In the Olive Tree Bible App, the Resource Guide helps you quickly access all relevant study material for the passage you’re reading—without needing to manually search through your library.
This article explains what the Resource Guide does, how to open it, what each section includes, and how to customize it to fit your study workflow.
What Is the Resource Guide?
The Resource Guide is part of the Study Center, which organizes several key study tools in one place:
- Resource Guide
- Parallel
- Notes
- Lookup
The Resource Guide automatically gathers and displays content from your library that relates to the passage currently open in your main Bible window. This includes commentaries, cross references, maps, notes, and more.
How to Open the Resource Guide
- Select Open Study Center.
- Select Resource Guide.
Once opened, the Resource Guide will display multiple sections of content related to the Bible text you are viewing in the main window.
Understanding the Resource Guide Sections
Each section contains a different type of study material. A number next to a resource indicates how many related items are available for the current passage.
Related Verses
This section shows cross references—similar to what you might see in the margins of a printed Bible. Select a Bible to view the cross references from that translation.
After selecting a Bible, you can see the cross references. Select a reference to read it in a pop-up window.
Commentaries
Access commentary content and study Bible notes in the Commentaries section:
- Select a resource to open it.
- Choose a specific section if the commentary covers a larger passage.
Bibles
This section allows you to view another Bible translation alongside your main text.
- Select your desired translation.
Videos
This section displays BibleProject videos related to the passage you’re reading.
- Tap a video to open and watch it.
Select this icon to open the video in full screen:
For more information on accessing and setting up videos, see the Video help article.
People, Topics, and Places
Find dictionary and reference articles connected to your passage.
- People: Key figures mentioned in the text
- Topics: Theological or thematic subjects
- Places: Geographic locations
Select an entry to open a full article from your resources.
Maps, Charts, and Images
This section gathers visual resources like maps, charts, and images that relate to your passage.
Select any item to view it in detail.
- Map example:
- Charts example:
- Image example:
Sermons
Here you’ll find sermons from your library that correspond to the passage in view, giving you additional teaching and study insight.
- Select a sermon to view it.
Outlines
Outlines provide a structured overview of a chapter or book.
- Select a resource from the Outlines section.
Introductions
Introductions offer background information on books of the Bible. They may include details on authorship, historical context, and themes.
- Select a resource to view an introduction.
Notes and Tags
This section displays your personal study content connected to the passage, including notes and tagged items that you’ve created while reading.
- Notes: These are created from verse references or highlights. See the Notes Help article for more details on creating and managing notes.
- Tags: These are labels you’ve applied to organize and group your study content. See the Tags help article for more details on using tags effectively.
Select any item to open, review, or edit it.
Using the Link Feature
Many sections include a link icon that controls how the Resource Guide syncs with your Bible:
-
Locked: The Resource Guide updates automatically as you scroll your Bible
-
Unlocked: You can browse independently without changing your main passage. Click this icon to re-link.
Customizing the Resource Guide
You can adjust the Resource Guide to match your preferences.
Access Settings
- Select the Settings icon.
- Select Advanced Settings.
- Select Resource Guide.
Enable or Disable Sections
- Select the green slider next to 'On' to disable a section in the Resource Guide. You can also turn on a section that has already been disabled.
- You can also choose which resources appear within each section. Select Advanced View.
- Once you have selected a section of the Resource Guide, you can choose whether this section shows up or not by selecting the green slider next to On.
- Within an enabled section, you can choose whether the resources listed show up in the Resource Guide or not by selecting the green slider next to each resource. When a resource is disabled, the slider will show white and say 'Off'.
Reorder Sections
- Select a section in the Resource Guide list in Advanced Settings.
- Click and drag sections or resources into your preferred order.
This allows you to prioritize the content you use most.
Summary
The Resource Guide helps you:
- Quickly access relevant study material
- View multiple resource types in one place
- Stay focused on your current passage
- Customize your study experience
If you have questions or need additional help, contact Customer Support at support@olivetree.com.