Peter Enns

Seeking to bridge the existing gap between biblical studies and systematic theology, this distinctive series offers section-by-section exegesis of the Old Testament texts in close conversation with theological concerns. Written by respected scholars, the THOTC volumes aim to help pastors, teachers, and students engage in deliberately theological interpretation of Scripture.

In this accessible and engaging book, Peter Enns (author of the controversial and best-selling Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament) provides parents and teachers with a straightforward and intelligent twelve-year plan for teaching the Bible. Written for lay readers but incorporating the best scholarly insights, Telling God’s Story avoids sectarian agendas. Instead, Enns suggests beginning with the parables of the Gospels for the youngest students; continuing on with the more complex stories of the Old and New Testaments for middle grade students; and guiding high school students into an understanding of the history and culture of biblical times.

These lesson plans, designed to accompany the weekly lessons laid out in Telling God’s Story, Year One (available separately), provide coloring pages, craft projects, and group activities to fill out an entire week of home school or private school study; a core set of activities is also provided for the use of Sunday school teachers. Coloring pages accompany each lesson and accurately reflect the historical setting of the original stories, while a full range of crafts and activities help young students understand and remember.

The first level in a twelve-level series designed to take young students from elementary through high school, Telling God’s Story: Year One provides weekly lessons for elementary-grade students, based on the parables and the Gospels. The Instructor Text and Teaching Guide contains pithy, content-filled background information for the teacher, a biblical passage to read aloud, and a scripted explanation of the passage designed especially for young children to grasp with ease. This Year One curriculum provides a full year of religious instruction.