PETER ENNS“Stories work. Stories are powerful. Stories move us deeply, more so than statistics, news reports, or textbooks. We all know that. We only need to think about what holds our attention, and makes us long for more—that book, film, or TV series that we wish wouldn’t end quite so soon, that story told of some deep, personal, transforming experience, whether painful or joyous…”

STRANGER THAN FICTION (Harold Crick)

1. Overcoming The Monster Kong: Skull Island

2. Rags-to-Riches Beauty And The Beast

3. The Quest The Lord of The Rings

4. Voyage and Return The Hobbit

5. Comedy The Lego Batman Movie

6. Tragedy Manchester By The Sea

7. Rebirth The Shack

THE 7 BASIC PLOTS…

- Help our minds stay focused

- Can literally change our brain chemistry (for better or worse)

- Impact our feelings and actions in ways basic facts simply can’t

STORIES CAN…

LEO WIDRICH“If we listen to a PowerPoint presentation with boring bullet points…it hits our language processing parts in the brain, where we decode words into meaning. And that’s it, nothing elsehappens. When told a story, though, things change dramatically…Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.”

URI HASSON“…a story is the only way to activate parts in the brain so that a listener turns the story into their own idea, and experience.”

ANDREW NEWBERG“Contemplative practices (when rooted in love) stimulate activity in the anterior cingulate, thus helping a person to become more sensitive to the feelings of others. Indeed, meditating on…God’s love appears to strengthen the…neurological circuits that allow us to feel compassion towards others.”

ANDREW NEWBERG“In contrast, religious activities (or stories) that focus on fear may damage the anterior cingulate, and when this happens, a person will often lose interest in other people’s concerns, or act aggressively against them.”

MIKE McHARGUE“People who focus on God’s love develop thicker, richer gray matter in their prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. This development offers them better focus, concentration, compassion and empathy. They have lower stress levels and lower blood pressure, and it’s easier for them to forgive themselves and others…This not only

allows the believer to experience peace – it also elevates her capacity to take risks for the sake of others.”

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

GEN

ESIS 1:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,“See, the home[a] of God is among mortals.He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them…

REVELATION

21:1-3

WHAT IS THE BIBLE?- A Rule Book?- A “how to” Field Guide?- A Love Letter?- A Historical/Scientific Account?- A Story Book?- A combo?

THE BIBLE IS BEST UNDERSTOOD AS:- A library of ancient books over 1000s of years- A collection of numerous genres/styles- A consistent STORY with a primary narrative

thread running from beginning-to-end

THE BIBLE IS THE STORY OF:- God and Creation- God and Humanity- God and Israel- God and Jesus (and The Church)- God and New Creation

QUESTION THAT HELP US MAKE SENSE OF THINGS…• Who are we? The WHO?

• Where are we? The WHERE?

• What is wrong? The WHAT?

• What is the solution? The HOW?

• What time is it? The WHEN?

• What is the point? The WHY?

A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW INLIGHT OF THE BIBLICAL STORY• Who are we? The Church

• Where are we? Citizens in God’s Kingdom

• What is wrong? Darkness still impacts the world

• What is the solution? Spirit-filled disciples

• What time is it? The overlap of the ages

• What is the point? For God so loved the world…

One of the scribes…asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

MARK 12