Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship

The Journey to Faith

Exploring the Bible, One Story at a Time

A Chronological Bible Teaching Curriculum Covering 100 Bible Events/Stories

Primary Targeted Use

We believe that missionaries (as well as North American church leaders) need a resource that will help them teach a fairly thorough study/presentation of the Bible’s redemptive story to people who attend their churches.  A typical congregation generally consists of three kinds of people:

1. Some are genuine believers who need to understand the redemptive story of the Bible for their own edification and for their equipping to share the gospel with others.
2. Some are only professing Christians who have not clearly understood or genuinely embraced the gospel.  That likelihood is especially high in some religious worldview cultures where the “worldview noise” is very dense or where the dominant religious worldview is similar enough to true Christianity that people are deceived, thinking that they are true believers when they are not.
3. Some have never professed faith in Jesus Christ, but attend because they are curious about or seeking the truth, attend for social reasons, attend for some kind of desired economic gain, or etc.

All three of these types of people need to understand the overall redemptive story of the Bible, for different reasons.

Content Focus

This chronological Bible seminar will be an extended (100 events) version of TSOH, but designed primarily for group instruction.  Although it will “survey” the Bible, the accentuated focus will be on presenting the gospel clearly, to meet the various spiritual needs of the three types of people mentioned above.  But there will be enough variety, so that it will not appear to be a chain of evangelistic sermons/lessons.

Criteria for Bible Event Selection

First, we want to be sure that the 100 events selected do provide enough of a “survey framework” that will make it possible for students to understand Bible history and prophecy, from beginning to end.  Think of the metaphor of a “Biblical metanarrative centipede”—we need to choose the right kinds of 100 “legs” so that the “centipede” does not limp as it moves along.

Second, as much as possible, we will select Bible events (in addition to the current 40 in TSOH) that help to clarify the gospel, from various perspectives and to confront various types of worldview noise.

• OT examples: Cain and Abel, Sodom and Gomorrah, the scape goat, unbelief at Kadesh Barnea, Elijah on Mount Carmel, etc.
• NT examples: parables of the prodigal son and the tax collector, events from the book of Acts such as the story of Stephen and the Ethiopian eunuch, Peter and Cornelius, Paul and the Philippian jailor, Paul on Mars Hill, etc.

Basic Developmental Rule

As we develop the seminar we need to think maximum “transferability”—to other cultures, to many various settings, to teachers with various teaching styles, and to students with various learning styles, to various economic levels, etc.

Teaching Format

In keeping with the developmental rule mentioned above, we plan to develop this for different kinds of teaching/learning settings:

• Pastors to use in preaching/teaching.
• Sunday school (or similar in-church) classes.
• Home Bible studies.
• One on one (or other small group) Bible studies.
• A Bible college course.

Timeframe for Teaching The Roots of Faith

Preliminarily, here are some general ideas regarding how much time would be needed.

• Average of 40 minutes per event
• Preaching = one or two years (average of one or two events per week).
• Small group setting (two hour sessions) = 50 weeks (two events per session)
• Small group setting (one hour sessions) = 100 weeks (one events per session)
• We might add optional sessions throughout the seminar/course that would be intended for the purpose of review (but not using that term).  If so, these would add to the teaching timeframe.

Leader’s Material:

1. Create a Leader’s Manual that we can make available.
2. Enough data for pastors to develop preaching plan and (their own) sermons. Note: We don’t want to create sermon outlines per se, but we do want to provide raw material from which sermons can be developed.
3. Basic content and teaching plan for all of the 100 Bible event studies in The Roots of Faith.
4. Supplemental interactive teaching ideas that will encourage teachers/study leaders to engage and involve students in the process of Bible learning.
5. Plan or tips for helping people who miss sessions to stay caught up with the study.

Student Material:

1. Student workbook (two pages per each of the 100 events)

Teaching Aids:

1. Hi-resolution images—1 per lesson (for PowerPoint and laminated visuals)
2. Bible maps
3. Possible coloring sheets for kids
4. Timeline (that can be put together progressively)
5. And miscellaneous other aids to be determined later