Last week I shared my first video in a series trying to capture what the Bible is all about. The Bible can be very intimidating for many people, and therefore, they avoid it altogether. My conviction is that when the Bible is seen as a story, it increases the potential for understanding and engagement. 

Here are a few reasons why I think the Bible should be seen as a story.

1. Stories are captivating.

If I were to sit down and read my daughter an encyclopedia, she would last all of twelve seconds. But when we read Harry Potter, after thirty minutes, she asks, "Just a little bit more?" She doesn't want to stop.

2. Stories are disarming.

Argumentation and logic tend to raise people's defenses. The very nature of that kind of communication calls for rebuttal. But stories, when told well, are inviting and intriguing. They can cause people to drop their defenses and consider truth in new and fresh ways. When listening to a story, most people rarely ask the question, "Is this right, or true?" They typically ask themselves, "I wonder where this story is headed." 

3. Stories stick better.

When people make comments about my preaching, frequently they tell me about the stories or illustrations I used in a sermon. Those are the moments that stick for them. That's because stories engage more of who we are. Information and data tend only to engage our intellect. But stories engage our emotions, imagination, intellect, and curiosity, which cultivates ground for greater transformation.

4. Stories invite you to be a part of the narrative.

Good storytelling draws you into the narrative in a way that you become one of the characters in the story. Therefore, you have a role to play and are more fully engaged. 

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Perhaps these reasons, and many others, are why Jesus' primary mode of teaching was storytelling. 

Take one of His most famous stories, the Prodigal Son, as an example. It's a story about a rebellious runaway son that captures truth about the scandalous nature of God's grace and His kingdom. 

(If you don't know the story, take a moment to read it here. It will take you no more than three minutes.)

It's a story that draws people in and causes them to identify with one of the sons in the story. 

It's also a story that's left open-ended. We don't know how the older son will respond to the Father's invitation to the party. Which in turn, causes the reader/listener to ask whether or not they will be hard-hearted and resist God's grace and whether or not they will extend it to others. 

After listening and being affected by the story, it's effortless to repeat or retell it. It's become a part of you.  

It’s a story that’s powerful and effective. 

In addition to my four points above, my final reason for why to read the Bible as a story is because…

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5. It's what the Bible is.

It's the story of who God is, what He has done in creating and redeeming the world, and how He's taking it to its final culmination.

When seeing the Bible for what it is, the grand story of God's redeeming love for the entire world, we'll start to view Him and our lives in a whole new way.