Story Sharing #1 - The Greatest Story Ever
We are creatures of story, created by a storytelling God. Often, we view our lives as a series of random, unconnected events, but the Bible offers a different perspective: a carefully crafted plot that reflects the loving sovereignty of God. To make sense of our own lives and the broken world around us, we must understand the "Great Story"—the gospel.
God’s story unfolds in four distinct movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.
Creation
The story begins with God miraculously creating everything out of nothing. While the natural world is majestic, the pinnacle of His work is humanity—men and women made in His image. Like a mirror, Adam and Eve were designed to reflect what God looks like on the inside.
In this original design, humans possessed a unique worth and dignity, totally unique amongst all creation. We were created to enjoy a special relationship with our Creator, made to worship Him, obey Him, and love Him. This movement establishes the key themes of Origin and Identity: we know where we come from, and we know who we are because we belong to Him.
Fall
Tragically, the story moves into conflict. Despite enjoying close intimacy with God, the first humans chose to rebel against Him. They chose to believe lies about their identity rather than the truth of their Creator. This rebellion, which the Bible calls sin, fractured the relationship between humanity and God.
The consequences were immediate and devastating. Shame entered the world, leading humans to hide from God and shift responsibility to one another and the serpent who deceived them. As a result of this sin, humanity would face death. We now live in a world where things are not as they should be, and relational brokenness is both around us and inside us. The theme of this movement is Brokenness and Responsibility, that we live in a broken world full of broken relationships, and we bear some responsibility for that.
Redemption
God did not leave His story in tragedy. He initiated a plan of rescue, beginning with a covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants, the nation of Israel. God planned to bless the whole world through this family.
Throughout history, God moved to rescue His people. He freed them from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses and led them to a Promised Land. He established a sacrificial system, allowing an animal's life to substitute for human sin, making it possible for God to forgive His people so they could remain in relationship with Him. Despite this, the people constantly struggled with a pattern of rebellion and repentance, eventually leading to God removing them from the land.
Finally, after 400 years of silence, God spoke again. He sent His Son, Jesus—the promised rescuer foretold by the prophets.
- The Hero Arrives: Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived the sinless life we could not live, perfectly obeying the Father. He established His kingdom by healing the sick, caring for the poor, and offering forgiveness.
- The Great Exchange: Although religious leaders executed Him, His death paid the penalty for humanity's sin, making rescue and redemption possible for everyone.
- The Victory: Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. Through Him, people can now be made right with God and know Him as Father.
This movement highlights the themes of Rescue and Deliverance—we cannot save ourselves; we need a Hero
Restoration
The story does not end with the resurrection. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live inside His followers, empowering them with new desires to walk in His ways. We are called a "new creation," gradually being changed to look more like Jesus through the Spirit's power.
We now live with a future hope. One day, Jesus will return to earth to judge all people and establish His full rule and reign. He will usher in a new heaven and a new earth where God's people will worship Him perfectly—Father, Son, and Spirit—just as we were originally created to do.
Until that amazing day, we live out the themes of Hope and Transformation. We are evidence of His grace, indicators that His restorative work has already begun.
Your Place in the Story
Understanding God's story helps us interpret our own. While we often think our lives are about us, the hero of the story is actually God. Your life is a story of God’s redemption of a broken person—it is a story by Him and about Him.
Read the next blog in the series to learn how to share your God Story.