Genesis 1.26–2.15

God, the Great King, begins his story by creating the world and everything in it. Everything he creates is good, but God's best creation is people. Made in God's image, they are God's representatives on earth, and God places them in charge of everything in the world that he has made to take care of and rule it all.

Genesis 11.1–12.4

The effects of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God stretch far into the future as the people who come after them are determined not to submit to God. The people of Babel work hard to get a great name for themselves. Their attempts to overthrow the Great King are contrasted with Abram’s faithful response in believing God’s promises.

Genesis 12.1–13.18

God, the Great King of heaven and earth, tells Abram to move his whole family to a new country. God also makes Abram some great promises. However, it does not look like God's promises will come true. Abram must be patient and wait for God to work in his time.

Exodus 2.23–4.17

When Joseph brought his family to Egypt, he saved them from famine in the land of Canaan. But the Egyptians made the Israelites slaves. Will God, the Great King, keep his promises? God sends Moses to prepare and lead his people as God saves them from Egypt and slavery.

Exodus 19.1–20.21

God brings the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and then to Mt Sinai. At Mt Sinai, God joins himself to Israel by a covenant, which are special promises. God's presence can be clearly seen on the mountain and Moses receives God’s words about how Israel should live in response to the Great King’s mighty act.

Numbers 22.1–35

Balaam has a problem. He has been asked by the king of Moab to curse Israel. But God has blessed Israel. Will the curses work? Is God, the Great King of heaven and earth, really in charge of everything in our world? And will he continue to be faithful to his great promises?

1 Samuel 17.1–53

Goliath is the champion warrior of the Philistines in a battle against the Israelites. No one wants to fight Goliath, except David. David fights knowing the Great King is on his side. God is stronger than swords, spears, and giants. David is a faithful follower of the Great King and becomes Israel’s faithful king.

1 Kings 18.1–40

Israel is not faithfully following God, the Great King. They are worshipping Baal, a false god from the nations around them. They are being unfaithful because their king, Ahab, is unfaithful. Elijah the prophet invites the prophets of Baal for a showdown on Mt Carmel. Can God, the Great King of heaven and earth defeat the false god, Baal? Only the true king will win.

2 Chronicles 36.11–23

The northern kingdom of Israel has been sent away from their land. And now, Judah, the southern kingdom, is about to follow. Judah and Israel have been consistently unfaithful to the Great King. They have worshipped other gods and have not kept the covenant promises they made at Mt Sinai. The result of their unfaithfulness means that God is sending them away from the land he promised them. But even with judgement, there is hope for God’s people.

Daniel 3

When the most important man in the world gives an order, everyone obeys. Except when the order is to worship a man-made image, and you worship the one true God, the Great King of heaven and earth. Even though it means certain death, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do not bow down to the image that King Nebuchadnezzar has made. They faithfully obey their Great King, whether he saves them or not.

Psalm 2

When a new king was crowned in Israel, this psalm was sung at the coronation, or crowning, ceremony. This psalm invites us to step back and look at the kings of our world from God’s perspective. This psalm shows us that God is the Great King over all the kings in our world because he is the Great King of heaven and earth.

Psalm 23

Not only is God the Great King of heaven and earth, he is also a king who cares deeply about his people. God provides for his people just like a shepherd provides for his sheep. God never leaves his people like a shepherd never leaves his sheep. The psalmist’s confident trust in God also enables him to look forward to the time when he will live with the Great King forever.

Psalm 33

What is the Great King of heaven and earth like? This psalm is a praise psalm that tells us why we praise him, what he is like, and what he has done. God is the Great King of heaven and earth. He deserves our best praise.

Job 1, 2

Everyone knows that Job is a man who faithfully follows God. He doesn’t do evil things, but always makes godly choices. That is why it is really hard to understand why all the bad things happen to Job. We get a sneak peek into a conversation between God and Satan, the Prince of Darkness, that shows us a little bit of what happens behind the scenes.

Job 3.20–26

When people suffer and experience hard times, it can be very difficult to understand why it happens, especially if those people are good people and haven't done anything wrong. Job shows us what to do in hard times—we tell our troubles to the Great King. Job brings all his complaints to God.

Job 38.1–38; 42.1–17

Although Job's friends have tried to help him and show him where he has gone wrong, they end up being no help at all. This is where God steps in. God speaks to Job in beautiful poetry, asking question after question, and by the end of the poem, Job better understands his own place within the world that God has created.

Ezekiel 34.1–16

Ezekiel speaks God's words to the people of Judah as they live in captivity in Babylon. Ezekiel speaks God's words of judgment against the kings of Israel. The kings of Israel were supposed to represent God’s rule to his people. Kings were supposed to care for God’s people like a shepherd, but Israel’s kings were not like this. God himself will come down to fix the situation and to care for his people.

Ezekiel 37.1–14

Although Ezekiel brings God's words of judgement to Judah, he also brings God's words of hope. The exiles in Babylon feel like they have lost everything; their land, their temple and their king are all gone. Is the situation hopeless? Can God do anything when all hope seems lost? Ezekiel’s message shows God’s re-creative power will redeem Israel’s hopeless situation.

Habakkuk 1.1–2.4

Habakkuk has a big problem. God’s chosen people are not faithful and Habakkuk can't understand why God doesn't do anything to stop it. God answers Habakkuk, telling him that consequences are coming for Israel at the hands of the Babylonians. Habakkuk again wonders why God lets the wicked people do the judging. God's answer shows that Israel's enemies will not survive, but that the faithful ones will live by continuing to be faithful.

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk responds to his conversation with the Great King with a psalm where he asks God for mercy in the coming judgement. As he remembers God’s mighty acts in the past, Habakkuk can move from worry about the judgement to faith and trust in the Great King who has always been faithful to his people. The faithful person remembers God's faithful actions in the past and trusts God even with the doubts and worries that come with hard times.

Mark 1.1–15

Mark has some Very Good News. It is about a man called Jesus. Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is the Son of God and the Promised King, who is bringing God's kingdom into our world to fix the brokenness. Jesus calls us to recognise and receive him as King and belong to his kingdom.

Mark 1.21–2.17

Since the religious leaders know a lot about God, you might think they would be the first to recognise Jesus, the Promised King. But they aren’t. The religious leaders are blind to how they are affected by the brokenness of our world. It is the “broken” people who recognise and receive Jesus.

Mark 4.1–20

In the parable of the Sower and the seed, we learn that God works powerfully through Jesus to bring his Kingdom into our world. The harvest of the faithful Sower (Jesus) is enormous and comes when people hear Jesus' words, believe those words and get to share in the fruitfulness that Jesus brings.

Mark 4.35–5.43

The Very Good News continues. Strong enemies and powers have long ruled our world, making people broken in their bodies and minds. However, these enemies cannot withstand the power of King Jesus. Natural forces, the Prince of Darkness, sickness and death—King Jesus rules them all!

Mark 8.22–38

Mark 9.2–10

Jesus has explained that he is a servant king who will suffer and die for his people. However, this is not what King Jesus will be like in the end. The transfiguration gives us a sneak preview of what King Jesus will finally be like. Not only does he beat all of this world’s enemies, but he will be a powerful and glorious King.

Mark 10.13–52

Everyone knows the rules in our world. If you want to be important, you need to be rich and powerful. But Jesus’ kingdom is an upside-down kingdom. Money and power are not the way of Jesus’ kingdom. Humble service is the sign of greatness, and Jesus shows us his way of living by his sacrificial death.

Mark 14.1–11

Everything is ready. The religious leaders and Judas have plotted together to betray and kill Jesus. However, in the middle of all of this, Mark tells us of an unnamed lady who recognises King Jesus and makes an expensive sacrifice worthy of who Jesus is and what he will do.

Mark 14.12–31

The new kingdom has a new meal that remembers and celebrates the saving act of King Jesus. At the new meal, there is no need for a lamb to sacrifice because Jesus is the one who will be sacrificed. King Jesus is the gracious host who provides everything that is needed for this meal.

Daniel 3

When the most important man in the world gives an order, everyone obeys. Except when the order is to worship a man-made image, and you worship the one true God, the Great King of heaven and earth. Even though it means certain death, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do not bow down to the image that King Nebuchadnezzar has made. They faithfully obey their Great King, whether he saves them or not.

Colossians 1.3–14

Paul has never been to Colossae, but he has heard about them from his friend, Epaphras. Paul begins his letter with a thankful prayer about how God has worked in the past to save them and is continuing to work through the gospel to grow his people so that they can bear the fruit of the gospel.

Colossians 1.15–23

After praying for the Colossians, Paul continues to tell the Colossians who Jesus really is. The ancient world was filled with many gods to worship, but Paul raises Jesus above all these gods. Jesus is equal to God, the Great King himself, and is above every created being.

Colossians 2.6–10

Paul’s prayer for the Colossian church leads into a majestic description of Jesus, the Son of God. Because Jesus is who he is, Paul tells the Colossian Christians that nothing changes as they continue in their faith. Jesus must remain the King. Nothing else is needed.

Colossians 3.1–17

Now that they are faithful followers of Jesus, the way the Colossians live will look totally different to their old way of life. It’s like they are wearing a whole new wardrobe of clothes. They need to get rid of the things they used to do—the things that came from their sin and brokenness—and start doing the things that come from Jesus. This is how the Colossians show they are faithful followers of King Jesus.

Colossians 4.7–9 + Philemon

Living a new life under King Jesus looks very different to how the Colossians lived before they were faithful followers. Even relationships that are damaged by sin are different for faithful followers of Jesus. King Jesus invites his people to reconcile with their brothers and sisters in Christ, as they live as his body, the church.

Revelation 1.4–20

Living a new life under King Jesus looks very different to how the Colossians lived before they were faithful followers. Even relationships that are damaged by sin are different for faithful followers of Jesus. King Jesus invites his people to reconcile with their brothers and sisters in Christ, as they live as his body, the church.

Revelation 2, 3

John writes Jesus’ messages for the seven churches he was writing to. In these messages, we can see that the churches are facing pressure from inside and outside the church. Even with these pressures, Jesus encourages his people to keep on being faithful right to the end.

Revelation 4, 5

After recording Jesus’ messages for the seven churches, John is invited into the heavenly throne room of God, the Great and Mighty King. This provides a different view for the suffering of the churches, where everything seems out of their control. In heaven, we see how things really are: God, the Great and Mighty King rules and is in complete control.

Revelation 11.17–18; 12.10–20

John writes his letter to seven churches who are suffering because of the sin and brokenness in our world. John sees that all people will face God’s judgement at the end and there are consequences for rebellion and for faithfulness. But Jesus has already conquered the great enemies of humanity: sin, death and Satan, the Prince of Darkness. All that remains is to continue faithfully following Jesus.

Revelation 21.1–5; 22.1–7

The grand finale is here! John sees a picture of God’s great plan for his people after the time of judgement is complete. God, the Great and Mighty King, renews the heavens and the earth. And God’s people get to live with the Great King himself and with Jesus, the Lamb. And it’s better than we can even imagine.