The Bible as Novel?

Once a month there is a gathering of Evangelical Pastors in the Tri-State area (calling ourselves the Evangelical Christian Leaders Network). This is a great time of food, fellowship, and encouragement from other men in the trenches of ministry for the same area. Usually we have a few different guest presenters sharing their ministry or concept. Sometimes a counselor sharing needed skills for counseling, other times it's a Christian School sharing their vision for connection with local churches.

Today was a presentation by representatives from Zondervan Publishing about their new resource called The Story. Their advertisment says,  "The Story is an exciting all new church-wide experience that unites and equips participants, as they engage the Bible, reading like a novel as a seamless, compelling story." With the book you can get a plethora of information to use in small groups, Sunday School, children's ministry, and youth ministry. There are even sermons that you can use along with the book.

Let's make sure we understand this...this is a book that reads like a novel but is to help people engage the Bible. While this is definitely an interesting concept, what struck me most was the reason for this book...Bible illiteracy...that people actually aren't reading the Bible. Some find it too difficult, others boring. So this book is supposed to help those people be engaged in the Bible.

But things got difficult for me when local Pastors using The Story curriculum and book started describing their experience. For some it was an "awesome experience watching their church fall in love with The Story." Or "people that would never open their Bibles are now reading The Story." In fact, every Pastor pointed out that they loved the sermons that were based out of The Story curriculum.

I left there totally confused...We actually help Bible illiteracy by giving them a novel? Instead of teaching people how to study the Bible or what actually is in the Bible, we use a novel based "Bible" to make it easier for them to understand. It's like giving a teenager a picture book to read for English class. The way to help Bible illiteracy is to actually teach the Bible. Tell His Story...not preach a novel called The Story.

Please understand, i'm not saying there is anything wrong with creativity and helpful Bible aids. And honestly, I believe Zondervan probably has pure motives behind this book (it was originally tested by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee). In fact I actually love the flow of the topics of the book...it truly is a journey through the story of the Bible. This sounds great as a small group or Sunday School, but using this as a main source of the teaching ministry of the church...I believe lacks greatly. What do you do when you finish the 31 week study? Where do you turn then? Back to the Bible no one understands? Maybe the better option is too actually teach people the Bible. In fact, maybe that's why there's Bible illiteracy...because they aren't learning from the Bible in the first place. Instead we should teach them how to fall in love with the actual Book. Yes, appreciate the novel, but love the Book.

Hebrews Bible Study: Heb. 12 - Friday

Friday – Fire!

Focus passage: Hebrews 12:29

Read: 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; 1 Corinthians 3; Malachi 3

My family and I came home the other day to find out that we had no heat…we had run out of oil. Twenty degrees outside, maybe fifty inside, and we had to wait twenty four hours to get the oil delivered. Thankfully, we had a working fireplace in our living room and a great deal of wood to burn in our garage. We decided to make it a family campout in the living room. So we started a fire, raised the temperature and bunked out in the living room.

Honestly, I slept horribly. I was so focused on keeping the family warm. I was amazed at how quickly the wood burned in the fire…every 45 minutes another piece had to be added. This of course doesn’t make for a restful night. At one point, I sat there by the fire and watched in amazement that the fire was burning through the wood so rapidly but wasn’t burning the fireplace insert…at that moment it hit me…it all comes down to the substance of the material.

It was a great reminder of the picture painted of Christ in Hebrews 12. God is a consuming fire. A fire that will consume the substance unrelated to Him. What will be burned away and what will remain for His glory?


1. What amazes you most about fire? How does this description paint a clearer picture of the Lord?
2. How does the fact that God is a consuming fire affect your worship?

3. It’s interesting to note the connection between consuming fire and judgment. How does this fit the context of Hebrews 12? Why end this section referencing judgment?

Hebrews Bible Study: Heb. 12 - Thursday

Thursday – Shaken Not Stirred!

Focus Passage: Hebrews 12:27-28

Read: Isaiah 24; Revelation 6:12-17; Revelation 16:17-19

Probably the most well known earthquake of the last decade was last year’s earthquake in the country of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 catastrophic magnitude earthquake shook the country and the world. But it didn’t stop there, by the 24th, 52 aftershocks measured 4.5 or greater were recorded. An astounding 3 million people were affected…320,000 died.

One day it won’t just be a country, region, or Hemisphere, Scripture makes clear that the earth will be shaken…but Hebrews reveals that your life will also be shaken. In fact one day everything that can be shaken will be shaken (notice the text includes heaven itself). Why? So that only Christ and His kingdom will remain. So what in our lives will be shaken? What will remain?

1. The writer of Hebrews states that the things that will be shaken will be the things “that are made.” Why that description? What are some of things include in that description?


2. How should the fact that the Kingdom of Christ will not be shaken lead us to acceptable worship, with reverence and awe?

3. How do we offer to God worship, reverence and awe? In what ways could you improve your life of worship?

Hebrews Bible Study: Heb. 12 - Wednesday

Wednesday – The Heavenly Voice

Focus Passage: Hebrews 12:25-26

Read: Haggai 2:6-9; John 12:44-50

My high school shop teacher commanded and demanded respect. No student questioned or challenged his authority, at least not for long. One of the first things a freshman shop student would hear about was that he had a paddle that hung on the shop wall. It was made from 2” x 4” piece of wood with several one inch round holes drilled through it. As far as I know, he used it only once. He smashed it on a metal welding table, breaking it in two. Someone was acting up and he demanded to have their attention. No one refused to listen to Mr. Willie!

God commands a much greater amount of honor and authority. He warns us not to turn away from Him, His gospel, His gift, His son Jesus. How well do we listen and act upon that voice from heaven? We will not escape if we refuse.


1. What might cause a believer to refuse to listen to God?

2. Why do we find it easier to submit to and listen to a person of authority here on earth?

3. How are you doing in the area of hearing and obeying the voice of God?