The Bible Story Family

  Everyone has heard the hymn “Amazing Grace.” But not everyone has heard the story behind the hymn. John Newton was a slaver whose life transformed dramatically when he became a Christian. He became a pastor and ardent abolitionist. To commemorate the 300th anniversary of his birth, Minneapolis-based composer Josh Bauder wrote a new oratorio telling Newton’s amazing grace story. Newton will be presented October 3 and 4 under the direction of composer-conductor Josh Bauder. It can be seen on Saturday, October 3, at Bethel University and Sunday, October 4, at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. The Saturday performance will be in Benson Hall at 7:00 p.m. and the Sunday performance will take place at 3:00 p.m. The oratorio is sponsored by the Christian non-profit LimbFit and will be presented by Deo Cantamus of Minnesota. It features Gerard Sundberg as Newton and Tim Sawyer as William Cowper along with the chorus and orchestra. The long-time friendship between John Newton and the poet ...

  Sell your house. Quit your job. Take your family and move to Scotland. Explore castles and bogs and the beaches on the North Sea. No, it’s not a Hobbit-like adventure. It’s a creative educational adventure. Study and earn a PhD in Biblical Hebrew. That’s what Christopher Allen will be doing for the next four years. Just over a week ago he and his wife Katie, along with nine-year-old Lewis, arrived in Aberdeen. The University there will be home until the dream of a lifetime has been completed. Why Scotland? Adventure for the entire family, and former visits by Katie. Why Aberdeen? The opportunity to study at an institution dating back to 1495. The fifth-oldest University in the English-speaking world. Why Biblical Hebrew? Because of a love for God and His Word. Because of a desire to serve the One who initially introduced Himself to us in that language. Because God has led every step of the way. “Not all those who wander are lost.” Bilbo Baggins in J. R. R. Tol...

  The Bible Story Family now offers free resources for use by families, churches and schools. You are already on the website. Go to Home, scroll down to Free Resources and click on the title to go to the Downloads page. All the resources on the download page are available free of charge. You have permission to make copies for personal or group use. Study Guide to Knowledge of the Holy consists of twenty-three lessons based on the classic book by A. W. Tozer. Study Guide for Discipleship includes ten lessons on preparing disciples for leadership. The way in which Christ developed the character of the Twelve Disciples becomes the pattern for growing disciples today. The Expository Sermon: Cultural or Biblical? This article explores the origins of the expository method of sermon preparation and delivery in the light of cultural effectiveness. He Came with the Lambs is a contemplative hymn written by Carmen Allen and appropriate for any season of the year, but especially Eas...

  At our church we have had the privilege of participating in a three-week Bible study on the subject of “The Heart and Anger.” Dr. Jeff Newman has been the speaker. He serves with Baptist Mid-Missions as a sort of pastor to missionaries. The program he oversees is called Safe Haven for Missionary Soul Care.             Safe Haven has been in place for several years now. It fills a void in Missions work which had become increasingly apparent. Jeff and his wife provide counseling and encouragement for those who are serving around the world. They also maintain a home in Illinois which offers short-term refuge for those arriving back in the states or leaving for their overseas assignments through Chicago.             “The Heart and Anger: Beyond Anger Management to Heart Transformation,” is based mainly on a study from the epistle to the Ephesians. The epistle is compared ...

              We sent our son off to college and he came back with a beautiful wife who loves Scotland and with a love of Biblical Hebrew. Now those two loves have led to the pursuit of a PhD in Aberdeen, Scotland.             Hiking through the moors, exploring castles, walking on the beach near the North Sea.             Chris, Katie and Lewis leave for Scotland in less than two weeks. The plan is to stay there for the school year and return each summer until the PhD program in Biblical Hebrew is completed. God has led in some amazing ways already, providing an apartment close to campus and putting Katie in touch with a home-school group which Lewis can enjoy.             In order to keep people updated on the big adventure, Katie has started a blog on Subst...

  Ted Weinberg has hosted more than six hundred volunteers on mission field construction projects since his first overseas trip in 1983. The projects started when he taught building skills at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College and occupied an office across the hall from Missions Professor Sam Telloyan. Sam would receive letters from various fields concerning construction projects and just casually drop them on Ted’s desk. If you know Sam, nothing he did was ever just casual. Eventually Ted and his wife Diane joined ABWE as career missionaries overseeing building construction in South Africa, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Togo and Papua New Guinea. Many months were spent in each location and those were the places where volunteers joined them. They attracted volunteers from supporting churches by means of prayer letters. They handled the arrangements of getting a group to the field and housing them during the time they worked. The greatest blessing was to see lives changed both with t...