INTRODUCTION

• Christians believe that the overarching story of life is told within the pages of the Bible, the greatest storybook ever written. It is the springboard and source of all of the other smaller stories we enjoy watching, reading about, and living. The story of Scripture comes to us in seven episodes: 1) Creation. 2) Crisis. 3) Calling. 4) Conversation. 5) Christ. 6) Community. 7) Consummation. When we read the story of the Bible, we are confronted with an inescapable question: what role will we play in the story? If we really believe this story to be true, it will change the way we live.

OPEN

• What is one of your favorite stories (in a book, movie, etc.) and why?

• Discuss John Eldredge’s comment that many of the elements of our favorite stories are borrowed from a larger story, the story that we read of in the Bible. In light of your favorite stories, do you agree or disagree?

DIG

• Of the seven episodes of the Story (creation, crisis, calling, conversation, Christ, community, consummation), which interests you most? How does this framework shed new light on Scripture for you?

• What parts of the story have you tended to emphasize? What parts of the story have you tended to neglect? Why?

• What are the consequences of emphasizing certain parts of the story to the neglect of others?

• How might understanding Scripture as story ignite a passion in you for studying it?

• What is the difference in reading the Bible for information as opposed to reading for transformation? Which type of reading might Scripture as story encourage?

• Consider God’s call to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. How does this smaller story change the way you think about the larger story as a whole?

REFLECT

• What does it mean to “play a part” or “choose a role” in the great story of life? What are different roles available for you to play in God’s story?

• If you really believed this story to be true, how would you live differently?

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION

• Eldredge, John. Epic: The Story God is Telling and the Role that is Yours to Play. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004.

• McLaren, Brian D. The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.


Charles Kiser