The Greatest Story Ever Told

I am a teacher. That’s what God has called and gifted me to do. I’ve been teaching His word since 1963 and I love every minute of it. I don’t know how it all works that people learn from me, but I know God gives me thoughts to express and somehow they form into sentences and out they come. I also love study, research and planning what I will say. I work hard to have good introductions, smooth transitions, helpful illustrations and clear applications. I outline what I want to say and follow my notes so as to communicate as effectively as possible.

In India, when I give the same message day after day for 3 weeks, then repeat it year after year, I have refine the wording so precisely that I have the very sentences themselves written down. Teaching 4 times a day 6 days a week (and 2 or 3 on Sunday) takes a lot of concentration and energy and can be very draining, so the more exact the notes the easier the task. That’s how I do it.

At least that’s how I did it. The main focus of my sessions this year is an overview of the Bible in 3 sessions (Old Testament, Life of Jesus, New Testament). But instead of presenting it in straight lecture form, I’ll be doing it in story form. Storytelling is a very effective way to communicate, the most effective way in many cultures whose history and tradition uses storytelling to pass on information. That is the case in India. I enjoy using stories to communicate God’s Word, and do it regularly when I dress in costume and become someone in the Bible. But I’ve never done it on a scale of the whole Bible. Yet I know that is what God wants me to do. He wants me to trust Him with the actual words and sentences to bring His Story alive.

I have short notes, a couple pages for each session. They help me keep the major events in proper order without passing over any. They remind me which magic trick is used when. But the teaching itself will be in the form of a story I’ll develop as I go. One of the most difficult parts is to cover such a large portion of the Bible in a short time. I feel like I am fighting the clock every minute of the way.

To help people learn I will make a simple drawing of each main event and hang it in the front where all can see it and can draw their own smaller copy with paper and pencil we will provide (see pictures attached). The current book, “Bible Overview,” will add much detail to the simple outline they will learn. But its more than an outline, it traces God’s plan for salvation from eternity past to eternity future. It the greatest story ever told – and I get to tell it over and over in each 2-day conference (in some I will have 3 sessions, in other conferences I will use 6 sessions to cover it all). What could be a better way to spend my time that teaching this glorious story to those who only have a small, incomplete understanding of it! (January 21, 2016 )

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

Think about that story, the greatest story ever told, and what it has meant to your life. Look for opportunities to share the story with those you know.

(A future blog will begin a short summary of that wonderful story.)

C t O Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
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