The whole Gospel story . . . on the back of a napkin?

How can we share the most amazing, compelling, all-embracing, comprehensive Big Story of God in a way that doesn’t require a week-long conversation or a doctorate in philosophy to understand? Haven’t we all wrestled with how to effectively and winsomely share the good news about Jesus? I know I have.

In my lifetime, I’ve learned multiple methods, illustrations, and strategies designed to make the a presentation of the gospel simple enough to understand (and remember!) and yet covering all the bases needed.  Yet, in my experience, I’ve ended up abandoning them as trite and truncated, favoring of my own more detailed (but perhaps not necessarily most helpful?) telling of the story.

In James Choung’s True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In we are introduced, in story-form, to a simple yet comprehensive telling of the Big Story.  Through the depiction of four worlds represented by four circles, our place in the whole story of creation, fall, evil, redemption, and the ongoing mission of God is presented in a way that includes both the personal, as well as corporate and environmental, realities of sin and reconciliation. Through this telling, people are called to follow Jesus into his mission of healing the world and bringing true and lasting shalom.

I recommend you get the book and read it. It’s put in a story-form that’s engaging and easy to read.

Want to watch James use this illustration to tell the gospel story in three minutes? Go here.