What Now? New Believer Plan For TeenagersSample

The Whole Story

Open any book to a random page. Close your eyes and stick your finger somewhere on the page. Read the sentence your finger landed on. Does that one single sentence tell you what the whole story is about? Do you know the characters, the plot, the high points, the low points and the conclusion? Of course not. There’s no way you can understand an entire story by just reading one sentence, one paragraph, or even one page!

The Bible is exactly the same. We are often taught to read the Bible by looking up verses by topic. We might start to read the Bible one verse or paragraph at a time. However, just like reading any other book, we have to take time to understand God’s entire story. Each page of the Bible adds to the whole picture.

God’s story is big and you play an important role in it. The Bible is true and the best way for us to understand who God is, what he is like, how He feels about us and how he wants us to live.· The stories in the Bible are meant for us, today. The same God that we read about in the Bible is the same God who walks with you right now, wherever you go. As a new believer it can be hard to know where to start. Don’t be discouraged. It’s a growing process and you can take it slow.

Don’t worry, we have a lifetime so we can slow down and take small steps at first and learn more as we grow. Each time you read a piece of God’s story you will learn new things about Him and the life and story He is calling you to take part in!

Read

It’s helpful to start reading the Bible with a friend. That way, you can talk about questions you have, things that felt confusing or things you are excited about.

Don’t try to read the Bible cover to cover right away. Get started with the basics to gain a solid introduction. First, try reading the book of John. John gives us a great overview of the life of Jesus and who He is. Remember, Jesus may not show up until halfway through the Bible, but the whole Bible is HIS story. It shows us how God loves us so much that he saves us through what Jesus did when he died on the cross. Jesus’ story is found in the whole Bible, even before he was born!

Begin with John, Chapter 1, Verse 1 and read for a little while. Read it like a story, not like a textbook. Go at your own pace.

Think about this

What are you learning about who Jesus is? Who is “the Father” and what is He like? Picture yourself as one of the people in the scenes in John Chapter 1. How does God feel about you? If it is helpful to you, feel free to take notes, jot out questions and ask God what He wants to show you through His story.

If you have questions, talk through them with a friend or leader. These people will be important in helping you learn and share what you’re learning. Sometimes the Bible takes effort to understand and a Christian leader can encourage you and point you in the right direction. Connect with that Christian friend or leader and talk about these questions:

• Which people from the book of John stood out to you? Why?
• Did you learn anything new about Jesus from reading His story in the book of John?

Try this

Based on what we’ve learned here, think about ways you can regularly read or listen to God’s Story. What will you read next? Here are a few options to consider, but remember; you can always ask God what He has for you to read next. He may surprise you!

More Places to Start Reading:

• Start at the beginning. Check out Genesis and read about how God created the earth and made men and women in His image.
• Read more about Jesus. The rest of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are a great place to go.
• The Old Testament is full of great stories about imperfect people chosen by God to make an impact in the world. A great place to start is the book of Jeremiah!