Meet Adam, the Author of The God StoryThe Phantom Intercessor - 19 Jun 2013
This week's feature was all about 24-7's newest and, quite possibly, most important resource ever: The God Story. The God Story is a 9 hour, 5-part teaching series, designed to let you journey through the entire Bible and explore God's story throughout history. This brilliant resource was created by Adam Cox who leads an amazing 24-7 Community in Kansas City. Here is an interview to let you meet Adam - the master storyteller:
1. How did you come up with idea of The God Story?
Fresh out of seminary, excited to change the world by making disciples who know and live the Bible, yet in crisis grappling with my fragmented understanding of Scripture and therefore who God is, I read a simple story that has completely altered the course of my life.
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27)
On my knees and in tears by my desk, in the presence of God, I concluded that though I didn't know what the story of Scripture was in one fluid motion yet, I now knew there was a Story and it was all about and only could be discovered in the person of Jesus Christ. That encounter with Christ and the Scripture sent me on a life long journey to know God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—as progressively unfolded throughout the history recorded in the Bible. For the last ten years, personally and in the context of community, we have been prayerfully engaging the God Story over and over in various ways.
This is my dream for an Emmaus-like movement…that a hopeless generation of wandering friends, having experienced the deepest sense of loss at every level, would meet the living Jesus right where they are, causing their hearts to burn within them as the Scriptures are unfolded and covenant love is shared with them at the family table, causing hope to return as they run in the resurrection, taking their place in God's kingdom family story.
2. In your own words, what is The God Story?
The Bible is the definitive heart rending account of God, humanity and all things real. The God Story is a chronological, narrative approach to Scripture spanning the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation closely following the unfolding revelation of God, His purposes and the redemption of all things in Christ.
3. Tell me more about how the God Story as arranged as a "Kingdom Family Sonata" in five parts.
This present telling of the God Story is in five parts, spanning nine hours of story telling. It borrows from the classical music form called sonata and brings forth the central theme of the Father's eternal purpose accomplished in Christ and kingdom family.
The introduction (God the Eternal Family) and exposition (Creation and the Garden of Eden) set the origin and home key of the story. Then the development (the Patriarchs and Israel) is where the plot moves further and further away from the home key, creating tension. The recapitulation (Jesus Christ) is an altered repeat of the exposition, bringing the whole story to fulfillment in a short summary "Word.” Lastly, the coda (the Church) draws in themes from the whole piece and concludes with a perfect cadence in the original home key, bringing the entire Story to resolution.
4. What does The God Story mean to you personally?
A.W. Tozer said:
"What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you."
Therefore the most important thing I could ever do is search out God. This is just what I have discovered over the last decade of diving head long into the God Story. Knowing God is my great fascination, my deepest longing and the most wonderful privilege of being human. I have been completely transformed by discovering the Father revealed perfectly in Jesus and His eternal purpose accomplished in Jesus. And that unfolding discovery is entirely defining my identity as someone saved not only from the damage I have done to myself and others, but also saved into sonship.
I am found in the Father and formed in His family the church. I am being progressively delivered from my small, individualistic personal drama rooted in orphan-like rejection and slave-like performance and set into God's big kingdom family story. I have discovered God as Father, myself a beloved son and the world renewed, reconciled and redeemed by Christ. I long for the Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven and for all who are far off to come home. This is truly the good news of great joy for all people.
You can get hold of The God Story as either an audio or video download from the Kansas City Boiler Room website. If you want to find out more about the KC Boiler Room then check out their fantastic video or the Communities page.