The Big Read

Luke 24:45-47

Powerpoint Pictures: Book Covers for Stuart Little; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone; Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Hansel & Gretel; The Tale of Peter Rabbit; Slinky Malinki

Who are the following books about?  This is not meant to be a trick question.   [Stuart Little is about Stuart Little; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is about Harry Potter; Diary of a Wimpy Kids is about a Wimpy Kid; Hansel & Gretel is about Hansel & Gretel; The Tale of Peter Rabbit is about Peter Rabbit; Slinky Malinki is about Slinky Malinki].

Who is each of these 66 books of the Bible about?  Jesus.  In fact Jesus Himself tells us that every book of the Bible is about Him.  In Luke 24:45-47, we read that Jesus “opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Jesus says that each book of the Bible is about Him, specifically His death, His resurrection and that this message will be preached to all nations and everyone who repents will be forgiven of their sins.

Now to help us see how each book of the Bible is about Jesus, we are beginning a new initiative called ‘The Big Read’.

The Big Read can be summed up as: “Meeting Jesus as a local church in every book of the Bible.”  That’s the aim.  To do this, each month we’re going to focus as a local church on one book of the Bible starting with Matthew.  On the first Sunday they’ll be a children’s talk on the whole book in the morning service and an overview of the book taught in the evening service.

Then for the rest of the month, we want you to simply read that book of the Bible so that you get to know Jesus better because as we do, as we gaze upon Him, the Spirit makes us more like Him.