Tag Archive for: Bible

Episode 14: Genesis to Revelation – The 6 Act Story of the Bible

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In our previous episode we argued that the Bible is primarily a unified story, but how does that story actually work? Today we do our best to summarize the 6 ‘acts’ of the Bible’s story:

Act 1: World’s Genesis
Act 2: Humanity’s Rebellion
Act 3: Israel’s Quest
Act 4: King’s Advent
Act 5: Community’s Calling
Act 6: God’s Homecoming

This is a bulky episode covering a lot of content, so feel free to take a couple breaks and process it if you need.

‘Venn Diagram’ Illustration Alex mentioned in Act 5: https://bit.ly/3iNqL8O

Read more: https://instituteforbiblereading.org/drama-of-the-bible/
The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen: http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-drama-of-scripture-2nd-edition/231504
The New Testament and the People of God by N.T. Wright pp 139-143

J.R. Briggs Joins IFBR Board of Advisors

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We’re excited to welcome J.R. Briggs as the newest member of our Board of Advisors!

J.R. is the Founder of Kairos Partnerships, an organization dedicated to equipping and partnering with hungry leaders in their health and development. He also serves as an affiliate faculty member at Missio Seminary in Philadelphia and on the Board of Directors for Jerusalem University College.

He has authored several books including The Sacred Overlap and Fail.

“While the Bible is widely available, it is often misunderstood and neglected. I’m grateful for IFBR and its strategic, intentional, and creative work to equip people to engage with the entire story of Scripture. This vision is exciting and contagious, and it serves a significant need today. Few things are as important in our day and age than this effort.”

Our Senior Director of Content, Glenn Paauw, was recently interviewed on J.R.’s Monday Morning Pastor podcast. Check out his interview (which starts around 12:15) here:

Episode 13: The Bible is a Story. Here’s Why That Matters

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People hear “story” and think “fairy tale.” But stories are everywhere, and they play a definitive role in who we are. The Bible’s claim is that it’s the true story of the entire world – here’s why that matters.

5 Worldview Questions:

  1. Who Are We?
  2. Where Are We?
  3. What Is Wrong?
  4. What Is The Solution?
  5. What Time Is It?

*Borrowed from N.T. Wright’s The New Testament and the People of God pp 132-133

Episode 12: Christmas Special – The One Where We Ruin the Nativity Scene

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The traditional Christmas story is well-established in Christian imagination: Mary and Joseph arrive in the town of Bethlehem as strangers, only to find “no room in the inn.” With nowhere to go, they find shelter in a lonely stable and Christ is born into the company of livestock.

But what if that story has been shaped more by Christian tradition than what’s actually in the text? We take an in-depth look at the birth of Christ as told in Luke’s gospel and unpacked by Dr. Kenneth Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. With a keen understanding of ancient Near Eastern culture and Greek language, Bailey helps us see a much more realistic version of the Christmas story, full of richness and beauty that has been overlooked for centuries.

Click here to download the excerpt of Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, generously provided by InterVarsity Press

Sign up for the IFBR Christmas devotional: https://instituteforbiblereading.org/christmas/

Episode 11: How Reading Together Changes Communities w/ Pastor Chris Morrison

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“What became clear immediately was how different our discussions were about God’s Word.”

We’ve spent the past few episodes talking about why community Bible reading and organic conversations make all the sense in the world, but what difference does it actually make?

Pastor Chris Morrison’s church was the very first church to try Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience, and it completely changed how they interact together around Scripture. Chris joined us to talk about their experience.

Watch Chris’ video story: https://instituteforbiblereading.org/church-read-entire-bible-immerse/