# Opinions about "The Story"???



## DMcFadden (Sep 15, 2016)

I have been asked to preach in a church (fill in for the pastor) that has been using "The Story" as the framework for the sermons. http://www.thestory.com/. Evidently Zondervan produces some materials related to it.

I have never been in a church that used it and so it never rose high on my radar. It talks about the "upper story" and the "lower story" and uses some idiosyncratic terminology.

Does anyone have any opinions on it or experience with it? Since my text and topic are assigned, the best I can do is make lemonade out of the lemons (if indeed it is a "lemon").


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## Bill The Baptist (Sep 15, 2016)

I think this is the one from Max Lucado. I think it is essentially a sort of biblical theology for dummies.


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## Toasty (Sep 15, 2016)

DMcFadden said:


> I have been asked to preach in a church (fill in for the pastor) that has been using "The Story" as the framework for the sermons. http://www.thestory.com/. Evidently Zondervan produces some materials related to it.
> 
> I have never been in a church that used it and so it never rose high on my radar. It talks about the "upper story" and the "lower story" and uses some idiosyncratic terminology.
> 
> Does anyone have any opinions on it or experience with it? Since my text and topic are assigned, the best I can do is make lemonade out of the lemons (if indeed it is a "lemon").



The Story is a set of selections from the Bible placed in chronological order. Also, the text is not divided into verses. The NIV is used. There is a children's version of it that looks like a paraphrase of the Bible. I think that people should read a good translation of the Bible and if they need help understanding it, then they can get a good commentary, a set of maps of the lands of the Bible, and maybe a good book explaining the historical and cultural background of the Bible.

Here is a quote from "The Story" website that explains what it is. 

"The Story is an abridged, chronological Bible that removes the typical barriers many people experience when trying to read the Bible. This book gives an appreciation of the whole Word of God."

Here is the link: http://www.thestory.com/how-it-works/story-promo-videos/


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## chuckd (Sep 15, 2016)

Toasty said:


> "The Story is an abridged, chronological Bible that removes the typical barriers many people experience when trying to read the Bible. This book gives an appreciation of the whole Word of God."



It gives an appreciation for an abridged, barrier free Word of God.


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## Edward (Sep 15, 2016)

Toasty said:


> "...This book gives an appreciation of the whole Word of God."



Particularly the parts it leaves out?


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## BGF (Sep 15, 2016)

I just want to know how "my story" fits in to "The Story".


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## OPC'n (Sep 15, 2016)

BGF said:


> I just want to know how "my story" fits in to "The Story".



Lol


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## Jake (Sep 15, 2016)

I saw that at an LCMS church near me (southside of Atlanta) had a sermon series based on the Story. I was surprised.


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## KeithW (Sep 15, 2016)

My previous church used it when it came out.



Toasty said:


> The Story is a set of selections from the Bible placed in chronological order. Also, the text is not divided into verses. The NIV ii used.


As others have said - abridged, chronological order. No verse numbers anywhere so you cannot quickly compare its text with another translation. So people know, it uses the NIV 2011 not the NIV 1984. When I started on the first page in Genesis I was surprised at the amount of words different from what I knew from either the KJV or the NIV 1984.



BGF said:


> I just want to know how "my story" fits in to "The Story".


Brett nailed it. This is exactly their target demographic - how do *I* fit, because after all "I" can only understand the world from my own viewpoint. Their commentary is along these lines and this is what they promote.



DMcFadden said:


> Does anyone have any opinions on it or experience with it? Since my text and topic are assigned, the best I can do is make lemonade out of the lemons (if indeed it is a "lemon").


Just stick to the Scripture text, skipping the commentary text if possible, and you should not have many reservations.


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## Doulos McKenzie (Sep 15, 2016)

Just a quick note to those of you complaining about how the story is uses the NIV 2011: They do make a KJV version of the story.

http://www.zondervan.com/the-story-KJV


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## DMcFadden (Sep 15, 2016)

They also evidently have a NKJV version. It looks (since asking the question I did some research) as if Zondervan has produced a curriculum to be used for a 32 or 33 wk series, covering the narrative flow of the Bible from creation to consummation.

The author of the curriculum is a pastor named Randy Frazee:



> Randy Frazee is the senior minister at Oak Hills Church, one of the largest churches in America, leading alongside author and pastor Max Lucado. A leader and innovator in spiritual formation and biblical community, Randy is the architect of The Story church engagement campaign. He is also the author of The Heart of the Story, The Connecting Church 2.0, and The Christian Life Profile Assessment. He and his wife, Rozanne, live in San Antonio, Texas.



From looking at the internet, it has been used in many denominational contexts. However, perhaps owing to the origin in the Campbellite precincts, it looks like a large percentage of people posting on YouTube hail from Church of Christ and Christian Church backgrounds.

Thanks for the answers to my question.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Sep 16, 2016)

DMcFadden said:


> it looks like a large percentage of people posting on YouTube hail from Church of Christ and Christian Church backgrounds.



That is Max Lucado's background if I am not mistaken.


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## Edward (Sep 16, 2016)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> That is Max Lucado's background if I am not mistaken.



But Max Lucado is a _liberal_ Church of Christer. He was an early pioneer of using instrumental music in worship in a CofC service, over 10 years ago (2003). He (or his church, at least) has also moved away from baptismal regeneration and has recognized perseverance of the Saints, to some criticism within the CofC 'denomination'.


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