Living Stories

Stories

The Creation of the World — God
Old Testament · Genesis 1:1-31

The Creation of the World

In the very beginning, before there was light or land or life, the world was dark and formless, while the Spirit of God…

Read the story
Noah's Ark — Noah, God
Old Testament · Genesis 6:9-9:17

Noah's Ark

As the world grew full of violence and evil, one man stood apart: Noah, who walked faithfully with God. Grieved by…

Read the story
Abraham and Isaac — Abraham, Isaac, God
Old Testament · Genesis 22:1-19

Abraham and Isaac

God tested Abraham's faith in a way no parent should ever have to face. He called Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac…

Read the story
Daniel in the Lions' Den — Daniel, King Darius
Old Testament · Daniel 6:1-28

Daniel in the Lions' Den

Daniel served King Darius with such wisdom and integrity that the king planned to place him over the entire kingdom.…

Read the story
The Birth of Jesus — Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, angels
New Testament · Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

When Caesar Augustus ordered a census of the entire Roman world, Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the…

Read the story
The Prodigal Son — the father, the younger son, the older son
New Testament · Luke 15:11-32

The Prodigal Son

A man had two sons. The younger one asked his father for his share of the inheritance early, and soon after, he packed…

Read the story
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden — Adam, Eve, God, the Serpent
Old Testament · Genesis 3:1-24

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

In the Garden of Eden, God had given Adam and Eve everything they needed, with only one rule: they could eat from any…

Read the story
Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors — Joseph, Jacob, Joseph's brothers
Old Testament · Genesis 37:1-36

Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors

Jacob loved his son Joseph more than any of his other sons, since Joseph had been born to him in his old age, and he…

Read the story
The Parting of the Red Sea — Moses, Pharaoh, God, the Israelites
Old Testament · Exodus 14:5-31

The Parting of the Red Sea

After God sent plague after plague on Egypt, Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go free. But soon his heart hardened…

Read the story
David and Goliath — David, Goliath, King Saul
Old Testament · 1 Samuel 17:1-58

David and Goliath

For forty days, the Philistine champion Goliath -- a giant of a man, over nine feet tall -- came out each morning and…

Read the story
Jonah and the Great Fish — Jonah, God, the sailors, the people of Nineveh
Old Testament · Jonah 1:1-4:11

Jonah and the Great Fish

God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and warn its people that judgment was coming for their wickedness.…

Read the story
Ruth and Naomi — Ruth, Naomi, Boaz
Old Testament · Ruth 1:1-4:22

Ruth and Naomi

When famine struck Bethlehem, Naomi moved with her husband and two sons to the country of Moab, where the sons married…

Read the story
Esther Saves Her People — Esther, Mordecai, King Ahasuerus, Haman
Old Testament · Esther 4:1-7:10

Esther Saves Her People

Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, had become queen of Persia without anyone knowing her…

Read the story
The Good Samaritan — a traveler, a priest, a Levite, a Samaritan
New Testament · Luke 10:25-37

The Good Samaritan

An expert in the law once tried to test Jesus by asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked him what…

Read the story
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand — Jesus, the disciples, the crowd
New Testament · Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

When Jesus heard that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed, he withdrew by boat to a solitary place to grieve.…

Read the story
The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus — Jesus, the women who followed him, the disciples, Pilate
New Testament · Luke 23:26-24:12

The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus

As Jesus was led away to be crucified, the soldiers pulled a man named Simon from the crowd to carry his cross. A large…

Read the story
Cain and Abel — Cain, Abel, God
Old Testament · Genesis 4:1-16

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve's first two sons, Cain and Abel, grew up to follow very different paths -- Cain became a farmer, working…

Read the story
Sodom and Gomorrah — Lot, Abraham, the angels, Lot's wife
Old Testament · Genesis 19:1-29

Sodom and Gomorrah

Two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, and Lot, sitting at the city gate, invited them to stay the night in his…

Read the story
The Ten Commandments — Moses, God, the Israelites
Old Testament · Exodus 20:1-26

The Ten Commandments

After leading Israel out of Egypt, Moses brought the people to Mount Sinai, where God appeared in thunder, lightning,…

Read the story
Samson and Delilah — Samson, Delilah, the Philistines
Old Testament · Judges 16:4-31

Samson and Delilah

Samson, the strongest man in Israel, fell in love with a woman named Delilah in the Valley of Sorek. The Philistine…

Read the story
David and Jonathan — David, Jonathan, King Saul
Old Testament · 1 Samuel 20:1-42

David and Jonathan

Even though David had become a hero in Israel, King Saul grew increasingly jealous and dangerous, determined to kill…

Read the story
Solomon's Wisdom — Solomon, God, the two women
Old Testament · 1 Kings 3:1-28

Solomon's Wisdom

One night at Gibeon, God appeared to the young King Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give…

Read the story
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal — Elijah, King Ahab, the prophets of Baal
Old Testament · 1 Kings 18:17-46

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

When Elijah confronted King Ahab, who had led Israel into worshiping the false god Baal, Ahab greeted him as "you…

Read the story
The Sermon on the Mount — Jesus, the disciples, the crowd
New Testament · Matthew 5:1-16

The Sermon on the Mount

When Jesus saw the crowds following him, he went up a mountainside, sat down, and began to teach his disciples. He…

Read the story
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector — Zacchaeus, Jesus
New Testament · Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

As Jesus passed through Jericho, a wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus wanted desperately to see him. But Zacchaeus…

Read the story
Lazarus Raised from the Dead — Jesus, Lazarus, Mary, Martha
New Testament · John 11:1-44

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

When Jesus's dear friend Lazarus fell seriously ill, his sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, expecting him to…

Read the story
Jacob and Esau — Jacob, Esau, Isaac, Rebekah
Old Testament · Genesis 27:1-46

Jacob and Esau

As Isaac grew old and his eyesight failed, he called his older son Esau and asked him to hunt some wild game and…

Read the story
Joseph Reunites with His Brothers — Joseph, Joseph's brothers, Benjamin, Pharaoh
Old Testament · Genesis 45:1-28

Joseph Reunites with His Brothers

Joseph could no longer control his emotions in front of his attendants. He ordered everyone except his brothers out of…

Read the story
Moses in the Basket — Moses, Moses' mother, Moses' sister, Pharaoh's daughter
Old Testament · Exodus 2:1-10

Moses in the Basket

During a time when Pharaoh had ordered every Hebrew baby boy to be thrown into the Nile River, a Levite woman gave…

Read the story
Gideon and the 300 — Gideon, the Israelites, the Midianites
Old Testament · Judges 6:36-7:22

Gideon and the 300

Before leading Israel into battle against the vast Midianite army, Gideon needed to be sure God was really calling him.…

Read the story
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego — Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, King Nebuchadnezzar
Old Testament · Daniel 3:1-30

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

King Nebuchadnezzar built a massive gold statue and commanded that everyone in his kingdom bow down and worship it…

Read the story
Elijah Taken to Heaven — Elijah, Elisha
Old Testament · 2 Kings 2:1-15

Elijah Taken to Heaven

Elijah knew the time had come for God to take him up to heaven, and his apprentice Elisha refused to leave his side, no…

Read the story
The Baptism of Jesus — Jesus, John the Baptist
New Testament · Matthew 3:13-17

The Baptism of Jesus

When Jesus arrived at the Jordan River, he sought out John the Baptist, who had been preaching repentance and baptizing…

Read the story
The Wise Men Visit Jesus — Jesus, Mary, the wise men, King Herod
New Testament · Matthew 2:1-12

The Wise Men Visit Jesus

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, following a star they believed…

Read the story
Jesus Calms the Storm — Jesus, the disciples
New Testament · Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus Calms the Storm

After a long day of teaching and healing, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples to cross to the other side of the…

Read the story
Paul on the Road to Damascus — Saul/Paul, Ananias, Jesus
New Testament · Acts 9:1-19

Paul on the Road to Damascus

Saul was a zealous persecutor of the early followers of Jesus, determined to hunt them down and arrest them wherever he…

Read the story