The Books of the Bible Participant's Journal | Page 7

18 | The Books of the Bible Allow time for discussion about how your group wants to func- tion with each other and to address any concerns people have about doing the Bible reading. INTRODUCE THE BOOKS OF COVENANT HISTORY The Books of Covenant History contains six sections of important intro- ductory material. If time allows, read through all six sections of the introductory material together. If your group has read other volumes in the past, or if you have time constraints, focus on the Drama of the Bible in Six Acts, page v (it’s helpful to read that together before every new series), and read the Invitation to the Covenant History, page xix. Preparing for the Week Ahead (15–20 minutes) Discuss the challenge of reading 12 pages a day. Remind partici- pants that most readings take around 30 minutes to complete—­ about the same time it takes to watch a short TV show. WATCH VIDEO WEEK 1: GENESIS To get the most out of what you will be reading in the coming week, close your time together by watching the video of Bible teacher John Walton explaining the themes and relevance of Genesis. Use the follow- ing outline to jot down any additional insights or questions. VIDEO NOTE S The Old Testament gives us God’s story, God’s revelation of his plans and purposes. The Old Testament has authority: We have a responsibility to submit to it. We have to read it in context: literary context and cultural context.