The Bible Story Handbook: A Resource for Teaching 175 Stories from the Bible

by John H. Walton; Kim E. Walton

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2010

Overview

How do Sunday school teachers lead children through the stories of Cain and Abel or Judas’ betrayal in a way that reflects the authority of Scripture? Sunday school curricula often glosses over difficult lessons or focuses too much on characters in Bible stories, neglecting God’s self-revelation in Scripture. John and Kim Walton have created this handbook for 175 Bible stories to assist teachers and parents in knowing what each story teaches and how to present it in a God-centered way.

As they work their way through the Bible, the Waltons examine seven elements in each story: focus, theme, application, place in the Bible, interpretational issues, historical and cultural background, and age-group appropriateness. The Bible Story Handbook includes introductory articles on why we teach the Bible, right and wrong ways to use the Bible, and ends with a two-year teaching plan. Every parent and Sunday school teacher will find this unique resource to be invaluable in teaching children to know and love God.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• 175 chronological Bible lessons
• Tips on how to teach Bible stories
• Resources for further study including commentary series, children’s series, handbooks, and atlases

Contents

• Why Do We Teach Bible Stories?
• Is There a Right Way or a Wrong Way to Use Bible Stories?
• The Big Picture of the Bible
• Old Testament
• New Testament

Praise for the Print Edition

An excellent resource for anyone teaching or preaching the Bible. While written for teachers of children, the Waltons provide clear and accurate exegetical understanding of the major stories of the Bible that will strengthen any teacher or preacher.

—Craig Williford, president, Trinity International University

Wow! What a resource! The Waltons provide us with an invaluable tool for the person who teaches the Bible to anyone of any age in any context. The Waltons focus on the biblical story, keeping it God’s story, making God the hero of every story, just as the original writers intended. This work is a gift to Sunday school teachers, curriculum writers, and parents who want informed, rich perspectives on the stories within the biblical metanarrative. The Introduction alone provides a vital background for reading the Scriptures. For a scholar like John, with his expertise in Old Testament studies, and someone with the experience of Kim to corroborate on a work of this magnitude is a timeless gift for the teaching ministries of the Church of Jesus Christ.

—Scottie May, associate professor of Christian formation and ministry, Wheaton College

This book looks like a curriculum. It is not. It is a description of a method, with abundant examples, that may assist congregations to become ‘hermeneutical communities’ exercising responsible use of Scripture as they design learning experiences for the people of God.

—Linda Cannell, academic dean, North Park Theological Seminary

In an effort to make the Bible relevant to children, too often curriculum writers and parents have focused on the wrong issue, which does violence to the text as they seek to make it relate to children. Bible scholar John Walton and his wife, Kim, have responded with this volume that speaks directly to the well-intentioned but nevertheless abusive use of the Bible, offering succinct insight into biblical stories, helping parents and teachers find the actual meaning of the text to enable responsible teaching. I highly recommend this excellent book for those who want to teach the Bible insightfully to children and to adults. They help us all to take the text seriously, letting it speak as God intended.

—Perry G. Downs, professor of educational ministries, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

All too often we who teach children have come to the Bible with an agenda. We come with a lesson in mind and then search for a Bible story that might be used as a sort of ‘proof text’ for the lesson with nary a thought of the real intent of the passage. This is a wonderful resource for parents and teachers to help them remain true to the biblical text while providing valuable help in communicating truth to children. It can be used as a supplement to classroom curriculum or as a guide in teaching children in the home. I recommend this book to everyone who understands the importance of clearly and accurately communicating God’s Word, especially to the youngest of God’s family.

—Diane Jordan, director of children’s ministry, College Church, Wheaton, IL

Product Details

• Title: The Bible Story Handbook: A Resource for Teaching 175 Stories from the Bible
• Authors: John H. Walton and Kim E. Walton
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 448
• Resource Type: Handbooks
• Topic: Biblical Studies

About the Authors

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including several Bible commentaries and Bible story books for children.

Kim E. Walton (MS, University of Cincinnati) has been teaching Sunday school and developing and evaluating curriculum for 25 years.

Sample Pages from the Print Edition

Contents

Top Highlights

“By seeing God’s plan worked out in the past (the Pentateuch and the Historical Books) and projected into the future (Prophetic Literature), we can begin to appreciate the unfathomable wisdom of God, who is worthy of praise and worship (Psalms and Wisdom Literature). Therefore, we should view the Old Testament, and indeed the whole Bible, as a presentation of God’s attributes in action. We can know who God is and what he is like by hearing what he has done and intends to do. This is a ‘theocentric’ approach to Scripture—God is at the center of it all and therefore ought to be our focus as we study and teach his Word. Once we know who he is and what he is like, the appropriate responses should be worship, commitment, and service.” (Page 28)

“The Bible is unique because it teaches with the authority of God; in the case of Nehemiah, we learn, among other things, that God fulfills his promises of restoring the city of Jerusalem and that he sovereignly carries out his plan through Nehemiah’s submission. God used Nehemiah’s leadership, but that does not mean that Nehemiah’s was the best possible leadership, approved by God in every way. Nehemiah’s success does not authorize his example as a biblical model for leadership.” (Page 16)

“If we teach only the elements of narrative, we degrade the Bible to the status of literature (only). When we teach the God of the Bible, we elevate the Bible and honor it as Scripture.” (Page 20)

“Sunday school curricula ought to help people think theologically—to ask, ‘How ought we live in the world today in light of the gospel?” (Page 22)

Product Details

• Title: The Bible Story Handbook: A Resource for Teaching 175 Stories from the Bible
• Authors: John H. Walton, Kim E. Walton
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible stories › Study and teaching; Christian education of children
• ISBNs: 9781433506482, 9781433506499, 9781433506505, 9781433523298, 1433506483, 1433506491, 1433506505, 1433523299
• Resource ID: LLS:BBLST175STRSBBL
• Resource Type: text.monograph.handbook
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:07:05Z