The Bible is full of stories, thousands of them in fact, but it’s also one big story. The Bible is the story of God and His people and it’s The Greatest Story Ever Told.
Nathan Finochio (part of our Hillsong team), set the challenge of reading the entire Bible in 30 days. The purpose, Nathan said, “Is to see the shape of the “tree” as opposed to studying “leaves.” When we study just one verse or passage of scripture it’s like looking at one leaf. When we read the whole Bible, we step back, see the whole tree and can see the big picture.
We took this concept, read the entire Bible in 30 days ourselves (Wow! It’s 2+ hours of reading a day!), and then set about creating our latest Hillsong Kids BIG Curriculum – The Greatest Story Ever Told. This series covers the entire Bible in 9 lessons looking at the major themes of Salvation, Rescue, God’s provision, Obedience, God’s Kingdom, The Gospel, Living for God and The Church and Christ’s Return. Children are reminded that God’s story is still being written and they are part of it!
Children begin to learn the Bible story by story, usually the popular ones often repeated; Creation, Jonah and the Big Fish, Moses and the Burning Bush and Feeding the 5,000. As a child I remember the moment when it all seemd to click into place, when I could understand where in the ‘big story’ of the Bible all these smaller stories fit. We wanted to create a resource that helped children see how it all fits together. Each lesson of The Greatest Story Ever Told builds a timeline, visually representing what happned when. At the end of 9 lessons you’ll have a huge wall poster to display and look back on.
The Bible is not just a book, it’s The Greatest Story Ever Told. The series is presented in the story arc of an epic movie. The Origin story of God’s people, The Opening Scene of Creation, The tension of the fall and our need to be rescued. Next, The Hero Rises – Jesus our Saviour, The Chosen One. Then, Never Ending – The adventure of the spread of the Gospel and the anticipation that Jesus is once again Coming Soon…
So, can you teach children the entire Bible in 9 lessons? Maybe, we certainly gave it our best!
If you want to read the whole Bible in 30days yourself check out the 30 Day Shred Reading Plan on YouVersion.
If you want to teach the Children of your ministry the whole Bible in 9 lessons check out Hillsong Kids BIG The Greatest Story Ever Told.
May 4 2017
