Through the Bible, God is telling one single story. It is the story of his triumph, the story of his glory, the story of his covenant with his people, the people from all over the earth. In discipling others, it is critically important that we are able to tell God’s story and to tell it in a way that others can tell it as well.

The Story – Illustrated

One of the tools that we like to use is a set of illustrations, a series of small drawings, to help us remember the various sections of the Bible and the stories within each of those sections. The illustrations are not necessarily comprehensive of the entire story, but as we read the individual stories, we can begin to see where the stories fit into the illustration and begin to make connections from one story to the next. Here is an illustration that you can use and begin to practice so that you can tell the story yourself:

Below is a summary of the meaning for each element. However, when you are telling the story using the illustrations, try to tell the story truly as a story, tying one element together. As you practice and as you read each of the stories from the Bible, you will become more fluid in your ability to tell the story from beginning to end.

Beginnings Story

• God creates man, then sin enters and breaks the relationship between God and man.
• Abraham leaves home and goes to where God shows him.
• God shows Abraham the stars in the sky at night and says “So will your descendants be.”
• God gives Abraham a son through whom the Nation of Israel begins.

Deliverance Story

• After the Israelites are delivered from slavery in Egypt, God gave their leader Moses the 10 commandments and the Law for the people.
• God’s people, Israel wander around for 40 years and then finally enter the promise land.
• Joshua commits to serving God only and leading the people into the promise land.
• The leaders led the people closer to or further away from God.

Kings and Prophets Story

• The People demand to have a king, so God gives them a King – King Saul was first.
• After Saul, David became King. He was not perfect but he was a man after God’s heart.
• There was division among the people which caused a split kingdom between Northern Israel and Southern Judah.
• God gave His people prophets who called them to turn back to God from their sin. They spoke of Judgement and a future Messiah King who would come.

Jesus Story

• At the right time, God came down to Earth in the form of a man – the son of God, Jesus the Messiah.
• Jesus did many miracles proving He was God, including calming a storm. He was stronger than, and ruled over nature, demons, disease, and even death.
• Jesus taught the people how to come to God the Father through him. He said, “my sheep hear my voice and come to me.”
• Jesus was an innocent man, but gave up his life on a criminal’s cross to pay for people’s sin. Three days later he came back to life and ascended as King back to heaven.

Jesus’s Followers Story

• Jesus’ followers stayed in Jerusalem waiting for Jesus’ promised Holy Spirit who would empower them to witness and make disciples of Jesus. He came and they did!
• Jesus followers take Jesus’ good news from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the
  ends of the earth.
• As people became disciples of Jesus, they gathered as communities of believers called churches. Churches multiplied everywhere.
• Jesus promised He will come again when everyone in the world has heard the Good news that He is the only way back to God.

Reading the Big Story

To understand how God wants us to understand his story, we should read the story in its entirety. The entire Bible! However, for our purposes, we have included a series of stories to help us walk through various highlights so that we are able to retell the story and understand the details within the story that we are retelling for others. Here are the stories that we recommend, including some stories that may be optional.

As you gather with other people, we suggest that you follow the 3/3rds Group pattern, making sure to also spend time talking about how each story fits into the overall Big Story and the connections that we can see between one story or one section in the story to another.

Beginnings Story

• Creation – Genesis 1:1-2:3
• The Fall – Genesis 3:1-13, 14-24
• Noah and the flood – Genesis 6:5 – 9:17
• Call and covenant with Abraham – Genesis 12:1-9, 15:1-21
• Abraham’s sacrifice – Genesis 22:1-19
• Story of Joseph (optional)
  • Joseph is sold – Genesis 37
  • Potiphar’s house – Genesis 39
  • In prison with cup bearer and baker – Genesis 40
  • Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams – Genesis 41
  • Brothers come to Egypt – Genesis 42
  • Come on second journey – Genesis 43
  • Silver cup left in sack – Genesis 44
  • Joseph reveals himself to his brothers – Genesis 45
  • Jacob (Israel) goes to Egypt – Genesis 46
  • Israel become slaves in Egypt – Genesis 47:1-27
  • What you intended for evil, God intended for good – Genesis 50:15-21

Deliverance Story

• The Burning Bush – Exodus 3:1-22
• The Plagues (single lesson)
  • Prediction of killing firstborn – Exodus 4:21-23
  • Blood – Exodus 7:19-21
  • Frogs – Exodus 8:2-4
  • Gnats – Exodus 8:16-17
  • Flies – Exodus 8:20-21
  • Livestock – Exodus 9:1-4
  • Boils – Exodus 9:8-9
  • Hail – Exodus 9:16-18
  • Locusts – Exodus 10:4-6
  • Darkness – Exodus 10:21-23
  • Firstborn – Exodus 11:1-5
  • The Passover – Exodus 12:21-42
• Escaping Egypt – Exodus 14:10-31
• The Ten Commandments
• Obey me and keep my covenant – Exodus 19:3-6
• Moses on Mount Sinai – Exodus 19:20-25
• The Commandments – Exodus 20:1-21
• The Sacrificial System – Leviticus 4:1-35
• The Golden Calf – Exodus 32:1-35
• The Israelites Rebel – Numbers 14:1-38
• Entering the Promised Land: Joshua 3:1-4:24

Kings and Prophets Story

• Israel demands a king – 1 Samuel 8:1-22
• Samuel anoints David – 1 Samuel 16:1-13
• God’s covenant with David – 2 Samuel 7:1-17
• Isaiah’s call – Isaiah 6:1-13
• The coming Messiah – Isaiah 53
• Daniel interprets the coming kingdom – Daniel 2
• We worship and serve only one God – Daniel 3
• Jonah is sent to Nineveh to call them to repentance – Jonah 1:1-2:10

Jesus’s Story

• An angel appears to Mary – Luke 1:26-38
• Jesus is baptized – John 1:19-34
• The temptation of Christ – Matthew 4:1-11
• Jesus calls his first disciples – Matthew 4:18-22
• Jesus meets with Nicodemus – John 3:1-15
• Jesus and the Samaritan woman – John 4:4-42
• Jesus calms the storm – Mark 4:35-41
• Jesus has the authority to forgive sins – Luke 5:17-26
• Jesus casts out evil spirits – Mark 5:1-20
• Jesus resurrects Lazarus – John 11:1-44
• The Lord’s Supper – Matthew 26:26-30
• Jesus is betrayed and condemned – John 18:1-19:16
• Jesus is crucified – Luke 23:32-56
• Jesus is resurrected – Luke 24:36-49

Christ’s followers story

• The Holy Spirit is given to the disciples and the first church – Acts 2:1-47
• Stephen is martyred and persecution breaks out – Acts 7:54-8:3
• Paul’s conversion – Acts 9:1-19
• Peter understands that Jesus opened the door to the Gentiles – Acts 11:1-18
• The Philippian jailer – Acts 16:16-34
• Paul has completed his work – Romans 15:18-24
• John’s vision of Jesus Christ – Revelation 1:9-20
• All of heaven worships the Lamb – Revelation 5:1-10