A story has five basic but important elements. These five components are: the characters, the setting, the plot, the conflict, and the resolution. These essential elements keep the story running smoothly and allow the action to develop in a logical way that the reader can follow. There are some who argue that other components are also critical, like tone, theme, and point of view. But we ask our listeners to accept these initial five as the basic building blocks of any good story.
We use the five components to examine the book of Acts, the fifth book of the New Testament. And we conclude that this book is unfinished. How it ends is up to us. Scriptures referenced include Acts 1:14-39; Acts 4:5-22; Acts 5:1-10; Acts 2:36; and Luke 20:17.
The evangelist, Dwight L. Moody once declared that “the Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” A...
The Parable of the Two Debtors, set within a tension-filled dinner party at the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7), serves as a...
During the 40 days between the Resurrection and his Ascension, the Bible records more than 10 different appearances Jesus made to both individuals and...