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A simple cheat sheet

The Bible, from start to finish

Nine eras, the people who shaped them, and the thread that ties them together. Scroll gently from Creation to the early church - no pressure to remember it all at once.

  1. 01In the beginning

    Creation & Early History

    The world begins, and so does the human story - including how things go wrong and how God keeps reaching back.

    • Adam & Eve - The first people, and the first to walk away from God.

    • Noah - Builds the ark; the family carried through the flood.

    “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
    Genesis 1:1
  2. 02~2000 BC

    The Patriarchs

    God makes a promise to one family - to bless them and, through them, the whole world.

    • Abraham - Trusts God's promise and leaves home to follow it.

    • Isaac - The promised son; the promise passes to him.

    • Jacob - Renamed Israel; father of twelve sons, the twelve tribes.

    • Joseph - Sold by his brothers, rises to save Egypt and his family.

  3. 03~1400 BC

    Exodus & Wilderness

    After 400 years in Egypt, Israel is set free - then learns to follow God through the desert.

    • Moses - Leads the people out of slavery and receives the Ten Commandments.

    • Aaron - Moses' brother and Israel's first high priest.

    • Miriam - Their sister; a prophet who leads the people in song.

    “Let my people go.”
    Exodus 5:1
  4. 04~1350 BC

    Conquest & Judges

    Israel enters the promised land. When they drift, God raises up leaders called judges to rescue them.

    • Joshua - Leads Israel into the land after Moses.

    • Deborah - A prophet and judge who leads Israel to victory.

    • Gideon - An unlikely hero who trusts God with a small army.

    • Samson - Strong but flawed; a judge with a famous downfall.

  5. 05~1050 BC

    The United Monarchy

    Israel asks for a king. For three reigns, the whole nation is united under one throne.

    • Saul - The first king; starts well but loses his way.

    • David - The shepherd-king after God's own heart, who writes many Psalms.

    • Solomon - David's son, known for wisdom and for building the temple.

    “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
    Psalm 23:1
  6. 06~930 - 586 BC

    Divided Kingdom & Exile

    The nation splits in two and slowly turns away. Prophets call them back, but Jerusalem finally falls.

    • Elijah - A bold prophet who stands up to powerful kings.

    • Isaiah - Foretells a coming Messiah and a hope beyond the ruin.

    • The fall of Jerusalem - The temple is destroyed; the people are carried into exile.

  7. 07~538 - 430 BC

    Return & Rebuilding

    The exile ends. A remnant returns home to rebuild the temple, the city, and their faith.

    • Ezra - A priest who restores God's law among the people.

    • Nehemiah - Rebuilds the broken walls of Jerusalem.

    • Esther - A queen whose courage saves her people from destruction.

  8. 08~4 BC - 30 AD

    Jesus & the New Testament

    The promise made long ago arrives in person. Jesus lives, teaches, dies, and rises again.

    • The life of Christ - Born in Bethlehem, teaches across Galilee, welcomes the overlooked.

    • The cross & resurrection - He dies for the world and rises on the third day.

    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”
    John 3:16
  9. 09~30 - 100 AD

    The Early Church

    A small group of followers becomes a movement that carries the good news across the known world.

    • Peter - A fisherman who becomes a leader of the first believers.

    • Paul - Once an enemy of the church; travels far and writes much of the New Testament.

    • The spread of the Gospel - The message moves from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

One story, told over thousands of years: a God who keeps reaching toward people, and never lets go. You don't have to learn it all today - just follow the thread.

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