Some preachers have their pet books and topics, but how can I be a whole Bible preacher?  Here are six suggestions to get us started:

1. Read the whole Bible.  Seems obvious, but if you only read certain bits, then you will probably only preach from certain bits.  Read the whole thing as if God wrote it and reveals Himself there (which He does).  Remember, reading for 10 minutes a day will get you through in a year, but you will be reading with a noisy mind and heart.  It is easier to read for 30+ minutes a day and enjoy the clear heart and mind that comes beyond about 10 minutes.  Easier to read more?  Yep.

2. Preach from the whole Bible.  Don’t go at it a chapter at a time.  Instead, keep track of where in the Bible you are preaching.  When you need to pick a new series or a standalone message, take a look at where you haven’t been for a while…prophets, OT history, wisdom literature, Revelation?

3. Preach with whole Bible awareness.  When you preach a passage, preach that passage.  Don’t go crazy trying to quote the rest of the Bible in that message (many seem to have this as their great goal, bizarrely).  However, preach that passage with an awareness of the whole Bible.  Your awareness of the whole will gradually help others to see how the different parts work together.

4. Preach a whole Bible series.  I have a good friend who picked the ten key passages to tell the big picture story – the Bible in Ten.  Could you tell the big story over 6 weeks, how about 4, or maybe go big and do a whole year / whole Bible series? Any whole Bible series will be good for you, and I can almost guarantee there will be people in your church who will be helped by getting out of the details to see the bigger picture unfold.

5. Preach a whole Bible message.  Can it be done in a single message?  Why not?  Actually, I’ve never done this, but how about a series of whole Bible messages?  One week trace the fall and redemption from beginning to end.  Another week follow the seed promise from Genesis to Galatians.  Another week trace the biblical covenants.  Another one on God’s presence.  Another on five key characters (Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus – you pick the number).  Another from the perspective of heaven and spiritual warfare.  Creation to new creation.  I could go on, but that big picture overview multiple times, if done well, could set some folks on fire for the Bible!

6. Offer a whole Bible seminar.  Why not break people out of their passive pew position?  Interactively trace the story of the Bible on a white board for a couple of hours (this has been an amazing experience for many in our context).  One I’d love to try is to take a group on a journey through the Bible using a large hall and a rough map (tape on the floor). Be creative – outside of a formal church service there is all sorts of freedom!