Welcome to the One Great Story! () von George B. Thompson

The Bible is not easy to figure out! Churches are filled with adults who are too embarrassed to admit their sketchy knowledge, and jumbled impressions, of biblical material. Even seminary-trained pastors struggle to get a handle on the flow of the Scriptures from beginning to end. No wonder so many people give up on the Bible--and even the church.This book claims that what gives the Bible its overarching integrity and lasting value is a narrative, a storyline. Readers who approach the Bible with narrative in mind will discover from Genesis to Revelation a story that begins at a certain point, establishes a theme; develops, continues, and adapts that theme; and reaches a resolution (of sorts!). Rather than a book-by-book treatment of the Bible, this book identifies and traces a Story that stretches across the corpus of the canon, a Story in which divine promise and human response constantly define each episode. Text boxes, reflection questions, chapter questions, and activities encourage the reader to engage with content at more than one level all along the way. Engaging with the Bible can become exhilarating and gratifying!

George B. Thompson Jr. is a Presbyterian Church (USA) pastor who served on a seminary faculty for fourteen years, still teaches pastors and adults in churches, and coaches pastors in congregational transformation. His educational training includes a doctorate in biblical interpretation, and he has published several books for churches and pastors. He and his wife Beverly coauthored the Wipf& Stock titleReady to Lead: Harnessing the Energy in You and around You (2015).