The story of the bible is a unified story that leads people to Jesus. This series is designed to help us know the bible better and how we might use the bible to become faithful and passionate disciples of Jesus. |
The Word | Introduction
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This series is designed to help us see that the Bible is at its most basic, the revelation of who God is, what God has done, and how we, God’s people can respond. It is a revelation that covers centuries of history, the whole spectrum of topics, it is written in history, poetry, prophecy and myth (more on that word later). The Bible is a source of strength and hope and joy – because at its root is the revelation that there is purpose to the entirety of creation. We are not mistakes, coincidences, or by products of cosmic dust – and in understanding this we are free to explore our purpose, life’s purpose and understand that we have value because we are here by the design of a loving and gracious creator.
Transcript available here: The Word - Introduction |
The Word | Study Notes
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7th Jan - Week 1: The Old Testament as Israel's Testimony
Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 14th Jan - Week 2: The God who creates Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 21st Jan - Week 3: The God who promises Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 28th Jan - Week 4: The God who delivers Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 4th Feb - Week 5: The God who commands Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) |
7th April - The Torah - Wk 1 - Intro
Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 14th April - The Torah - Wk 2 - Genesis pt 1 Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 21st April - The Torah - Wk 3 - Genesis pt 2 Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 5th May - The Torah - Wk 4 - Exodus Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 12th May - The Torah - Wk 5 - Leviticus Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 19th May - The Torah - Wk 6 - Numbers Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 26th May - The Torah - Wk 7 - Deuteronomy Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) |
9th June - History -Wk 1 - Intro
Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 23rd June - History - Wk 2 - Joshua Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 30th June - History - Wk 3 - Judges Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 7th July - History - Wk 4 - Ruth Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) 15th & 22nd July - History - Wks 5&6 - 1&2 Samuel Study Notes: (docx) (pdf) |
The Word | Videos & Transcripts
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Week One - An introduction to the Torah
Week Three - The Word: Genesis 12 - 17 - The call of Abraham
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Week Two - The Word: Genesis 1-11
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The Word Intro Series | Videos & Transcripts
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The story of creation, election, redemption, liberation, and salvation. The OT is one long testimony to what God has done – and this is the defining characteristic of Israel’s God – the one that separates them from all the other gods and nations. Israel’s God is a God who does things. In this video David introduces the Old Testament and how it can be seen as Israel's testimony. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 1 - The OT as Testimony Israel as a nation dates its foundations back hundreds of years before it came into being. God promises that He will bless Abraham and give him an inheritance that will become a might nation and a blessing to others. Throughout its formative years and later into the prophets Israel would appeal to this remarkable promise – and come to understand that it would inevitably lead to them occupying a land flowing with milk and honey. In this video David explores the testimony of Israel of the faithful God who keeps His promises. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 3 - The God Who Promises The God who commands can conjure up visions of Charlton Heston playing Moses, receiving instructions on how to live from a stormy cloud, or we might think of the long list of rules and commandments in Exodus and Leviticus – but hopefully, as part of this series, we will start to see that this aspect of God’s character and of Israel’s testimony is far more than simply what we can or cannot do. This week we continue to look at the actions of God through Israel’s testimony – and this week we look at perhaps an aspect of God that is most often associated. The God who commands. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 5 - The God Who Commands |
For much of Christianity – both in history and in how Christians themselves think about creation – it can be thought of as a one time event. God is “creator” because in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… And whilst that is of course absolutely Biblical – were we to leave our understanding of a creator God in just those few verses in Gen. 1 – 2 we would miss out on what it means to know that God is creator. In this video David explore Israel's testimony of creation and God as our creator. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 2 - The God who creates In this video David explores with us Israel's testimony of the God who delivers. The story Israel had to share was a testimony that spoke of a nation whom God had delivered into a promised land to be a certain type of people. This God, Yahweh, had the power to deliver on all that He had promised. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 4 - The God Who Delivers Our final introductory week (yes you did read correctly), looks at another action of God in Israel’s testimony. This time round it is the God who leads. And as with all the other weeks where we have looked at God’s actions in and through Israel we could easily fall into the path of thinking this is so obvious – what could we possibly have to say about this. In this video David explores the God who leads as we re-read, reflect and re-imagine what God’s story needs to look like today. Transcript available here: The Word - Week 6 - The God Who Leads |
The Word | Lent Course
Over lent we have paused our Sunday sermon series but will continue to explore the bible as a unifying story that leads to Jesus during our lent course. If you are unable to attend then the teaching and various handouts will be published here for you to use.
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Week One: The Bible as Story
This week David and Emma introduce us to the big story of the bible and a useful framework from The Bible Course that helps us place stories in the wider narrative of scripture. Study Questions Handout Activity - You will need to print and cut this out Week Two: The Theme of God's Presence
This week David and Emma track some themes through scripture and focus on God's presence as a theme that develops throughout the big story of the bible. Study Questions Handout #1 Handout #2 Activity - You will need to print and cut this out and place it on the timeline Week Three: The Theme of Worship
This week David tracks the theme of worship through scripture and how that develops throughout the big story of the bible. Study Questions Handout #1 Activity - You will need to print and cut this out and place it on the timeline Week Four: The Theme of Kingdom
This week David tracks the theme of Kingdom through scripture and how that develops throughout the big story of the bible. Study Questions Handout #1 Activity - You will need to print and cut this out and place it on the timeline Week Five: How we read the bible
This week David explores the different ways we read and understand scripture. Transcript, Activity & Study Questions Handout #1 Week Six: Jesus! This week David tracks Jesus through scripture and how the bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. Study Questions Handout #1 |
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The Word | Praise
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If you're looking for a soundtrack to accompany this series or something to use in praise and worship, or even if you're just looking for some Christian music you may not have heard before, this playlist has been curated for you. The playlist is available on Youtube; just click the link on the right.
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The Word | Additional Resources
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The Bible Project
I love the Bible Project! I found out about them about them about 7-8 years ago when I stumbled across one of their brilliant videos. Since then I've also grown to love listening to their podcasts which are full of biblical teaching and answers so many questions I've had over the years. Perhaps the most valuable thing the Bible Project has done for me though, is to help me understand how to read the Bible; to see it as a unified story that leads to Jesus. I commend pretty much everything the Bible Project do but for this series I really recommend watching their series of videos on "How to Read the Bible". The videos on "The Story of the Bible" and "Design Patterns" I have found to be particularly helpful, not only in relation to this series, but also just in how I engage with scripture. Seriously check out their videos and if you have a bit more time their podcasts, they are brilliant. - Chris |
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The Bible For Normal People
This is a podcast by renowned Old Testament scholar Peter Enns. Whilst many of the episodes venture into wider discussion of theology and Christian life, there are also lots of episodes that speak about specific books of the Bible (usually titled “Pete ruins…. As Pete tries to challenge people to re-think what they know about certain biblical texts). One small caveat - not everything on every podcast is something I would wholeheartedly agree with. There are plenty of deliberately provocative opinions offered by Peter & Jared and their guests. It is a podcast designed to stretch our understanding as we wrestle with this Holy text. - David |
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The Word | Further Reading
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The Prophetic Imagination: Walter Brueggemann
If you want to know which book has most inspired me and challenged me to re-read scripture with new eyes it is this book. It is very “American” as Brueggemann attempts to almost shock the US church out of its privileged entitlement, it is also a book that on occasion needs to be read out loud to understand it! But if you can get past those 2 issues and you are someone who enjoys having their minds stretched to breaking point (who doesn’t!) then this book is for you. In short Brueggemann takes you on a journey from Moses to Solomon and demonstrates the beautiful vision God had for His people and how it battled with humanities attempts to make it work for them by ordering it to suit our agenda. Brueggemann proposes that a church that can grasp and wrestle with God’s vision for His people is one that will prophetically challenge the world, prophetically offer hope to the broken and prophetically live out lives that truly reflect the God they worship. |
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The Bible Jesus Read: Philip Yancey
Despite its title this is far more of a personal reflection on someone who has wrestled with how to read and apply the Old Testament. This book is not aimed at academia, it is far more of a testimony as to how we need to understand the context of the Old Testament in order to make the most of it - and importantly how it reveals to us who Jesus is. |
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The Bible Tells Me So: Peter Enns
The title of this book pretty sums up Enns’ ambition: Why defending scripture has made us unable to read it. Surprisingly it takes several chapters for the book to get round to the Bible itself, but that is because Enns is building a platform from which to argue. His humour can occasionally get in the way (no one needs to be this self-effacing or sarcastic in writing!) but once you are into the meat of the book it is genuinely eye-opening. Enns’ hope is that we as Christians can liberate the scriptures from their shackles and allow them to speak to us. It is a fairly easy read and not aimed at theology students. It is also clearly challenging the US Evangelical Right in his country to loosen their grip on some black and white issues. If you can take the principles of the book and see the bigger picture it is trying to paint then I believe this book is one of the best you can read on how we read and interpret scripture. |
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An introduction to the Old Testament: Canon and Christian Imagination: Walter Brueggemann
In case anyone is in danger of missing the point - I love Walter Brueggemann - so full disclaimer, this might be slightly biased. Second disclaimer - this book is definitely for those who love theology, love a bit of geekery and are happy to wade through hundred of pages slowly. It is also one of the most clear and informative overviews of the Old Testament. Drawing upon decades of experience as a Professor of Old Testament in some of the most prestigious universities, Brueggemann offers a sweeping tour de force as he imagines and re-imagines what the Old Testament might offer to a 21st century western Christian. It takes each book in turn and offers historical insight, theological views ranging from conservative to liberal and then brings it back to consider how we might best use this gift of scripture to know the heart and hope God offers to the world. It is big, wordy, fairly expensive and worth every effort to grapple with. |
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