Bible Story Cloth
Team members tell the story simply and accurately. In consultation with the team leader, each team member is responsible to select two or more Bible stories on the cloth to write and recite as a story. Explanations can be given before or after, but the story must be told as it is in the Bible. Oral learners can memorize and repeat stories to others.
Bible stories should be two to three minutes in length. The story cannot be easily memorized if it is longer. It is easiest not to include names of people and places that will only make memorization harder. Instead of Babylonia, say a country. Instead of King Jehoiakim, say a king. Instead of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say three young men. Instead of Samaria, say the capital. Instead of Philistia, say a city. Introduce no more than three new names in a story. In a series, use the names that will continue in later stories.
Always treat the Bible with courtesy. Do not lay it on the ground. Use an unmarked Bible and do not write in it. Many oral learners would be offended for us to treat God’s Holy Book in a lesser way. The book is not worshiped, but it is honored as containing God’s holy words.
Occasionally a term needs to be explained before hand so that it will be understood in the story. In an oral culture, the story you tell will become their Bible so it must be accurate and contain only what is actually in the Bible. So the story teller starts the Bible story with, “This is a story from God’s holy book, the Bible.” Islam recognizes the Bible as a holy book so the introduction is very acceptable to them.
When the story is completed, simple stop. If you are among people who want to learn or who are friends, you can ask, “Who can repeat the story?” The group will help the one trying to repeat the story to get the details right. Several people may repeat telling the story to make sure they all get it right. For primary oral learners, repeating a story several times is like us repeating a name several times to put it in our memory.
Alternately, especially when not with those committed to Jesus, you can invite discussion of the story. In the culture where we minister, we ask, “What is sweet about the story? What is not sweet about the story?” This fixes some of the high points of the story, gives you insight into their perception, and allows you the opportunity, after letting them participate, to add an insight or two that you see in the story.
The second question to ask is, “What is Jesus telling you to obey?”
Thirdly, you may ask, “Who do you know who needs to hear this story?” This plants from the start the idea that God’s truth needs to be shared with others. You are looking for a specific name of someone they will share with. This question is usually most effective when discipling believers or enthusiastic seekers.
The Chronological Bible Story Cloth ($10 from the IMB) Pictures 40 Key Biblical Events
- Before our world existed – God and the angles existed.
- Then God created our world as we know it. He created light, He created water, He created dry land, He created day and night, and He created plants and animals.
- Last he created man and woman and named them Adam and Eve. They trusted the sacrifice God provided to rescue them from the consequences of sin.
- Adam and Eve had children and all people worshipped God by offering portions of their animals or crops to God (Cain and Abel).
- After many years the people stopped worshipping God. So God sent a great flood that covered the whole earth with water. God saved one family and some of every type of animal by putting them in an Ark.
- After the earth repopulated, God made a covenant with Abraham and told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
- God tested Abraham’s faith in Him by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son (We do not offend our hosts by mentioning the name of his son during our first visit. We will truthfully answer all questions.) As Abraham was about to obey, an angel stopped him. Abraham trusted the sacrifice God provided to rescue his son from death.
- Abraham’s grandson (Jacob) steals the blessing from his brother by tricking his blind father into thinking that he was the oldest son.
- One night God spoke to Jacob in a dream and repeated the promise He gave to Jacob’s grandfather many years earlier.
- Jacob marries and has many children.
- Jacob met with God face to face and God blessed him. Jacob did not actually see God’s face because it was dark.
- One of Jacob’s sons named Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph earned his freedom and, by God’s blessing, became second in charge of all of Egypt.
- After hundreds of years Joseph’s family became very large and the Egyptians became afraid of them. So the Egyptians put Joseph’s family (called Hebrews) into slavery and tried to kill all male children. One mother hid her male child on the Nile River in a basket. The child’s name was Moses.
- God protected Moses and spoke to him from a burning bush. Though the bush was engulfed by the fire it was not consumed by the fire. God told Moses to return to Egypt to lead his people out from slavery.
- Moses returned to Egypt asking Pharaoh to let my people go to worship God. When the Pharaoh refused, sent 10 plagues against the Egyptians.6th Plague – Boils sores on all Egyptian men and women.
- After the plague where the first born died, Pharaoh let God’s people go.
- God’s people crossed the Red Sea on dry land when God used Moses to part the waters.
- God gave Moses the Ten Commandments that he was to teach to the people.
- The people sinned against God and His commandments by worshipping a golden calf.
- God told His people how to build a portable place to worship Him.
- God led his people to a land that was good with much food.
- God raised up a young prophet named Samuel to lead His people.
- The people didn’t want a prophet to lead. They wanted a king like other nations. So God told Samuel to appoint Saul as king.
- Saul was disobedient and rejected God’s law, so God has Samuel anoint David as king. David was a good king that obeyed God. God promised David that one of his descendants would reign forever.
- Under other kings, the people worshiped multiple gods. Elijah proved who the one true God was.
- God told the prophet Isaiah about the future in a dream. He learned God would be come to earth as a very special baby. He would live without sin, but die for his people. He would be the sacrifice God provides for people to trust to rescue them from the consequences of sin. . He would come back from death.
- 400 years after Isaiah’s dream the promised baby was born. His name is Jesus.
- He grew and always did right. He showed His commitment to God by baptism. God was pleased with Him.
- Jesus selected 12 men to become his learners.
- Jesus did many miracles. He healed the sick and blind.
- He taught people everywhere He went. Those who believed had their lives forever changed.
- Jesus fed 5,000 people with only 5 loves of bread and 2 fishes.
- Jesus healed a boy possessed by a demon.
- Jseus brought people back from the dead.
- Jesus taught that only God was good and told people it was faith, not works that got them eternal life.
- Out of grateful love, a woman anointed Jesus with oil and perfume.
- Jesus told his followers that they should often remember at meals what He would do as they ate bread and drank the juice of grapes.
- That night Jesus was falsely arrested and tried for breaking laws that He did not break.
- They beat him and killed him by hanging him on a cross between 2 thieves. Jesus was buried in a tomb.
- On the third day, the followers of Jesus learned from an angel that Jesus had risen from the dead and left the tomb.
- For 40 days Jesus met and talked with his learners and hundreds of others.
- On the 40th day, Jesus rose into heaven as his followers watched. He is in heaven today sitting at the right hand of God providing salvation to all people who believe in Him.