This is a delightful treasure-trove of a book that gives readers a visually compelling and knowledge-enriching tour of the storyline of Scripture. It will inform, equip and thrill!
Now on the whole, Christian books tend to be a bit bland inside. There’s not many Christians books on my bookshelves that aren’t just text inside. Yet this is where God’s Story is so different. Matt’s role as Director of Training for the South Central Gospel Partnership means he is well qualified to help readers grapple with the different genres, contexts and time periods of the Bible. But the team at Lion Hudson have done an incredible job at presenting Matt’s rich Bible knowledge and teaching gifts in such a way that they are accompanied by relevant photos, helpful tables/graphs, and inspiring artwork from throughout history.
The result feels like a cross between the kind of glossy and browsable book that you may have on your coffee table, and a genuinely stretching resource that you would draw on time and time again in the study.
Fifty-six double-page spread chapters take the reader from the Genesis account of God creating the world all the way to the portrayal of the new creation in Revelation. Along the journey Matt either gives time to most books of the Bible, or chooses to focus on key events/elements, e.g. he gives an introduction to Joshua and Judges, but then does a deep-dive into key aspects of Paul’s theology such as justification by faith and union with Christ. Each chapter also has a super helpful ‘Looking ahead to Jesus’ section, which helps us see how the whole story is one story. An opening chapter on ‘The Bible – God Speaks’ gives us a helpful guide to how we should approach Scripture as Christians.
This book is both beautiful and informative – and would make a precious gift for young Christians and experienced Bible teachers/preachers alike. Highly recommended and this reader is very grateful for it.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of the book from the author, but I hope this is still a fair review.
Each Christmas we’re treated to some delightfully creative and engaging videos that help us share and encourage us with the Christian message.
My feeling is that there’s been less new content produced for this Christmas. Maybe that’s because we’re all a bit fed up with our screens? Or maybe we’re all just a bit snowed under to consider new projects! I identify with both!
But either way, there’s still some gems – and they’re perfect for sharing on social media, or playing as part of a carol service (online or physical!) or at an online school assembly.
1) The Christ-Mouse – Speak Life
Thought-provoking story of an elderly widow alone at Christmas. Check out more information including the Message Behind the Movie (as a video) here.
2) Good News – Dai Woolridge & Bible Society
Resonating twenty-first century twist on the first-century story in two parts. More info and download here. Really well done.
3) Good News in 2 Minutes – Christmas Carols
In the run-up to Christmas, Adam will be choosing his five favourite carols, and reflecting on how these familiar words give us some really Good News 🎶
My Twitter friend Adam Thomas has a real gift at making punchy little videos explaining something of the gospel. I love that he’s doing a countdown to Christmas taking five carols and showing how their lyrics help us understand Christmas.
4) Let Me Go There – Speak Life
Powerful dramatisation of the R.S. Thomas poem. More connected resources, including an ‘Explainer’ video can be downloaded here.
5) The Lonely Dinosaur – Co-Mission
Definitely going for the John Lewis ad feel, and engaging with the distancing & loneliness that many have faced these past few months, and ultimately reminding us that Emmanuel means God is with us.
6) 12 Dais of Christmas – Dai Wooldridge
Dai gives a playful parody of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, with a profound message of hope: a baby born in the mess, for our mess (if your internet connection looks unstable – fear not, it may just be part of the video!).
7) How’s Your Hope? – St George’s Leeds
Hope is the big theme of 2020. I love what St George’s Leeds have done here.
8) Comfort & Joy – Church of England
Feature video for the C of E’s national campaign, ‘Comfort & Joy’, and narrated by Great British Bake-Off Contestant Martha Collison. ‘A Church Near You’ Editors can log into the Resource Hub, to access customisable videos and other content, here.
9) Christmas As We Once Knew It – Intro Outro
I think this is one of my favourite new entries this year. Really nicely done.
10) The Starting Line – Christians in Sport
Clever animation from CiS: “The starting line is a line in time… it’s where the divine became human, where God made himself visible and invites us back to him.” Will you follow him?
11) Not Just a Baby – Roarlight
I think this was around last year, but I seem to have missed it. Powerful spoken-word piece. This video isn’t free to download.
12) 4 Carols 4 Christmas
This project is releasing a fresh arrangement of a carol and a thought for the day each Tuesday evening in December. You can see their website here.
13) What Child Is This? – Full of Eyes
Simple visual portrayal of Christ, reflecting on the significance of the identity and mission of this child.
14) The Best We Could Hope For – Grosvenor Rd Baptist
Really good example of asking a perceptive question: ‘what is it we’re hoping for amidst all of this?’.
15) It Begins in Bethlehem – Bible Society
With a voiceover from Bob Hartman and showcasing great illustrations by Mark Beech, this goes alongside the Bible Society’s Christmas book.
16) God With Us in 2020 – Faith in Kids
The Faith in Kids team are underlining the wonderful truth of ‘God with us’ with a fun baking theme, playing into their Bake-Along event happening on Saturday 12th December.
17) Why believe the Christmas Story – Share These
Narrated by Michael Tinker, this is a new video resource from Share These, the video
This is lots of fun – and very creative! Does what it says on the tin…
19) The First Christmas Song – Michael Tinker & Alison Brewis
Michael Tinker sets to music Alison Brewis’ simple retelling of the first Christmas song of Mary, the angels and Simeon, rejoicing in the birth of God’s King. Beautifully animated – perfect for assemblies, etc. Could this be your song too? This video isn’t free to download.
20) Christmas Coronavirus Poem – The Bible Applied
Powerful and simple poem from The Bible Applied focusing on the story of a young girl contemplating the loss – and faith – of her Grandma.
21) Share The Light – CPOresources
Featuring ex-Delirious? front-man, this, from resources company CPO, reflects on practical ways we can ‘share the light’.
22) Waiting for a King – EngageWorship
This is part of a series of resources from EngageWorship’s Worship in the Waiting project for Advent, which are available here.
1) Changing Church: autumn 2021 Evangelical Alliance report – EA surveyed over 500 church leaders and 1500 church attenders about church life after lockdown. The headlines are around a change in people’s habits of attending church services, especially a seeming reduction in weekly attendance, which then impacts serving teams and giving. It also cautions against getting church members so busy with church activities that they can’t invest in relationships outside of church.
2) Each One Lost – After the devastating news of another 27 people drowned in the Channel after an overcrowded dinghy was reportedly hit by a container ship, Nick Baines reflects in his Radio 4 Thought for the Day on how we grieve for those not known to us, yet whom are men, women, and children made in the image of God.
5) The Christ-Mouse – Speak Life’s 2021 Christmas Video is the The Christ-Mouse, capturing an elderly woman alone at Christmas and pointing to Immanuel joining us in the darkness – and lots of cheese. Written and directed by Nate Morgan-Locke, you can see and download the five-minute film, as well as a short film with Nate at the link above.
6) 10 years since Gary Speed’s death – Respect to Dan Walker for recording this. As Andy Prime said, ‘when you go the football today, talk about more than the football. Tell someone how you’re feeling, and be someone that others can talk to’.
7) Thanksgiving Song – For something a bit different, I think I probably shared this last year, but this a beautiful song by Ben Rector for the Thanksgiving Weekend – and an amazing video!
And for a bonus, I wrote this piece for The Gospel Coalition on why the season of Advent is such a gift for us as we feel the brokenness of our world – and how we can discover Advent hope in a surprising place (although readers of this blog probably won’t be too surprised… hint, hint: it begins with ‘R’ and ends in ‘uth’…).
Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called St Paul’s Barrow, recently merged together from two existing churches, St Paul’s Church and Grace Church Barrow.
Available Now: Advent 2021 – Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies
A fresh look at Advent through the book of Ruth. Why not order a bunch for your church to read through Advent together here. 100 for £1 each!
Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called 
