition to the one he had recommended in a previous post. So the author recommends one program for language work and a second for access to commentaries and other materials. This is not an unusual practice among Windows users. Accordance users, on the other hand, have been able to enjoy cutting-edge language features along with an ever-growing library of first-rate commentaries and reference works. I would argue that Accordance is therefore the only best Bible Software.

By the way, I intentionally did not link to that blog post because I don't want Accordance users to flood that post with pro-Accordance comments. I just wanted to remind you all how good you have it! :-)

Shifting gears a bit, I want to remind you all to subscribe to our weekly video training podcast called Lighting the Lamp. Last week, Dr. J showed how to use commentaries effectively by showcasing the new Hermeneia commentary. This week, he shows off some of the new features of Accordance 8.3. These podcasts are a tremendous source of ongoing Accordance training. They'll help make you the best power users of the best Bible software.

Most of you are probably aware by now that we have a Video Podcast in iTunes, Lighting the Lamp. Since we announced it back in May we've added several new episodes including one dedicated to the ESV Study Bible, and are currently in a multi-part series on Commands and Symbols.

Last week Apple released the newest evolution of their iPhone, the 3Gs, along with the 3.0 OS. One of the many enhancements now available in the OS is the ability to subscribe to, and download a Podcast directly from the iPhone (or iPod Touch).

For those who have an iPhone or iPod Touch, here's a few quick steps to help you subscribe to our Podcast. From the home screen touch the iTunes icon. After launching, touch the Search icon at the bottom of the screen and type in 'Lighting the Lamp' (or Accordance Bible; Bible Software, etc.), ours will be the top on the list.

From here you can browse the different episodes, and download those you are interested in.

After the download just hit play and that long wait at the dentist office, flight delay, or break from class will be filled with the joy of learning to master your favorite Mac Bible software!

If you've already taken advantage of the Podcast and have enjoyed them, why not let others know…add a comment or review in iTunes to help spread the word.

Also, for those who don't use iTunes we have also created a page on our main site that gives a description of each episode with links to download.