Dear Friends,
The Old Testament is freaky, weird, difficult to understand, from another world, complicated and troubling.
It is also all about Jesus.
More than half our Bible remains impenetrable for many people but our staff team are committed to changing that and turning the Old Testament into a series of books that delight, enthral and keep you coming back for more. It’s all part of being devoted to maturing in Jesus.
To this end, I want you to come and do God’s Big Picture+ on Sunday afternoons starting on the 27th of August. Here’s three reasons why.
First, you will learn how to get the most out of the Bible so you can keep maturing as a Christian. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work!” What is incredible of course is that when Paul wrote this, he was probably speaking about the Old Testament and the 4 gospels. Little of the New Testament would have been counted as “Scripture” by then but Paul knew how crucial the Old Testament was for faith and Christian growth. It’s still crucial for you!
Secondly, you will learn the storyline of the Bible and how it all points to Jesus. Over and again, Jesus says the Old Testament is all about him and even his disciples worked this out. In John 1 Phillip tells Nathanael that Jesus is the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote. Later on, Jesus is said to begin with Moses and all the Prophets to explain what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
One of the great threats to good Bible reading is taking passages out of context and God’s Big Picture+ helps you put the whole story of the Bible together so you know the whole story in context (like viewing a forest from the ground) and are able to see the way it is all about Jesus (like viewing a forest from the air). If you open the OT and feel lost straight away, this is a great opportunity to fix that.
Third, you will have the chance to ask all those difficult questions. Who doesn’t have questions about warfare and massacres, the extraordinary ages of people, the purpose of Song of Songs and what happened after Malachi? Here is your chance to begin to get your head around all this and to improve your capacity to listen to God with joy and challenge as you read the Old Testament.
I hope I have convinced you to come!
As a young Christian, coming to understand the story of the Bible and how it all points to Jesus completely revolutionised my faith. The revolution awaits you. Register using a Next Steps Card, calling or emailing the office or by speaking with a member of staff.
In Christ
Nigel