The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of God's Story

Description

The Heart of the Story will help you see God's Word in a new and inspiring light. In the Bible's seemingly disconnected stories, you'll discover one grand, unfolding epic - God's story from Genesis onward - and your own life-story contained within it. "To understand the Bible," says author and pastor Randy Frazee, "you need bifocal lenses, because two perspectives are involved. The Lower Story, our story, is actually many stories of men and women interacting with God in the daily course of life. The Upper Story is God's story, the tale of his great, overarching purpose that fits all the individual stories together like panels in one unified mural." In this new edition, Randy dives deeper in the Upper and Lower stories and shows how both perspectives will open your eyes to the richness and relevance of the Bible. Illuminating God's master-plan from Genesis to our daily lives, The Heart of the Story will encourage you to experience the joy that comes from aligning your stories with God's.

Randy Frazee is the senior minister at Oak Hills Church, one of the largest churches in America, leading alongside author and pastor Max Lucado. A leader and innovator in spiritual formation and biblical community, Randy is the architect of The Story church engagement campaign. He is also the author of The Heart of the Story, The Connecting Church 2.0, and The Christian Life Profile Assessment. He and his wife, Rozanne, live in San Antonio, Texas.

Not only have I heard Randy Frazee teach these messages, but I have seen him live them. I am honored to partner with him in ministry, and I have no hesitation to recommend this book to you. * Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author * I'm privileged to call Randy Frazee my friend, and I know one important thing about him: he is a man of the Word. He loves the Bible, and he loves people. What's more, he's uniquely qualified to explain how our Lower Story fits into the Upper Story of God's plans and purposes. This a story you really need to read. * Dave Ramsey, bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio show host * I love a good story. I love hearing them, reading them, and telling them. There's nothing like a good story to reach a heart, heal a hurt, kindle hope, or even cause a life to change direction. What Randy Frazee has done in The Heart of the Story is to masterfully weave together from the pages of Scripture the grand story of God, and he tells us the story in a way that not only gets at God's heart, but gets to our hearts as well. If you want to get drawn into a really compelling story that promises to change your life forever, read The Heart of the Story. * Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church * The Heart of the Story lifted my chin, time and time again, reminding me to reckon God's promises with my problems. We so easily default to an earthbound perspective. But God is always writing a bigger story with our lives. Randy Frazee unpacks Scripture with passion, clarity, and conviction. He's one of my favorite guests on the show because he truly believes what he reads in Scripture. May the epic kingdom story come to life as you work your way through the pages of this masterful book. * Susie Larson, talk radio host, national speaker, and author of Your Powerful Prayers * I love the heart, insight, and teaching of Randy Frazee. I had the privilege of performing a song for The Story project---"How Love Wins"---inspired by the message of this book. The song takes the point of view of the thief alongside Jesus at the crucifixion. When Jesus shouted, "It is finished," the world thought he was admitting he was finished. But from the Upper Story perspective, Jesus was declaring that his work of redeeming us was finished on the cross, and a new beginning was born. This is just one of the life-transforming nuggets in the pages of The Heart of the Story. Read it, and you may just find a new beginning for yourself. * Steven Curtis Chapman, singer/songwriter and author of Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess * The Bible, the whole Bible, is put together and displayed as a single sweeping narrative in this extraordinary work of storytelling. Randy Frazee has invested a lifetime making God's Word useful, interesting, and accessible. This is his masterpiece! * Bob Buford, founder of Leadership Network and author of Halftime and Finishing Well * Our church has grown so much going through The Story. I'm excited to take them through The Heart of the Story and see the Bible come alive for our people! * Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns and author of Thrive * Randy Frazee is not just a gifted leader and communicator; he is also a man with a unique ability to take the powerful things of God and present them to this generation with clarity and purpose. * Leon Fontaine, CEO of Miracle Channel, senior pastor of Springs Church (Canada), and television host of The Spirit Contemporary Life * The Heart of the Story is a brilliant work reminding us that the Bible is a collection of narratives that make up the story of God. Randy Frazee artistically guides us to discover our place in God's story. If you, like me, have always craved to know your role in the unfolding story of God, you'll want to read and share this book with others. The Heart of the Story is a gift. * Dave Ferguson, lead pastor of Community Christian Church, lead visionary of NewThing, and author of Finding Your Way Back to God * The Bible is not a series of isolated fairy tales. It's one story, told in hundreds of chapters and in a compelling journey. Randy Frazee invites us---and then he takes us on that journey. And you will want to join him on it! * Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College * As a songwriter, I've always been passionate about the power of a story. That's one of the reasons I've connected so deeply with Randy Frazee's book The Heart of the Story. Finding our story in the midst of the greater story that God is telling truly is the mission we're all on, and this book helps us find the heart of the story along the way. * Matthew West, award-winning singer/songwriter * If you live in the world of business, you can easily get stuck in the earthbound story of your work. Randy Frazee gently repositions our eyes and priorities toward God's grand narrative, one in which you will see yourself clearly as you live out your calling. As you ponder these stories, you'll feel God's vertical tug on your spreadsheet-driven, people-problem world and discover how to raise the cross at the center of the marketplace. In Randy's words, you'll find your story in God's story. * Greg Leith, CEO of Convene * We live in the Lower Story. It's hard for us to see around the next bend in the road, let alone a generation or millennia. God sees everything from the Upper Story. He wrote the beginning and is orchestrating how the story ends. The Heart of the Story gives a glimpse into God's Upper Story and provides a road map for aligning our story to his story. Randy Frazee's teaching has deeply influenced my personal life, teaching, and the congregation I lead. It will do the same for you! * Dr. Benji W. Kelley, founding pastor of NewHope Church, Durham, North Carolina * I have always had a passion for helping people understand the overarching narrative of Scripture, and I'm always excited to find resources that do it well. I've known Randy Frazee for years and have sat under his teaching many times. He is not only an anointed communicator and master storyteller; he's a man who cares deeply about helping people see themselves in God's words. The Heart of the Story is an invitation to meet the men and women who fill the pages of the Bible, but it's also an opportunity to realize how you are woven into every crevice of every chapter. I hope you'll read this book and be changed by it. Well done, Randy. Once again, you've used your gifts to point to the One who has made us part of the greatest story of all time---the One who loves us enough to handwrite our names on each invitation. * Angie Smith, speaker, teacher, and bestselling author *