Why Story? : January 4th 2026

Personal family photographs become the gateway into a larger claim: God reveals himself through story, not a rulebook. The scriptures are reframed as a collection of case studies—narratives of messy people encountering a holy God—designed to form memory, shape identity, and invite participation rather than to operate as an impersonal manual. Because stories hold failure and grace together, the Bible deliberately preserves broken lives—Abraham’s impatience, Moses’ violence, David’s moral failure, Peter’s denial, Paul’s past persecution—so that redemption, not perfection, becomes the pattern readers inherit.

Jesus is presented as the central plot twist toward whom the whole narrative converges; the value of Scripture is less in isolated rules than in recognizing the storyline that points to him and then choosing, repeatedly, to re-center life around that turning point. Passing this story across generations requires honesty: communities must tell where God showed up in the past and where failure and doubt have been real, because authentic testimony opens space for others to trust. The practice of telling and retelling—modeled in Deuteronomy and echoed in David’s Psalm—forms faith through memory, not merely compliance.

The invitation is practical and pastoral: a yearlong reading plan called The Story will guide a broad, big-picture engagement with Scripture (no pop quizzes, no perfectionism). Participation is framed as formation, not homework—an encouragement to discover whether the story God is telling is larger than the smaller survival narratives many carry. Ultimately, faithful life is reimagined as ongoing repentance and narrative reorientation: acknowledging flaws, sharing successes and failures with the next generation, and trusting that even the painful plot twists participate in a divine ordering that culminates in Christ.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Scripture functions as living story Stories preserve contradiction and context in a way laws cannot; they invite the listener to inhabit a narrative and wrestle with identity, belonging, and meaning. The Bible’s narratives keep relationships central and memory active, thereby forming faith through experience rather than compliance. This approach makes room for growth because failure remains part of the plot, not a reason for exclusion. [05:08]
• 2. Jesus is the decisive plot twist Rather than a marginal moral exemplar, Jesus is presented as the turning point that reinterprets earlier episodes and reorients future action. Seeing him as the plot twist means reading prior law and prophecy not as ends in themselves but as pointers to a decisive fulfillment. This reshapes how suffering, sin, and promise are read—everything is evaluated in light of his person and work. [12:23]
• 3. Pass faith through honest narratives Faith transmission requires telling where God acted and where people failed; selective sanitizing weakens trust and disconnects generations. Honest testimony—successes, doubts, and moral failures—enables younger listeners to see God’s faithfulness amid real complexity and cultivates deeper discipleship. Narrative honesty makes space for repentance, restoration, and realistic hope. [15:21]
• 4. Grace meets messy, flawed lives The Bible’s inclusion of broken characters demonstrates that divine commitment is not contingent on moral perfection but on covenantal pursuit. This is liberating for those who feel disqualified; it reframes spiritual identity around participation in God’s redemptive movement rather than achievement. Recognizing grace amid failure calls communities to receive one another with truth and persistence. [11:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:37] - Family slides and spiritual roots
• [03:34] - Introducing the year: "The Story"
• [05:08] - Why Scripture is story, not rules
• [08:18] - Deuteronomy: teach by telling
• [12:23] - Jesus as the story’s plot twist
• [13:26] - David, Psalm 78, and legacy
• [15:48] - Honest storytelling about failures
• [22:38] - Reading plan: practical details
• [30:35] - Reflection, prayer, and sending

1. In Psalm 78:1-8, what actions are God’s people commanded to take with the next generation? What outcomes are named for those children?
2. “If God only wanted obedience, he could have emailed commandments.” What point does that image make about how God forms people? [10:01]
3. Several “messy” leaders were named (Abraham, Moses, David, Israel, Peter, Paul). What common pattern shows up across their stories? [10:58]
4. What was the practical invitation for this year’s Scripture journey (pace, posture, expectations)? [22:38]

1. Psalm 78 links honest retelling of God’s works with trust and obedience. Why would remembering God’s deeds lead people to “not forget” and to “keep his commands”?
2. The claim is that story makes room for failure and growth. How might a community change if failure is expected to be named and met with grace rather than hidden? [09:12]
3. Jesus is described as the turning point of the whole story. How does that reshape how a person reads their past (wounds and sins) and how they choose future steps? [12:41]
4. Many live inside “smaller stories” where God hasn’t been invited to lead. What do those smaller stories look like today, and how do they compete with God’s larger story? [07:54]

1. Think of one younger person (child, student, neighbor). What is one “praiseworthy deed of the Lord” from your own life you can tell them this week—naming both God’s help and your missteps—so they might “put their trust in God”? When and how will you share it? [15:21]
2. Where are you currently tempted to hide a failure? What would honest, wise sharing look like that points to grace rather than to shame? Who needs to hear it, and what boundary would keep it appropriate? [17:34]
3. Which of the “messy” biblical lives gives you courage right now (Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul)? What specific hope does their story give you for your next step? [10:58]
4. What “smaller survival story” are you living (success, comfort, control, fear)? What is one concrete way to step into the larger story God is telling this week? [24:36]
5. Pick one daily moment to talk about God’s story at home—“when you sit… when you walk… when you lie down… when you get up.” What will you try, and with whom? [08:18]
6. If Jesus is the plot twist, where do you need to re-center around him today—a habit, a relationship, a hidden fear? What is one act of surrender or obedience you will practice in the next 48 hours? [13:08]
7. How will you engage Scripture this month as formation, not homework? What simple rhythm fits your life, and how will you extend grace to yourself if you miss a day? [22:38]