Welcome to the Story - Review

Welcome To The Story follows a long list of other works that try to convey the whole picture of Scripture in a few pages. Most of these books are good, but they tend to be either too long or too boring. If you are looking for the whole picture of the Bible, then you want something that is an interesting quick read that will direct you right back to Scripture to get started. This book is the best that I have read that fits this category and I will definitely be recommending it to friends and new Christians alike. 

The author starts off by looking at the narrative of Scripture in four chapters:

Creation

Fall

Redemption

Restoration

Each chapter is written for the modern reader, and you can tell that the author has had many years of teaching experience. He is a gifted communicator and able to convey the story with ease. I love all of the references that he uses, from Bonhoeffer to Johnny Cash and Jonathan Edwards to Homicide: Life on the Streets. His love of the Word of God is apparent in each chapter, yet he is also able to connect scripture with contemporary references in an unforced manner.

Nichols follows the four chapters on the narrative of scripture with chapters on characters, story, study, and how scripture affects us. One of the great features of this book is the "cheat sheet" for reading the Bible in the appendix. The author provides a great list of questions to ask of yourself as you read and also offers sage advice on reading plans.

Pros:

* Great account of the narrative of Scripture, one of the best I have read

* Informed by Scripture and culture

* Very well written, author is a gifted communicator

* Fair. Author easily sidesteps controversy. For instance, he reconciles four diverse end times views in one paragraph

* Short. There is no filler in this book, and it will only take you 3 or 4 hours to read

This is a wonderful book and one that I can recommend to everyone without reservation. Whether you are a new Christian looking for "the big picture" or a veteran believer needing to be refreshed, this book fits the bill.