Synopses & Reviews
To many people, the Bible is a series of incongruous and confusing stories. It jumps from one person or place to the next leaving the reader scrambling to keep up and make sense of it all. That’s a tall task.
Epic provides a big picture view of the Bible to explain how its individual pieces fit together. Is it really possible that the Bible’s collection of 66 books actually has a single storyline? Yes! The theme of that storyline is redemption and Epic traces it from Genesis to Revelation.
Discover in the opening chapters of the Bible why redemption became humanity’s desperate need. Learn how God set this rescue effort into motion through promises he made to Abraham. Follow the unfolding of these promises through Old Testament history. Note the role of the prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, in the overall drama. Witness Jesus Christ bringing redemption to a climax.
Perfect for believers at any stage, small group leaders, and those discipling others, Epic will open your eyes to the way all the different parts of scripture contribute to a single story that can change your life.
Review
Jim Nicodem has taken on a monumental task—putting the Bible in a thimble-sized summary that gives the reader tremendous insight into the timeline of the greatest story ever told. Epic centers on the theme of the Bible—Redemption. Jim shows how from the beginning of time God had a plan to save lost souls from the sin that blackened the perfect world He gave to mankind. In the pages of Scripture God reveals His Son, who would come as our Redeemer. Nicodem inspires us to explore in greater detail the epic story revealed in God’s Word.
Franklin Graham
President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse and
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Jim Nicodem’s purpose is to lay out, in straightforward, nontechnical language, many of the most important principles of interpretation. He does this so each person may know the foundational principles of biblical interpretation, and so understand many texts. In other words, Jim wants the church he serves, and many other churches, to be filled with men and women who will become better Bible readers.
D.A. Carson, PhD, Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Author of New Testament Commentary Survey
Jim Nicodem has the gift of taking the complex and—through clear explanations and compelling illustrations—making it highly accessible. If you or someone you know feels intimidated by the Bible, I can’t think of a better resource to put in their hands than Epic and the Bible Savvy series.
Nicholas Perrin
Professor of biblical studies, Wheaton College
Author of Lost in Transmission: What We Can Know about the Words of Jesus
As a university professor on a Christian college campus, I can tell you that biblical illiteracy is on the rise. That's why the Bible Savvy series should be a prerequisite reading for everyone. Jim Nicodem puts the cookies on the bottom shelf by making the epic story of the biblical narrative understandable and accessible. The Bible Savvy series lays out the foundation and context for God's Word and then shows us in plain language how to apply the Bible's teachings to our lives step-by-step. It's phenomenal.Whether you are simply intrigued by this ancient text or you are already a devoted Bible believer, you will find the four Bible Savvy books to be incredibly helpful and engaging. Then improve your Bible smarts by reading the Bible for all it’s worth.
Les Parrott, PhD
Seattle Pacific University
Author of You're Stronger Than You Think
The compelling reality about the Bible is that it is full of fascinating details about God and His wise and redemptive oversight of the history of mankind. Unfortunately, the larger, more profound story often gets lost in the details. Like a master storyteller, Jim Nicodem takes us beyond the details and exposes the grand plot of Scripture. Jim’s work in the Bible Savvy series will amaze many of us who have lived to master the details and will motivate all of us to stand in greater awe of the One who is navigating history to a good and glorious end.
Joseph M. Stowell
President, Cornerstone University
The Bible is one of the most precious possessions to a believer living in a restricted nation. I am constantly amazed by the hunger for biblical teaching expressed by those who face persecution daily. Their sacrificial passion should inspire us to rekindle our quest for biblical understanding. Jim Nicodem’s Bible Savvy series is the kind of resource needed to reengage our hearts and minds with God’s Word, and renew a hunger for God’s truth on par with our persecuted brothers and sisters.
James E. Dau
President, The Voice of the Martyrs
Jim has done a masterful job in the Bible Savvy series! In these four concise books, Jim marches with clarity and skill into topics that would be difficult to tackle in a seminary classroom, much less in an American living room. And rather than a monologue, these books create a dialog among the author, the reader, their small group, and the living Word of God. These practical, approachable resources provide foundational training that is greatly needed by nearly every small group and leader I encounter.
Greg Bowman
Coauthor of Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders
Past executive director of the Willow Creek Association
Reading the four books in the Bible Savvy series is like getting a Bible college education in a box! The Lord is calling our nation to a Bible reading revolution, and these books are an invitation to be part of it.
Hal Seed
Author of The Bible Questions and The God Questions
Lead Pastor, New Song Community Church, Oceanside, California
Living in the land of the Bible is considered a privilege by many, but the real privilege is to let the Bible become alive through us, in whatever land we may live. In the Bible Savvy series, Jim Nicodem not only helps us to understand God’s plan to save us, but also His desire to change and shape us through His Word and Spirit in order to be a light in this dark world.
Rev. Azar Ajaj
Vice President and lecturer, Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary
To ignite a love for the God’s Word in others is the goal of any spiritual leader. Communicating God’s Word is the most important of all. Pastor Jim’s Bible Savvy series is the tool, the guide, and the process for worship leaders to go into deep spiritual places. His biblical scholarship, communicated with such creativity, is exactly what is needed in worship ministry today.
Stan Endicott
Slingshot group coach/mentor
Worship Leader, Mariners Church, Irving, California
Jim Nicodem leads one of America's finest churches. Jim knows how to communicate the truth of the Bible that brings historical knowledge with incredible practical application. The Bible Savvy series is the best I have ever seen. Your life and faith will be enhanced as you use and apply this material to your life.
Jim Burns, PhD
President, HomeWord
Author of Creating an Intimate Marriage and Confident Parenting
Pastor Nicodem is like a championship caliber coach: he loves to teach, and he stresses that success comes from mastering the basics. The Bible Savvy series will help you correctly interpret the best Playbook ever written: the Bible. Understanding and applying its fundamentals (with the help of the Bible Savvy series) will lead one to the Ultimate Victory . . . eternity with Jesus.
James Brown
Host of The NFL Today on the CBS television network
Synopsis
To many people, the Bible is a series of incongruous and confusing stories. It jumps from one person or place to the next leaving the reader scrambling to keep up and make sense of it all. That's a tall task.
In this little book, pastor Jim Nicodem helps the reader to solve the riddle of the Bible with one simple revelation: the Bible is one single story. Nicodem walks the reader across the high points of the story so it becomes easy to see how it all fits together. All those little stories and poems and lessons become one epic story with a single theme: redemption.
Perfect for believers at any stage, Epic will open readers' eyes to the excitement and bigness of the Bible's story and more importantly to the bigness of God's redemption.
Synopsis
How does the Bible fit together? Trying to make sense of it all is a tall task. There are so many different people and places and events comprising so many different stories, it makes one's head spin.
In this helpful book, pastor Jim Nicodem helps you make sense of the Bible with one simple revelation: It is not dozens of separate stories but rather one single story. Nicodem guides the reader across the high points of the story so it becomes easy to see how it all fits together. All those stories and poems and lessons make up the greatest epic in history, a story with a single theme: redemption.
Perfect for believers at any stage, Epic will open your eyes to the excitement and bigness of the Bible's story and God's redemption.
Synopsis
Does the Bible’s collection of 66 books actually have a single storyline? Yes! The theme of that storyline is redemption, and Epic traces it from Genesis through Revelation. This book provides a big picture view of the Bible to help everyone—from first-time readers to Bible study participants—understand how its individual pieces fit together.
Discover in the opening chapters of the Bible why redemption became humanity’s desperate need. Pastor Jim Nicodem helps you learn how God set this rescue effort into motion through promises He made to Abraham. Follow the unfolding of these promises through Old Testament history. Note the role of the prophets from Isaiah to Malachi in the overall drama. Witness Jesus Christ bringing redemption to a climax.
About the Author
JIM NICODEM has been the senior pastor of Christ Community Church since its start in 1984. Beginning with a group of six families, the church has grown to over five thousand people at four campuses. A significant focus on reaching spiritual seekers has resulted in scores of new believers being baptized each year.Born and raised in the Midwest, Jim did his schooling in Biblical studies (BA/Wheaton College; MDiv, DMin/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). In keeping with Christ Community Church¿s mission to make passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, Jim loves to mentor others in prayer and the study of God¿s Word. With that goal in mind, he has authored Prayer Coach: For All Who Want to Get Off the Bench and Onto the Praying Field (2008) and the four-book Bible Savvy series (2013).Jim and his wife, Sue, have been married for more than thirty years and have three grown children. Jim enjoys biking, hiking and kayaking for recreation. He loves to hang out in Chicago, where he can watch the Cubs play (no better park than Wrigley) or listen to the world-class Symphony Orchestra. The local Starbucks also sees a lot of Jim, accompanied by books (mostly biographies) or friends.
Table of Contents
Forward
Introduction
Chapter 1: Redemption Prompted (Genesis)
Chapter 2: Redemption Prepared (Genesis – Song of Songs)
Chapter 3: Redemption Prophesied (Isaiah – Malachi)
Chapter 4: Redemption Purchased (Matthew – John)
Chapter 5: Redemption Proclaimed (Acts – Jude)
Chapter 6: Redemption Perfected (Revelation)
Appendix: Your Bible’s Table of Contents
Notes
Bibliography