The disconnect—and its solution

In simple terms, Bob and I envisioned Logos Bible Software being a powerful and comprehensive suite of digital resources that would grow with the user. Our guide was how people engage tasks and interests in real life. Beginners use beginning materials, and experts use expert materials. We presumed that users would master the software as they grew, gradually exploring books and resources that were compatible with their own advancing level of education, study habits, and application skills. In that sense, people would never outgrow the software or the library.  It was a neat, clean picture in our minds. In the real world, it hasn’t quite worked out that way. We failed to anticipate the now-transparent fact that education, study, and application skills often do not progress at the same rate as product and resource tool development.

This is understandable. Logos has been focused on equipping users for Bible study. The company is fundamentally a tool maker and a data resource provider. Logos has not had instruction in biblical content as a primary goal. Logos equips you with tools and resources, but we generally leave it up to you to learn how to use those tools and mine the resources.

Perhaps an analogy will illustrate the distinction—imagine Logos as a do-it-yourself auto repair shop equipped with all sorts of clever tools. The shop would provide you with access to the right tools, but that doesn’t mean you would know how to build or repair cars. The disconnect is obvious. An array of tools does not produce a mechanic. Tools do not teach someone car repair or engine assembly. While the tools of a mechanic are related to car repair, there is little cause-and-effect relationship. Along the same lines, having the best Bible software and a huge library of resources does not provide you with a Bible college or seminary education. Having the tools does not automatically result in having a grasp of the Bible and biblical doctrine.

The time has come for us to address this problem. That’s why I am pleased to announce the launch of another Logos innovation—a brand-new division of the company: Logos Mobile Education.

Why Logos Mobile Education is unique

Logos Mobile Education offers an educational experience that takes place entirely within Logos—and could therefore be designed only by Logos. You already know Logos is a unique product—a library of digital books, databases, research tools, and primary language resources seamlessly integrated with each other. Logos recently launched the Faithlife social network, as well as iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile versions of Logos Bible Software. These decisions were strategic, and Logos Mobile Education takes advantage of all of them by offering a completely mobile education experience within Logos.

Logos Mobile Education courses include expert professors recorded in HD video. Lecture content is broken down into brief segments, usually five to seven minutes long. Our team of graphic artists add text to help viewers follow the lecture, along with images and infographics. Every video is transcribed for cross-referencing and tagging within Logos, so the video content can be discovered in searches, just like books within Logos; this makes your course part of your permanent library. Transcripts of courses are further enhanced by professional, academically trained editors who have added syllabi, course readings, course objectives, and easily navigable headings. Screencast demonstrations are added to lectures to show students how Logos can be used to validate lecture content and illustrate how Logos is the premier tool for biblical studies, theology, church history, or any subject a Logos Mobile Education course might cover.

Logos Mobile Education offers both solid content and practical training in Bible study, consciously focusing on the central role of library resources in the learning process. Integration with the Faithlife social network puts you in touch with other students with the same interests. Your mobile device and computer are your classroom and workspace.

Watch, read, search, learn—wherever you are, whenever you want, as often as you need to. No other educational environment offers a seamless, permanent, and repeatable educational experience, all at the pace of your own life. Logos Mobile Education—it’s education where you are!

Join the discussion about Logos Mobile Education.

While polemical wars were waged between the Catholic Church and Protestant Reformers, many thinkers continued to focus on the internal battle waged within our own souls. This focus on interiority produced some of the greatest mystical, poetic, and devotional literature ever written. Now it’s compiled in the enormous Post-Reformation Catholic Thought and Piety Collection.

The sixteenth century was a time of incredible theological and spiritual development. Not only were substantial amounts of Protestant literature being produced; counter-reformers, poets, and mystics were also writing works that add essential context to the debates happening in and around the Protestant Reformation. Many such works are famous throughout all of Christendom, such as John of the Cross’ The Dark Night of the Soul or Teresa of Avila’s The Way of Perfection—but it’s often forgotten that these very devotional works were written during the heat of the sixteenth century’s doctrinal disputes.

The Post-Reformation Catholic Thought and Piety Collection compiles more than just the mystical works written during the sixteenth century: resources like A Commentary on the Book of Psalms by St. Robert Bellarmine and The Great Means of Salvation and Of Perfection by St. Alphonsus Liguori shed light onto the Catholic understanding of Scripture and prayer. Spanning the early sixteenth century to the mid–nineteenth century, this collection allows you to get more insight into not only how the conversation between Catholicism and Protestantism began, but also how it developed over the centuries.

This collection of counter-Reformation and post-Reformation works features 27 volumes—over 10,000 pages of literature. The collection gives you keen insight into the development of Catholic and Christian mystical thought during and after the Reformation.

Study some of the sixteenth century’s most profound teachings with this remarkable resource. Get it today for 25% off.

Since the last time this went on sale, we’ve added four new volumes to the collection:

• The Book of Hosea by J. Andrew Dearman
• The Gospel of John by J. Ramsey Michaels
• The Epistle to the Hebrews by Gareth Lee Cockerill
• The Letter of James by Scot McKnight

That means the NICOT/NICNT is better than ever. If you’ve been thinking of adding this world-class commentary set to your library, now’s the time.

Don’t forget payment plans

Really want to take advantage of this special sale, but don’t want to take the hit up front? Use one of our interest-free payment plans to make your purchase fit your budget. You can start benefiting from this amazing set of commentaries today—and take up to 12 months to pay!

Simply add the coupon code NICOTNT at checkout, click the “Update Cart” button to see your new price, push the “Proceed” button, and choose one of the monthly plans from the Payment Options dropdown menu. Now you’re ready to dig in to one of evangelicalism’s premier academic commentaries.

Time’s running out

This offer is available only through the end of May—come June 1, it’s over. So don’t wait! Save $400 on the New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament‘s solid biblical scholarship today with coupon code NICOTNT.

So how do you land a job at Logos?

1. Be distinct

“Objective: self-starter / team player seeks a dynamic web 2.0 position that advances my career and leverages my talents.”

Nope—the last thing you want to do is blend in with generic language. Rather than adapting an online template or a cover letter from a different job, start by studying the job listing. Think about how you would filter out candidates, and write to beat that filter—be specific about how you meet each qualification.

One good way to stand out: get your portfolio online. That lets us quickly get a feel for your work and personality; plus, it shows some tech know-how. Even if you’re no web designer, WordPress makes it simple to get started.

2. Be polished

We want to hire the best people, the people with the highest standards. We also work with extremely tight deadlines. It says a lot if your cover letter and résumé, written without any deadline, are full of spelling and grammatical errors. Check everything you’re not sure about against Merriam-Webster—“Is ‘phenomenon’ plural?” “Does ‘sign-up’ need that hyphen?” Then proofread until everything’s perfect, and then a few times more.

3. Be honest

You’ll probably get some interview questions related to your personality. Please don’t respond with what you think we want to hear—very few questions are “hire / no hire,” and often the seemingly “right” answer isn’t what we’re looking for at all. Likewise, if you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t try to fake your way through—just say “no.” We usually ask followup questions, and it’s embarrassing for everyone when an applicant’s stated “expertise” falls flat.

4. Show initiative

We have a lot of content on the web. Know who we are and why you want the job.

• Read up on our brands and projects. When it’s your turn to ask questions, don’t ask, “So, what’s Bible software?”
• Check out our marketing materials—emails, older blog posts, product pages. Then tell us how you would improve them. We want employees who aren’t afraid to give feedback.

5. Be patient

Since we’re looking for the best people, the interview process can take a while—usually three interviews minimum.

6. Know what your dream job looks like

The best hires grow into the jobs they really want. If what you’re applying for is nearly your dream job, come to your interview ready to tell us what you’d change.

Now go check out our openings at Logos.com/About/Careers—the company is growing, and we’d love to have you join us!

We’ve been hustling to make the Baker Academic Theological Studies Collection available to you, and we’re happy to report that it’s currently under development—it won’t be long until it’s formatted and ready to be released. We can offer the Pre-Pub price only until then, so if you have these titles on your list, you’ll need to act quickly to get the best price.

If you’d like to read more about the specific titles included in this collection, you can visit the product page, but don’t wait too long. This price won’t last, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out.

Pre-order the Baker Academic Theological Studies Collection today!

As soon as there are enough bids to push a product into the Pre-Pub stage, the price goes up substantially. This could mean doubling or tripling.

Costs are nearly covered for the following products—soon they’ll be leaving Community Pricing forever. By bidding now, you’ll lock in some of the best prices. In fact, with enough bids, prices can come down even further!

Classic Studies on the Apostolic Fathers (29 vols.)

Get it for only $30. Once it moves onto Pre-Pub, the price goes up to $199.95—that’s a savings of nearly $170!

The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (22 vols.)

This resource, regularly priced at $599.95, is about to cross over at only $40.

Classic Studies on Eschatology (27 vols.)

You don’t want to miss out on this 27-volume collection. It’s only $30 right now!

A Popular Commentary on the New Testament (4 vols.)

Schaff’s commentary is going for $35. There’s still time to bring the price down even lower. Bid now!

George Wesley Buchanan Collection (9 vols.)

Currently at $35, this nine-volume collection is 82% off the regular price.

Oxyrhynchus Papyri (vols. 1–15)

These 25 volumes are tracking to end their Community Pricing run at 50% off. They’re normally $299.95, but you can bid now for only $150!

John Williamson Nevin Collection (13 vols.)

This is getting close to crossing over. If you want to get in at $40 (or lower), bid now!

E. A. Sophocles Collection (4 vols.)

Bid now for only $20. Once this collection moves into Pre-Pub, the price will go up to $79.95.

The Works of the Reverend John Fletcher (6 vols.)

The regular price for this collection is $119.95, but you can bid now for $50!

Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey (8 vols.)

Get it for only $14! The price will jump up to $49.95 once this collection moves to Pre-Pub.

As you can see, Community Pricing is a solid way to build your library for less. Make sure to check out these other Community Pricing deals, too.

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris, who has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos seminars, provides many training materials.

A fellow Logos user recently emailed me this question:

Is there an easy way to search for all the forms of a word (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) at the same time?  Like, for example, all the forms of “sick” (astheneo) in James 5:14?

This is a great question, and the answer is “yes.” Actually, there are a couple of ways to accomplish this, but the following steps are fairly straightforward, and they showcase various Logos language features.

Here’s what I responded with:

• Right-click on a word in an English Bible with the reverse interlinear, like sick in James 5.14 in the ESV. (A)
• Select Root | Search this resource. (B)
  

• Click Analysis in the Search panel. (C)
• Right-click on a column header. (D)
• Select Lemma (Greek) (E) and Part of Speech. (F)
  

• Drag those two headers from the spreadsheet to the area above the column headers. (G) (Mac user: You’ll need to hold down the Option key as you drag the headers.)
• Note that the results are organized and displayed according to lemma (H) and then part of speech! (I)
  

Of course, you can drag additional column headers to the top to continue sorting the results by those characteristics as well.

I encourage you to experiment with the Analysis view. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the multitude of ways you can examine Bible search results.

To celebrate our new hours, we’re putting 10 different products on sale each Saturday in May. We’ve selected a variety of resources—commentaries, collections, study resources, and more—so there’s something for everyone. There are only two Saturdays left in May; don’t miss out on these discounts!

Among today’s deals, we have:

Charles Spurgeon Collection (149 vols.)

Regularly $499.95—call or email us for the sale price!

This collection is an invaluable tool in both sermon preparation and biblical understanding. The Charles Spurgeon Collection (149 vols.) offers over 3,550 sermons from one of the most gifted speakers and blessed Christian leaders of our era. Also included are many of Spurgeon’s commentaries and lectures, his autobiography, The Sword and the Trowel, and much more.

N. T. Wright Collection (57 vols.)

Regularly $429.95—call or email us for the sale price!

N. T. Wright has had a profound influence on the Church, and his writings are popular worldwide. The N. T. Wright Collection combines 34 of his most beloved works to offer a collection rich in theological depth, engaging in tone, and compelling in biblical wisdom.

These aren’t the only products on sale! Phone in to hear about the rest of today’s sale items.

In addition to these discounts, for every $100 you spend, choose from a selection of free books. Your sales associate will give you all the details.

Call us at 1-800-875-6467 or email us before 6 p.m. (Pacific) to hear about this week’s deals!

If you’re looking to purchase a base package, now is the time. Through May 20, you’ll save 15% on any base package purchase. Just use coupon code SPRINGSALE at checkout to get your discount.

A massive library at a remarkable price

Not only is buying a base package a great investment—when you look at the pure volume of resources you’re getting, it’s an incredible deal.

For example, Gold contains nearly 1,100 resources. If the average book spine is about 1 ½ inches wide (and many of these resources are much larger), this library would stand nearly 138 feet tall—8 feet taller than Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue! That’s a library your home office most likely wouldn’t fit, a library that would cost you thousands of dollars in print—about $21,000, to be exact. Just imagine adding the additional 900 resources in Diamond (a $52,500 print value total), or the additional 1,400 resources in Portfolio (a $78,000 print value total).

With Logos 5, not only are you getting volume and value; you’re getting a custom-built library created for better Bible study. We’ve handpicked the most useful, in-depth commentaries, lexicons, language and grammar tools, and more to make sure you’re getting the most value for your money. Instead of trying to pull together the perfect library piece by piece, pick from one of our carefully crafted base packages. There’s a library that’s right for everyone.

Make the most out of your library

Normally, it would be nearly impossible to search your entire library for a passage or topic—but not with Logos 5, which allows you to search your entire library in seconds. Not only that, it makes your resources even more useful with features like:

• Timeline
• Clause Search
• Bible Facts
• Sermon Starter Guide
• Search Suggestions

Get 15% off base packages

You have only a few days left to save! Enter coupon code SPRINGSALE at checkout to get your 15% discount. Get Logos 5 today.

Last year, we remembered his birthday with 10 dynamic quotes. Here are 10 more powerful quotes, taken from his “Be” series of commentaries.

1. “Each member in the body of Christ is important (1 Cor. 12:12–31), and we all need one another and to minister to one another. Since there’s no competition in the work of the Lord (John 4:34–38; 1 Cor. 3:5–9), there’s no need for us to promote ourselves. The important thing is that God receives the glory.” from Be Available: Judges

2. “‘Christ died,’ is only a fact in history, like ‘Napoleon died.’ The Gospel message is that ‘Christ died for our sins’ (1 Cor. 15:1–4, italics mine).” from Be Comforted: Isaiah

3. “Impatience was one of Israel’s besetting sins, and God was helping them learn patient obedience; for it’s through ‘faith and patience’ that God’s people inherit what He has promised (Heb. 6:12). God is never in a hurry. He knows what He’s doing, and His timing is never off.” from Be Strong: Joshua

4. “When believers have a godly ministry that exalts the Lord and obeys the Word, they are only too glad to bring their tithes and offerings to support it. A worldly ministry that seeks only to fulfill its own ambitions does not deserve the support of God’s people.” from Be Determined: Nehemiah

5. “If people can be sensible about these everyday matters, why can’t they be sensible about eternal matters, especially since the consequences are much more tragic?” from Be Decisive: Jeremiah

6. “The biggest thieves of all are the lazy people who could work but won’t, the people who consume what others produce but produce nothing for others to use. The ‘sluggard’ and the ‘slothful man’ are mentioned at least seventeen times in Proverbs, and nothing good is said about them.” from Be Skillful: Proverbs

7. “‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Ps. 46:10) is a wonderful antidote for a restless spirit. The Hebrew word translated ‘be still’ means ‘take your hands off, relax.’ It’s so easy for us to get impatient with the Lord and start meddling in matters that we ought to leave alone. He is God, and His hands can accomplish the impossible. Our hands may get in the way and make matters worse.” from Be Committed: Ruth & Esther

8. “There is true consolation in our faith, but it is not dispensed in convenient doses like cough medicine. It can be shared only by those who know what it’s like to be so far down in the pit that they feel as though God has abandoned them. If you want to be a true comforter, there is a price to pay; and not everybody is willing to pay it. Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 1:3–11.” from Be Patient: Job

9. “For some people, life may be monotonous and meaningless; but it doesn’t have to be. For the Christian believer, life is an open door, not a closed circle; there are daily experiences of new blessings from the Lord. True, we can’t explain everything; but life is not built on explanations: it’s built on promises—and we have plenty of promises in God’s Word!” from Be Satisfied: Ecclesiastes

10. “The fact that God devoted an entire book of the Bible to the subject of holiness would indicate that it’s an important subject, one that we dare not ignore.” from Be Holy: Leviticus

You can find all these quotes in the 27-volume Warren Wiersbe’s Old Testament “Be” Series, a powerful and readable commentary collection. The “Be” series expounds on Scripture in Wiersbe’s pastoral voice—it’s as much devotional literature as it is verse-by-verse illumination.

We also have the Warren W. Wiersbe Collection (17 vols.) on Pre-Pub. This collection is packed with enriching books like:

• 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith
  
• The Bumps Are What You Climb On: Encouragement for Difficult Days
• Old Testament Words for Today: 100 Devotional Reflections from the Bible
• And 14 more

Get this collection while it’s on Pre-Pub and save a bundle!