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.
In this 10:10 Thrive devotional, we explore the hymn “Jesus, the Very Thought of You,” tracing its journey from the 12th-century Latin poem “Jesu...
Now an old man exiled on Patmos, John takes over the story that his mother can no longer tell. He has outlived Salome, James,...
Episode 5 of our Christmas Special, “The Innkeeper’s Wife,” opens on the day the Roman census officials arrive, transforming the crowded inn into a...
