We often learn individual Bible stories, but how do they all stick together?
This overview is meant to give a "big picture" sketch of the Bible's Story.
Graphic Bible Story Outline
In addition to the text below that walks you through the Bible Story Outline, we have the outline available as a graphic. This graphic was originally printed double-sided on 11" x 17" paper for our Confirmation Class students (it looked kind of like an old-school diner placemat!). While the graphic has fewer words than the text outline, for some learners the images and movement displayed in the graphic are more helpful in visualizing the flow of the Bible's story.
The graphic was made by Pastor Chris Duckworth on Canva. You are free to use and adapt the graphic and the Bible Story Outline in your ministry without permission.
Click on thumbnail to see full-sized image
Bible Story Outline
The Promise movement of the Bible begins in Creation, tells of God’s promises to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and ends with the people Israel escaping famine and living in Egypt.
Creation
Key Stories: Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4a; 2:4b-25)
The Bible begins by telling not one but two stories of creation. They are distinct but also compatible, faithful, and rich with meaning. The first creation story tells of a certain kind of order in creation, stamped with God’s declaration that “it is very good!” The second creation story tells an intimate story of relationship between people and creation.
In the first story God makes all things in 6 days, rests on the 7th, and says it is all very good.
DAY 1: Separated light and dark into day and night. It is good.
DAY 2: Sky. It is good.
DAY 3: Separated land from sea, filled the land with vegetation. It is good.
DAY 4: Sun and stars. It is good.
DAY 5: Living creatures, animals. It is good.
DAY 6: Humans. It is very good.
DAY 7: Rest.
God makes humankind in God’s image.
In the second creation story, God makes humankind out of the dust of the earth – people and nature are deeply connected. God created the person and set him to be part of a vibrant, dynamic, and colorful environment, in close relationship with animals and plants and other people. This story highlights our connectedness to all of creation.
In both creation stories God sets up a beautiful balance in creation, filled with promise, hope, and life. Humans are called to tend and to care for all of creation.
Fall
Key Stories: Rules & Temptation (Genesis 3:1-24); The First Murder (Genesis 4:1-16)
God sets up rules for humanity. Humans – Adam and Eve – break the rules. This event is traditionally referred to as “the fall.” The balance in creation is now broken. Things aren’t going to be as God intended them to be just a few verses earlier in the Bible. Sin and death have now entered the world.
While The First Murder story is not technically part of what we traditionally refer to as “the fall,” in just the fourth chapter of the Bible we witness the first murder in the Bible. Jealousy caused Cain to kill Abel. Cain is punished for this deed. Yet, our God is a God of mercy. Death is not the way of life, even in a world now marked by sin. God intervenes to protect the life of Cain.
Even with the arrival of sin and death, God’s love and promises continue. That is part of the PROMISE of this first part of the Bible’s story.

Covenant
Key Stories:
Noah & the Flood (Genesis 6-9);
Call of Abraham (Genesis 15, 17);
Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21);
Jacob & Esau (Genesis 25-28);
Joseph (Genesis 37-50).
God makes promises to his people.
God’s people are doing bad things, falling far from God’s intent.
God decides for a “do-over,” to flood the earth but save Noah, his family, and animals of every kind.
God speaks judgment and promise to Noah, gives him instruction.
Noah builds an ark, saves animals and family, and waters flood the earth.
After the flood, God promises never to destroy the earth again. God’s love is bigger than God’s anger. God gives a sign of this promise – the rainbow.
God promises to give Abraham more descendants than there are stars; to give his descendants land; to bless the world through him.
Abraham would have two children; Ishmael, with his servant Hagar, and Isaac, with his wife Sarah.
Isaac would later become father to Jacob and Esau, twin brothers who were rivals. Jacob is a trickster who steals his brother’s blessing and negotiates for his birthright. Jacob would be re-named Israel, and be the father of the nation.
Jacob and his wives would have twelve sons who become the twelve tribes of Israel. One of those sons, Joseph, would be jealously sold into slavery by his brothers. He would later become a leader in Egypt, and show mercy on his brothers who come to Egypt seeking food during a famine.
The Exodus movement of the Bible tells the story of God’s people as slaves in Egypt, God’s dramatic work to lead them across the Red Sea, and God’s giving of the Law while in the wilderness. This is perhaps the most formative period in Israel’s history.
Bondage
Key Stories:
Oppression of the Israelites (Exodus 1);
Moses is saved (Exodus 2);
God calls Moses (Exodus 3);
Plagues (Exodus 7-11);
Passover (Exodus 12);
Crossing Red Sea (Exodus 14)
The Israelites had gone to Egypt because of a famine. An Israelite named Joseph became a trusted leader in Egypt. But many years later, the rulers of Egypt forgot about Joseph and made the Israelites their slaves.
They worked hard, and wondered about God’s promises. Was God going to be faithful to his people?
Hebrew families were forced to give up their children. Many of the children died. One child was put in a basket in a river, and Pharaoh’s family found him. They named him Moses, and made him part of their family.
Moses grew up as part of the ruling family of Egypt, but as he grew up he saw the suffering of the Hebrew people.
Moses left Egypt, heard God’s call to save his people, got married, and returned to Egypt.
Moses spoke God’s word to Pharaoh, commanded him to “Let my people go!” Pharaoh refused.
God caused nine plagues to come upon Egypt. Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites go.
God instructed the Israelites to prepare a meal, and to watch for God’s hand to free them from the Egyptians. This meal is called the Passover.
God struck the Egyptians and the Israelites fled.
Freedom
Key Stories:
God’s people escape Egypt (Exodus 14);
Moses, Miriam, and everyone sings (Exodus 15);
People get grumpy, God provides (Exodus 16)
The Egyptians chased the Israelites as they fled, but they got stuck in the mud of the Red Sea.
The water closed on the Egyptians after the Israelites made it to dry land.
When they realized what had happened, the people were overjoyed. They sang and danced and celebrated.
But shortly after their celebration, they got hungry, and kind of wished they were back in Egypt. The complained that they didn’t have food or water. God provided.
It was a new life of freedom, but it was also a bit scary. It was unfamiliar. They weren’t yet in their Promised Land. But they were also no longer in slavery. They were living in an in-between time.
Law
Key Stories:
The Giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20);
Making the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25);
The Golden Calf (Exodus 32);
Renewing the Covenant (Exodus 34)
As they walk in the wilderness, God gives laws to the people through Moses.
In total, 613. The 10 most famous we call “The Ten Commandments”.
Laws were given to the people to show them the way of life; to show them how to live with each other and with God; and to distinguish them from other tribes and peoples. It establishes the system of sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sins, a priesthood, and the plan for a tabernacle where God's presence will dwell.
It also establishes a sabbath system, a justice system, and a system for taking care of people who are vulnerable.
Jesus says the law can be summarized as loving God and loving other people.
God told the people to make an ark, a chest they would carry, to hold all the laws and decrees he gave them. They were to carry that around carefully and with reverence, to honor the Spirit of God that dwelled in the words contained in that ark.
Sometimes the people forgot God and didn’t follow the laws. Once they made a golden calf to be their God. That made God – and Moses – angry. Moses busted the tablets.
God renewed the covenant with Israel anyway, because “The Lord is a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6).
The Kingdom movement of the Bible tells of the People Israel arriving in their promised land and the challenges they had in getting settled. We see the eventual establishment of their Kingdom, the construction of the temple, its split into northern and southern kingdoms, and their eventual conquest by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Land
Key Stories:
Crossing the Jordan River on dry land (Joshua 3);
The fall of Jericho’s walls (Joshua 6);
Settling the land (Joshua 13-21)
After 40 years in the wilderness, God calls the people Israel to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. Priests carry the ark of the covenant into the Jordan River, and the water stops – recalling the crossing of the Red Sea from the Exodus story. The people cross over on dry land.
The land was already occupied. God led the Israelites to conquer the peoples there and take the land. The first major conquest was at Jericho, where the people walked around the city walls blowing trumpets for seven consecutive days. On the seventh