True Story Day #21: One month of Bible readings to help you understand what the Bible is about.
Introduction:Over the course of a month, I want to help you appreciate the Bible more by helping you get a better understanding of the story the Bible tells.As Tim Keller has written, “We usually read the Bible as a series of disconnected stories, each with a “moral” for how we should live our lives. It is not. Rather, it comprises a single story, telling us how the human race got into its present condition, and how God through Jesus Christ has come and will come to put things right.”These Bible readings will help you write your own summary of that single story by taking you to various passages throughout the Scripture that clarify exactly how God is doing that.Helps for Getting the Most from Your Study*Review where you are in the story so far*Read the passages for each day out loud*Get out a notebook and answer the following questions for each day:
- What stands out to you the most after having read through these Scriptures?
- If someone asked you what the passages you read that day were mostly about, what would you say?
- What do you think was the main point of what you were reading?
- What did these passages teach you about the character of God? What did they teach you about us as humans? What did they teach you about how God saves people?
- Write one paragraph that summarizes the part of the gospel story these passages tell.
Day Twenty OneRomans 6:4 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 2 Corinthians 5:17 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.Titus 3:4-8 4 But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.