It may surprise you to know that Bible StoryBoards got its start in a Sunnyvale coffee shop. In some ways that seems fitting since Sunnyvale is right in the middle of the Silicon Valley where start-ups are common. Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Apple, Genentech, Cisco, Google, Craig’s List, Hotmail, Fry’s Electronics, Yahoo, Netflix, eBay, You Tube, Twitter – they all got their start here.
Add to that list Bible StoryBoards!
Praying for a Fresh Idea
Two years ago on a Friday morning the idea of telling the entire story of the Bible with StoryBoards came to me while sipping on a sugar-free vanilla latte at The Bean Scene on Murphy Avenue. It wasn’t the first time I had come to a coffee shop hoping and praying for a fresh idea. My 3rd book, Before You Get Engaged, was written almost entirely in three different coffee shops.
With a summer speaking engagement just days away, I knew I needed a biblical talk that would captivate an audience who knew me well with something new. I wanted to talk about something that would have both immediate and future benefits. So with my decaf coffee in hand, I prayed and began to scribble down some ideas. Then the next thing I knew I was drawing my way through the Bible (with pictures a six-year old could draw).
A New Way of Looking at the Bible
Since the 1980’s I have taught thousands of people the story of the Bible in a variety of settings. I’ve outlined it and time lined it and I’ve even taught all the way through the Bible with hand signs! So I have a pretty good grasp on the overall story of the Bible. But on that Friday, sitting in Bean Scene, I did something I’d never done before. I sketched my way through the Bible. And as I did, my excitement levels climbed because I saw taking shape in front of me something that could have local and global impact.
With pictures and stories the substance of the most important love story ever written could be seen and understood by everyone everywhere. Readers or non-readers alike would be able to grasp the story of the Bible.
From Twenty to Fifteen Pictures
At one point, as you can see from the drawing above, I had twenty pictures that told the story of the Bible – from God to an undated future. In the weeks that followed, as I collaborated with my wife and others, the total number of pictures dropped to fifteen.
Someone recently asked me why we decided on fifteen pictures. It was a good question and the answer really is quite simple. With fifteen pictures we’ve been able to capture the biblical storyline in fifteen logical, chronological segments of biblical history.
Two Years and Counting
Now over the past two years I’ve worked with these fifteen pictures in a variety of settings including teaching them to adults, teachers, children, students, people who are close to God, and people who are far from God, groups and individuals. And here is what I’ve found. Bible StoryBoards is a tool that can help anyone and everyone.
My enthusiasm levels are still climbing!
Bible StoryBoards can help you understand the bottom line story of the Bible. You can buy the book or app here. To do so, click on the pictures below.
Related Post: 3 Reasons Bible StoryBoards is Loved by a Former Nun and Others