Dotted throughout the complex storyline of Jesus lies a wealth of simple stories. Tales of lost sheep, praying widows and self-important Pharisees. To comprehend their meaning, you will require open eyes, listening ears and a heart ready to understand.
Storyline is a six-session teaching series, set out in the form of a menu with starters, main courses (divided into three spice levels) and a range of sides and desserts to explore. Due to the flexibility of the material, Storyline works as a whole church programme, content for a retreat, within small groups or as a youth series.
The session outlines are as follows:
Lub Dub - the condition of the heart
Jesus looked out at the expansive crowd gathered before Him. Why had they come to listen?
Each heart came with a different need, question, and willingness to listen. We will never know the backstory of the crowd that gathered there that day, or the impact the words of Jesus would have on their heart. Some would never think of Jesus again, others would dedicate their lives to Him. The only difference was the condition of their heart.
Blot - the power of grace and forgiveness
Holding on tightly to the jar of perfume, she made her way across the room to Jesus. She must have known what they thought of her. As her tears mingled with the expensive scent and she dried the feet of Jesus with her hair, she must have sensed the looks of disgust from Simon the Pharisee. He had barely offered Jesus a drink let alone washed His feet.
As she washed away the dirt from Jesus' feet, her faith and His forgiveness blotted out every stain.
Kerching - the cost of discipleship
Surrounded by blueprints, bank statements and spreadsheets the entrepreneur scanned the plans for the biggest building project he had ever undertaken. Every possible calculation had been made and every financial option explored. Despite the meticulous planning this was going to take every single penny he had, but he knew it would be worth it.
A life of discipleship costs us everything but it leads to a lifelong investment in a building project that is beyond anything we could dream or imagine.
Tic Toc - the way we invest our time and talents.
The bags of silver had been handed out, the time had passed and now the three servants stood before their master. After a long and tiring trip, he was keen to see the return on his investment. God's love for us is not dependent on the things we do, but one day He'll want to ask us what we did with His investment.
Tweet - the importance of prayer
The widow had been there many times before, standing in the doorway of the judge who was meant to protect her. She made a choice. There would be no twittering on to friends about her dilemma and no one would stand before the judge instead of her. She would be persistent. She would be relentless. No matter what, she would make him listen to her.
If, through persistent requests for help, a cruel-hearted judge was able to meet the needs of a widow, then surely a loving God is ready and waiting to do the same for us.
Glug - the capacity to change
He knew this was a big mistake, but the others were determined to stick with what they had always done. As they poured the new wine into the old goatskins he continued to question the choice they were making, but they wouldn't listen. He knew that the bag would break and the new wine would wash away. His only option was to do things differently and reach for a brand new goatskin.
God is doing a new thing in our hearts, in our churches, and in our world. As He pours new wine into our lives, are we reaching for the old goatskin or offering a new life for Him to fill?