The document discusses how stories are powerful ways to engage people's minds and change their brain chemistry. It provides examples of how listening to stories activates more parts of the brain than just listening to facts or presentations. In particular, stories that focus on love and compassion have been shown to strengthen neurological connections related to empathy, while stories focusing on fear can damage these connections. The document advocates understanding the Bible as a grand overarching story that provides meaning and shapes people's worldviews.

2. PETER ENNS
“Stories work. Stories are powerful.
Stories move us deeply, more so than
statistics, news reports, or textbooks.
We all know that. We only need to think about
what holds our attention, and makes us long for
more—that book, film, or TV series that we
wish wouldn’t end quite
so soon, that story told of some deep, personal,
transforming experience,
whether painful or joyous…”

3. STRANGER
THAN FICTION
(Harold Crick)

4. 1. Overcoming The Monster Kong: Skull Island
2. Rags-to-Riches Beauty And The Beast
3. The Quest The Lord of The Rings
4. Voyage and Return The Hobbit
5. Comedy The Lego Batman Movie
6. Tragedy Manchester By The Sea
7. Rebirth The Shack
THE 7 BASIC PLOTS…

5. - Help our minds stay focused
- Can literally change our brain chemistry
(for better or worse)
- Impact our feelings and actions
in ways basic facts simply can’t
STORIES CAN…

6. LEO WIDRICH
“If we listen to a PowerPoint presentation
with boring bullet points…it hits our language
processing parts in the brain, where we decode
words into meaning. And that’s it, nothing else
happens. When told a story, though, things change
dramatically…Not only are the
language processing parts in our brain activated,
but any other area in our brain
that we would use when experiencing
the events of the story are too.”

7. URI HASSON
“…a story is the only way to activate
parts in the brain so that a listener
turns the story into their own idea,
and experience.”

8. ANDREW NEWBERG
“Contemplative practices (when rooted
in love) stimulate activity in the anterior
cingulate, thus helping a person to
become more sensitive to the feelings
of others. Indeed, meditating on…
God’s love appears to strengthen
the…neurological circuits that allow us to
feel compassion towards others.”

9. ANDREW NEWBERG
“In contrast, religious activities
(or stories) that focus on fear may
damage the anterior cingulate,
and when this happens, a person
will often lose interest in other
people’s concerns, or act
aggressively against them.”

10. MIKE McHARGUE
“People who focus on God’s love develop thicker,
richer gray matter in their prefrontal cortex, and
anterior cingulate cortex.
This development offers them better focus,
concentration, compassion and empathy.
They have lower stress levels and lower blood
pressure, and it’s easier for them to forgive
themselves and others…This not only
allows the believer to experience peace
– it also elevates her capacity to
take risks for the sake of others.”

12. In the beginning when God created the heavens
and the earth, the earth was a formless void
and darkness covered the face of the deep,
while a wind from God swept over the face
of the waters. Then God said,
“Let there be light”; and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good;
and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness
he called Night. And there was evening
and there was morning, the first day.
GENESIS1:1-5

13. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home[a] of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them; they will be
his peoples, and God himself
will be with them…
REVELATION21:1-3

14. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
- A Rule Book?
- A “how to” Field Guide?
- A Love Letter?
- A Historical/Scientific Account?
- A Story Book?
- A combo?

15. THE BIBLE IS BEST UNDERSTOOD
AS:- A library of ancient books over 1000s of years
- A collection of numerous genres/styles
- A consistent STORY with a primary narrative
thread running from beginning-to-end

16. THE BIBLE IS THE STORY OF:
- God and Creation
- God and Humanity
- God and Israel
- God and Jesus (and The Church)
- God and New Creation

18. QUESTION THAT HELP US
MAKE SENSE OF THINGS…
• Who are we? The WHO?
• Where are we? The WHERE?
• What is wrong? The WHAT?
• What is the solution? The HOW?
• What time is it? The WHEN?
• What is the point? The WHY?

19. A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW IN
LIGHT OF THE BIBLICAL
STORY• Who are we? The Church
• Where are we? Citizens in God’s Kingdom
• What is wrong? Darkness still impacts the world
• What is the solution? Spirit-filled disciples
• What time is it? The overlap of the ages
• What is the point? For God so loved the world…

21. One of the scribes…asked him,
“Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered, “The first is: ‘Hear, O Israel:
the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment
greater than these.”
MARK12