Have you ever picked up the Bible and felt lost in the massive text in front of you? The Bible is both God’s story and his Word to his people, but when you read a verse or a chapter, do you understand what he is saying?
As we go through this study together, we want to help give you a big picture of what each part of the Bible means and give you a better understanding of how to approach it. First and foremost, you are not alone in navigating this big book of Scripture. Each word was written by humans but was inspired by God. This means that God, through the Holy Spirit, commissioned human authors to write his Word. Therefore, as you dive into Scripture, ask him to speak to you. God has given you the Holy Spirit as your helper, and he will not leave you with his story in your hands without a guide to help you understand it. As you open your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you.
The Bible allows us to see God’s presence throughout history. From the first words of creation until today, a pattern within humanity of fellowship-rebellion-exile-restoration has repeated itself. Seeing this same pattern in our own lives, we come to terms with the reality that our struggles are universal and there is only one redeemer capable of rescue. The Bible is one big story of God rescuing his people.
The basic story line of the Bible is:
- Creation: God created everything, and he had a plan.
- The Fall: Humans screwed it up. We wanted to go our own way, and selfishness spread to all humanity, which means every single person is born into sin. There is an enemy that spoke into that selfishness and speaks into our lives today.
- Flood: There was judgment and a flood—a reset where Noah and the animals survived. Given the chance, humanity again completely screwed it up. But God redeemed the story with a chosen people.
- Covenant people through Israel: He began a new story through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A baby is born to Abraham in his old age and that baby would be the seed that would eventually lead to Jesus.
- Jesus the Messiah: Jesus, the Messiah, is born into the people of Israel. He put the sins of the earth on his shoulders and died for our sins so we could live forever with God.
- The Church: Today, the church is the family of God. All those who have trusted in Jesus. That church is supposed to be about one thing: giving the great hope of Jesus away.
- Our Hope: There is a future hope that is coming. We’re going to be with Jesus forever in the new heavens and new earth. We are the family of God. So, our purpose here is joining the story of God and giving it away.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells this story, but when you open up the table of contents and see sixty-six different books, how do they all fit together? What order are they in and why? Whether you are new to the Bible—or you just need help remembering how it all fits together—we are going to give you a big overview of the books of the Bible so that you know how to understand what you’re reading when you open this big book.
We live in between Jesus revealed and Jesus returning. With the Bible, we hold in our hands God’s expression of the full arc of his grace, and our most useful tool for both getting to know God and discovering our calling. Thanks be to God.
Knowing that God’s plan will come to completion, with nothing that can through that off it’s tracks, for we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, I want to know how to walk before Him until my joyful time comes when I will stand before Him and see His eyes and be with Him forever! To show Him my gratitude for all He has done in saving and welcoming me, I want to know how to walk and what ‘acceptable service’ looks like as one of His children, but also to a further level, as one of His daughters. Knowing what is good and pleasing to Him, through reading the pages of His book that He has by His mercy and grace, shared with us. I want to focus on what are our Lords thoughts on things and what are His and plans, rather than on what my own thoughts and plans are… I hope to align with Him more and more.
It is comforting to me to that God’s purposes and plans are for my good. It makes me want to know and understand Him more.. through understanding the whole Bible and all that He has done and experiencing his character more thoroughly.
I like to think that knowing my story is already written, I just have to be patient and trust in the Lord because of the fact that nothing is a surprise to Him. I can appreciate that all He says and does shows proof in the bible so I hunger to read more about His goodness.
The author of this study noted above that the Bible is God’s expression of the "full arc" of His grace. I look forward to being reminded and uncovering His goodness in familiar and unexpected places as we go through this study.
Just knowing that nothing can separate you from God’s love is amazing, it makes me wanna share Him to everyone. How such a big God, has me(so little) in His agenda
It motivates me by knowing that God is always available for me even on the days I fail to be available for Him. No matter the circumstances, the word of God is always available at any time and I can be in God’s presence whenever I want for as long as I want.
That statement gives me much hope and love for my Father in Heaven.
It gives me hope, and confidence knowing that he will return for me. It shows me Grace with my sins. A feeling that those that I loved that have passed away and taught me Jesus are not gone, I will see them again. IT is also a sense of reality, every part of the Bible happened, and there is still a verse or story that needs to be told and also applies to my daily life.
-Molli (15) and Mom
It make me feel secure in him. Trust him.
It makes me hopeful as a returning believer in God that I too can become a disciple of Jesus and bring others into His loving arms. So that they too can feel the Love He has for them as I felt when I asked Him to come into my heart. ❤️💜💚🤍
Knowing that God’s story and plan cannot be hindered or change brings me such comfort. God is the one and only thing in my life that I can rely on 200% of the time to never ever let me down. Even the people that I love the most in my life disappoint me or upset me, or let me down every once in a while. But not God. God is perfect. And his plan, his perfect plan, to save me, and to save the world, cannot be changed or influenced. This makes me want to spend more time in the word getting to know even more the God that loves me more than I can even begin to fathom.