four aspects of God's Kingdom

What is Bible in a Day?

The Bible is the most published book in human history, a foundational document of western civilization, and the basis of Christianity, but it remains widely under-read and misunderstood. But what is the purpose of the Bible? Why has God given it to us? How do the Old and New Testaments fit together? Many important questions emerge today because we don’t explore the Bible as one story. To some, the Bible is nothing more than a random collage of unrelated stories. We see the bits but we don’t see the big picture. The people, customs, and narratives of the Old and New Testaments seem mysterious and distant. The Bible-in-a-day seminar helps participants to understand the big story that we are all a part of. Our goal is to help give you a framework for your own spiritual growth, for further reading and study, for understanding sermons and Bible studies better, and for explaining the story of the Bible (and therefore Christianity) to the people in your life.

Because BIAD is a live seminar with one or two presenters, it can be tailored for participants aged youth to adult, and for ESL learners. Each person recieves a well-designed workbook with ample room to take notes.

Content

Bible-in-a-day is a concise way of exploring the Bible. Throughout the seminar, we look at the key people, events, dialogue and narrative that communicate God’s grand plan and purpose to people in every age. At Bible‑in-a-day, we hope you become enthralled by God’s one big overarching story that is the Bible. The seminar includes an introduction to the Bible, including an overview of the following key points:

  • what it is
  • how it came to be
  • how to read it
  • the major theme

The main part of the seminar happens in four sessions. Bible in a Day doesn’t cover every part of the Bible (that would take longer than one day!); rather, each session looks chronologically and theologically at the main movements of the Biblical narrative. For example, the first session focuses on Creation and Fall, because these are foundational to understanding the entire Biblical story. The second session develops the theme of God’s rule through the kings of Israel, and the heights and depths of the nation. The third session focuses in time and place to Jerusalem and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Promised King, and the implications of his ministry. In the final session, the seminar looks at the explosive growth of the new people of God, the true Israel, who by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are energized by the Holy Spirit to glorify God, to make disciples, and to enjoy the New Creation promised by God from the beginning.

Schedule

A typical Bible in a Day schedule is shown below. BIAD is also configurable for retreats, or a 5 to 10 week course, meeting one evening a week.

9:30 Welcome
 
9:40 Introduction
 
10:00 1: Promise of the Kingdom
 
11:00 Break
 
11:15 2: Shape of the Kingdom
 
12:15 Lunch
 
1:00 3: King of the Kingdom
 
2:00 Break
 
2:15 4: Growth of the Kingdom
 
3:15 Conclusion
 
3:30 End of Seminar

Who developed Bible in a Day

Bible in a Day (BIAD) is a one-day seminar originated from St. John’s Richmond and was developed by Rev. Sean Love and Rev. David McElrea with much input from the people at SJR, and many presenters. Since 2009, Bible-in-a-Day has been offered several times each year (over 40 times) at many churches and some schools and university campuses in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and beyond.