Wear this book out!

Needless to say, there is a great deal to say about each of those themes, but when we understand these basics, we can see the Bible as God intended it: His story for all the world.

There are some really good resources to help see this story. Let me mention three of them here:

The Story of God, The Story of Us by Sean Gladding.

You will meet some great characters in historical settings who go about telling you God’s story in their context.  This is a great way to experience God’s Story as others may have experienced it in other generations.

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

This is not just for the kids–we can all gain a great deal from reading this engaging presentation of God’s story. Not to mention it is a beautifully drawn book (yes, I am married to an artist!).

The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight.

That is Scot with 1 “t”. This is slightly more academic, but don’t be intimidated. It is named after a bird. What this book does is help set the stage for reading the Bible as a story.

Most importantly is reading the story itself. I am thrilled that enough of you took Bibles on Sunday that we will be buying more to restock! Get a Bible, read it, and let it become a part of you. If it is too intimidating right now, get one of the kids bibles that we have that gives you the basic story in an easy to digest format, then move up. If you have a kid, its the perfect time to read with them. If you don’t have a kid, borrow one and read the Bible with them (make sure you ask their parents first!).

Start simple with you reading. I always suggest starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). They are all four right together in your Bible. One good way to do it is to read one Chapter per day from Matthew, Mark and Luke (a total of three chapters per day). When you finish one, start reading a chapter from John. Make sure you read three chapters each day, and as you finish Mark (day 16), Luke (day 24), and Matthew (day 28) you read an extra chapter of John so that you are still reading three chapters each day. By the end of the month, you will have read each of the Gospels which tell the story of Jesus!

Finally, we are gearing up for StoryTime on October 16. This will be a one evening session where we learn in detail the basics of God’s story, our story, and the story the whole world needs. Sign up online or at Cornerstone to be a part of this evening.