What does it mean to be human? With such a big question it can be hard to know where to start. The Being Human project wants to encourage you to begin your own journey into this question by beginning with the big story of the Bible.
As people have looked at the different parts of the whole story of Scripture, a common thread that is woven throughout, is the way that the Bible shows us God’s purposes for the pinnacle of His creation — humanity.
As we take a step back and look at the broad narrative of creation, fall, redemption and new creation found in the Bible, we discover who the God is that humanity have been made in the image of, and what it looks like when human beings live as their Creator intended. We find the foundations upon which we can start answering the question, what does it mean to human?
That’s why we’ve brought together five different resources to help you explore the big story of the Bible for yourself. Whether you’ve got five minutes or five weeks, we think you’ll find a resource to help you delve deeper into the story of Scripture and how that shapes our view of what it means to be human.
God story recommendations
Quick Watch | The Story of the Bible
Quick Watch | The Story of the Bible
If you're short on time, we recommend watching this video from the BibleProject. In under six minutes it gives you an overview of the story of the Bible.
The BibleProject is an organisation based in the USA. They believe the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus and create free videos, podcasts, and blogs to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone.
Quick Read | Long Story Short
Quick Read | Long Story Short
Helping you to ask the question, what story are you living in? Andy Frost's book Long Story Short contains a very helpful one chapter summary of the God story. If you haven't got time to read a whole book, why not start with this chapter.
Andy Frost is director of member organisation Share Jesus International, who are passionate about helping the Church to share Jesus.
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Medium Read | The Bible: A Story that Makes Sense of Life
Medium Read | The Bible: A Story that Makes Sense of Life
If you want to explore the big story of the Bible in more depth, we recommend Andrew Ollerton's recent book. It helps readers see how the narratives and themes of the Bible connect to their own lives.
Andrew works for the Bible Society, a member organisation who believe that when people engage with the Bible, lives can change - for good.
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Long Read | The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the Biblical Story
Long Read | The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the Biblical Story
For those who want to engage with a more academic textbook about the biblical story, we recommend The Drama of Scripture. Craig Batholomew and Michael Goheen work through the Bible as a drama with six acts, outlining how the story of the Bible is the foundation for a Christian worldview.
Rev. Dr. Craig G. Bartholomew is the Director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics and Michael Goheen is director of Theological Education at Missional Training Center.
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Church Course | The Bible Series
Church Course | The Bible Series
A free resource that has been created to help the whole church go through the big story of the Bible. In this course you will find content for children, youth and adults, helping everyone experience a better story and see how the Bible is relevant today.
The Bible Series is a partnership between the Bible Society, KingsGate Community Church and Hope Together.
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Further Study | The Storied World of the Bible with N.T. Wright
Further Study | The Storied World of the Bible with N.T. Wright
If you want to engage in further study on the big story of the Bible, you could engage with this course from N.T. Wright Online. The course will help you see how the many stories found in Scripture weave together into one grand story.
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