Story through the Bible as a Family
Any teenager with a cell phone can post a Bible verse to Facebook with the touch of a button. Verse after verse after verse, we catch segmented glimpses of God’s Word, rarely making sense of the big picture. The Bible is not just a big book comprised of thousands of chapters and verses. It is one story of creation, fall and redemption.
As a missionary in South America, I was challenged to present the Gospel to a native tribe that couldn’t read. They were oral learners in love with storytelling. I could not simply read a verse here or a verse there. I couldn’t pick a book of the Bible and exegetically preach my way through the text.
“Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We had to find a way for this oral, native people group to hear the word of Christ.
Like many missionaries, we began storying through the Bible, chronologically, from Genesis 1 through the New Testament. We would tell the stories of creation, Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, the tower of Babel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, and the prophets. We told the story of the incarnation, John the Baptist’s ministry, the calling of the disciples, and the life and ministry of Jesus, giving special attention to Jesus’ teachings, miracles, love, deity, power, commands, death, burial, and resurrection.
This missional presentation of the Gospel, Chronological Bible Storying, is not just for the native tribes of the Amazon Jungle. It’s also needed in our homes.
The International Mission Board has a storying cloth that can be ordered and then used for your family devotions.
Let your spouse or children hold the cloth while you Biblically teach the stories that match each picture. This year, be the missionary to your family. Begin with Genesis 1, and lead your family through the Biblical narrative of creation, fall and redemption.
Jonathan Williams is the founder of Gospel Family Ministries and the Senior Pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church, a multi-ethnic church of 44 nations located in Houston, TX.
