Should I use Bible tabs? 10 reasons why you should!
I avoided using Bible tabs for years. But once I finally gave them a try, everything changed. Now, whenever I'm asked, "Should I use Bible tabs?" I always answer with a resounding and confident: "YES!"
It seems silly to say, but labeling the books of the Bible has grown my confidence because I'm no longer fumbling around for the passage when the pastor or someone in my small group references a verse.
I can focus on my spiritual journey instead of feeling bad about not "keeping up."
➡️ Tutorial: How to put on Bible tabs (with photos and tips)
I never learned the names or order of all the books growing up, so using stick-on tabs has given me confidence in ways I never expected.
I found the same was true with the youth group I led. When the pastor read a passage, my students could quickly turn to the specific verse.
Many were hesitant to open their Bible pages at first, but with tabs, they started highlighting favorite verses.
That's a win in my book!
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10 reasons why you should tab your Bible
Should you tab your Bible? Yes! I know it seems weird to say, but tabs have grown my confidence and helped me focus on my faith journey.
Table of Contents ▼
1. Reading your Bible is easier
With 73 books in the Catholic Bible and 66 in the Protestant Bible, it can be challenging to remember where each book is located in sequence.
Bible tabs remove the friction of finding what you're looking for — you can quickly flip the pages of your Bible to find the specific passage.
2. Bible tabs can boost your confidence.
I've never been able to memorize the books of the Bible, and I often feel lost when a reading jumps ahead too quickly.
Seeing a visual map of the Bible is helpful during Bible studies, daily Bible readings, and whenever I want to look up a Scripture.
➡️ Tutorial: How to put on Bible tabs (with photos and tips)
I bought Bible tabs for the youth group I led a few years back. It grew their confidence (and mine!) as they could quickly find and highlight their favorite Bible verses.
3. Quick access to Scripture.
Bible tabs encourage you to cross-reference verses or Scripture stories, because it's easy to look up references when all you have to do is flip back and forth.
One of the eye-opening experiences of reading the full Bible is how interconnected the books are; some scholars estimate around 63,000 cross-references!
4. You're more likely to read the Bible.
This is purely my opinion and based on anecdotal evidence.
I've noticed that the people who take the time to add Bible tabs are also the ones who take the time to read their Bible.
5. Tabs extend the life of your Bible.
If the Bible has super-thin pages, Bible tabs can be a helpful tool.
If you’re just grabbing the page of a new Bible chapter or book, the pages can feel fragile and easily tear (I know from experience).
When you add Bible tabs, the pages are less likely to tear (although they still might).
I applied Bible tabs to the Great Adventure Bible and wrote a tutorial about how to put them on.
6. Simple application process.
I was intimidated at first, but using Bible tabs is not as painful as it might seem.
While it might feel overwhelming (there are a lot of books to index!), the process is actually pretty simple.
Here's my tutorial on how to put on Bible tabs (with photos and tips).
7. Different colors add personality.
There's a range of colors, styles, and fonts now available.
For my youth group girls, I bought bright colors in pink and teal. Meanwhile, our college boy recently bought black Bible tabs.
And I recently grabbed the Great Adventure Bible tabs, which were among the resources I purchased to read and listen along to the Fr. Mike Schmitz's “Bible in a Year’ podcast.
8. Extra tabs allow you to customize.
Many Bibles today come with additional resources (such as this apologetics Bible, which has 90 articles by some of the leading apologists of our day).
Adding custom labels to blank tabs makes finding these references a breeze. Some labels come with pre-written extra tabs, while others are blank.
9. Bible tabs are affordable.
I've seen cheap versions for around $5 and higher-quality labels for around $20.
They make a great gift for a new believer or to give a friend who’s diving into the Bible for the first time.
10. You can add them to any Bible.
Tabs are versatile: Add them to children's Bibles, devotional Bibles, apologetic Bibles, or one of the many study Bibles available.
I recently added tabs to the Great Adventure Bible, which I'm reading alongside Fr. Mike Schmitz's "Bible in a Year" podcast.
Looking for Christian resources?
Great Adventure Bible resources
➡️ Explore Fr. Mike Schmitz “Bible in a Year” resources.
➡️ Review: Great Adventure Bible tabs
➡️ Tutorial: How to put on Bible tabs (with photos and tips)
Apologetics books
➡️ The best apologetics study Bible
➡️ Our guide to the best 27 apologetics books
➡️ Lead youth? Check out the 10 best apologetics books for teens
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Mackenzie Ryan Walters is the author of “Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story,” which shares Christian testimonies and stories, as well as curated lists about Christian books, gifts, and more. A national award-winning former journalist who’s covered a presidential campaign, been inside NASA, and reported on education and schools, Mackenzie now edits the Faith Storytellers website and is passionate about lifting up and sharing the story God is writing in the world.