Telling The Old Old Story

While honoring the historical context and literary diversity of the Old Testament, Telling the Old Testament Story is a thematic reading that construes the OT as a complex but coherent narrative. Unlike standard, introductory textbooks that only cover basic background and interpretive issues for each Old Testament book, this introduction combines a thematic approach with careful exegetical attention to representative biblical texts, ultimately telling the macro-level story, while drawing out the multiple nuances present within different texts and traditions. The book works from the Protestant canonical arrangement of the Old Testament, which understands the story of the Old Testament as the story of God and God’s relationship with all creation in love and redemption—a story that joins the New Testament to the Old. Within this broader story, the Old Testament presents the specific story of God and God’s relationship with Israel as the people called, created, and formed to be God’s covenant partner and instrument within creation. The Old Testament begins by introducing God’s mission in Genesis. The story opens with the portrait of God’s good, intended creation of right-relationships (Gen 1—2) and the subsequent distortion of that good creation as a result of humanity’s rebellion (Gen 3—11). Genesis 12 and following introduce God’s commitment to restore creation back to the right-relationships and divine intentions with which it began. Coming out of God’s new covenant engagement with creation in Gen 9, this divine purpose begins with the calling of a people (who turn out to be the manifold descendants of Abraham and Sarah) to be God’s instrument of blessing for all creation and thus to reverse the curse brought on by sin. The diverse traditions that comprise the remainder of the Pentateuch then combine to portray the creation and formation of Israel as a people prepared to be God’s instrument of restoration and blessing. As the subsequent Old Testament books portray Israel’s life in the land and journey into and out of exile, the reader encounters complex perspectives on Israel’s attempts to understand who God is, who they are as God’s people, and how, therefore, they ought to live out their identity as God’s people within God’s mission in the world. The final prophetic books that conclude the Protestant Old Testament ultimately give the story of God’s mission and people an open-ended quality, suggesting that God’s mission for God’s people continues and leading Christian readers to consider the New Testament’s story of the Church as an extension and expansion of the broader story of God introduced in the Old Testament. The main methodological perspective that informs the book includes work on the phenomenological function of narrative (especially story’s function to shape the identity and practice of the reader), as well as more recent so-called “missional” approaches to reading Christian scripture. Canonical criticism provides the primary means for relating the distinctive voices within the Old Testament texts that still honor the particularity and diversity of the discrete compositions. Accessibly written, this book invites readers to enter imaginatively into the biblical story and find the Old Testament's lively and enduring implications.

Old Story New makes it easy for parents to stay on the life-giving course of sharing the gospel story with their family. This second volume in Marty Machowski's family devotional series continues the gospel story begun in the Old Testament devotional, Long Story Short. Using the same effective ten-minute-a-day structure, it connects children ...

There have been many great and enduring works of literature by Caribbean authors over the last century. The Caribbean Contemporary Classics collection celebrates these deep and vibrant stories, overflowing with life and acute observations about society. Old Story Time is a Caribbean classic, providing brilliantly entertaining theatre about race, identity, malice, and the redeeming power of love. In this enthralling drama, we progress with Len from poor scholarship boy to successful accountant. We see a similar but opposite shift in George, from wealthy, well-connected schoolboy to double-dealing crook. Len's mother Miss Aggy, the girls he first loves, and the woman he eventually marries, many destinies are entwined with Len's. Misunderstandings can be dangerous, and trust and love need some help to win through. With the help of Pa Ben, our far-seeing narrator, can things end well? Trevor Rhone was a leading dramatist in Jamaica. His sparkling and original talent has won acclaim from critics and audiences worldwide. Suitable for readers aged 14 and above.

"KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPENED FOR YOU." --MATTHEW 7:7 The Bible has the answers to life's most important questions. But for many teens, and even many adults, God's message can be lost in the Bible's often confusing terminology, dry language, or lengthy history lessons. Who begat who-and why should I care? The Bible: Enter Here opens the door to God's Word by breathing new life into key Bible stories, retelling them in a fresh, fun, and relatable way. You'll discover that the Bible is packed with drama, suspense, and even humor. You'll see that the Bible's main characters were real people, with the same flaws, fears, and dreams you have. And most important, you'll learn how Jesus' teachings are vital to your life today. Here are a few of the characters you'll meet: - JACOB: The guy who wrestled God-and got a nation named after him - PHARAOH: Ten plagues, and still didn't learn his lesson - DELILAH: Irresistible ... and dangerous - SHADRACH, MESHACH, and ABEDNEGO: The ultimate trial by fire - VIRGIN MARY: On parenting the Son of God - PETER: His agony and triumph, in his own words Learn how one man's life, death, and resurrection changed the world forever, and what that could mean for you-if you're ready to knock on the door and enter.

Bob Hartman's bumper collection of Bible stories is drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. There are stories for individual and group performances, stories for the major Christian festivals, stories for a variety of age groups. Each story is followed by discussion questions to encourage the audience to delve deeper into each tale. Incorporating Bob's three books - Telling the Bible, Telling the Gospel and Anyone Can Tell a Bible Story - this extensive resource includes extensive notes on story-telling, essential for any performer. Discover why Bob is in such demand in this entertaining and insightful collection.

Joseph and the coat of many colors. It's a classic story with all the right elements: sibling rivalry, bitter betrayal, unexpected power, and ultimate forgiveness. But what if we've missed the real story behind the story? More than just the account of one man's life, Voddie Baucham Jr. reveals how the story of Joseph is a key moment in the storyline of the Bible. Demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to his people, Joseph's life fits into God's original plan to save the world through a promised Messiah: Jesus Christ. With fresh and engaging insights into the biblical text, Baucham examines Joseph's life in light of the gospel, helping readers grasp the history-altering significance of this amazing story.

Ten spine-tingling Halloween stories come packaged with special Goosebumps Halloween accessories, including vampire fangs, fake vampire blood, fake skin, and makeup. Original.

Ways to help Episcopalians articulate and feel comfortable about speaking of their faith with others. Today, in a rapidly changing religious landscape, the structures of Christendom—which once almost automatically instilled faith in generation after generation of believers—are gone. For faithful Episcopalians, it has become essential to learn how to “tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.” This is especially important for those generations born after the Baby Boom, which are experiencing the rapid rise of the “nones”—people who have lost their faith, or who have no faith at all. The time to speak, to share our faith, is now. Kit Carlson offers a road map for those who want to learn to speak about the faith that lives within them. Speaking Our Faith will help them put words to their own experiences of God, create their own statements of belief, and to begin to have compassionate, caring conversations with other people about spirituality, belief, and Jesus Christ.