Randy Frazee - The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of Gods Story

Not only have I heard Randy Frazee teach these messages, but I have seen him live them. I am honored to partner with him in ministry, and I have no hesitation to recommend this book to you.

MAX LUCADO, pastor and bestselling author

Im privileged to call Randy Frazee my friend, and I know one important thing about him: he is a man of the Word. He loves the Bible, and he loves people. Whats more, hes uniquely qualified to explain how our Lower Story fits into the Upper Story of Gods plans and purposes. This a story you really need to read.

DAVE RAMSEY, bestselling author and
nationally syndicated radio show host

I love a good story. I love hearing them, reading them, and telling them. Theres nothing like a good story to reach a heart, heal a hurt, kindle hope, or even cause a life to change direction. What Randy Frazee has done in The Heart of the Story is to masterfully weave together from the pages of Scripture the grand story of God, and he tells us the story in a way that not only gets at Gods heart, but gets to our hearts as well. If you want to get drawn into a really compelling story that promises to change your life forever, read The Heart of the Story.

MARK BATTERSON, New York Times
bestselling author of The Circle Maker and
lead pastor of National Community Church

The Heart of the Story lifted my chin, time and time again, reminding me to reckon Gods promises with my problems. We so easily default to an earthbound perspective. But God is always writing a bigger story with our lives. Randy Frazee unpacks Scripture with passion, clarity, and conviction. Hes one of my favorite guests on the show because he truly believes what he reads in Scripture. May the epic kingdom story come to life as you work your way through the pages of this masterful book.

SUSIE LARSON, talk radio host, national speaker,
and author of Your Powerful Prayers

I love the heart, insight, and teaching of Randy Frazee. I had the privilege of performing a song for The Story projectHow Love Winsinspired by the message of this book. The song takes the point of view of the thief alongside Jesus at the crucifixion. When Jesus shouted, It is finished, the world thought he was admitting he was finished. But from the Upper Story perspective, Jesus was declaring that his work of redeeming us was finished on the cross, and a new beginning was born. This is just one of the life-transforming nuggets in the pages of The Heart of the Story. Read it, and you may just find a new beginning for yourself.

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, singer/songwriter and
author of Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess

The Bible, the whole Bible, is put together and displayed as a single sweeping narrative in this extraordinary work of storytelling. Randy Frazee has invested a lifetime making Gods Word useful, interesting, and accessible. This is his masterpiece!

BOB BUFORD, founder of Leadership Network
and author of Halftime and Finishing Well

Our church has grown so much going through The Story. Im excited to take them through The Heart of the Story and see the Bible come alive for our people!

MARK HALL, lead singer of Casting Crowns and author of Thrive

Randy Frazee is not just a gifted leader and communicator; he is also a man with a unique ability to take the powerful things of God and present them to this generation with clarity and purpose.

LEON FONTAINE, CEO of Miracle Channel, senior pastor of Springs Church (Canada), and television host of The Spirit Contemporary Life

The Heart of the Story is a brilliant work reminding us that the Bible is a collection of narratives that make up the story of God. Randy Frazee artistically guides us to discover our place in Gods story. If you, like me, have always craved to know your role in the unfolding story of God, youll want to read and share this book with others. The Heart of the Story is a gift.

DAVE FERGUSON, lead pastor of Community Christian Church, lead visionary of NewThing, and author of Finding Your Way Back to God

The Bible is not a series of isolated fairy tales. Its one story, told in hundreds of chapters and in a compelling journey. Randy Frazee invites usand then he takes us on that journey. And you will want to join him on it!

ED STETZER, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College

As a songwriter, Ive always been passionate about the power of a story. Thats one of the reasons Ive connected so deeply with Randy Frazees book The Heart of the Story. Finding our story in the midst of the greater story that God is telling truly is the mission were all on, and this book helps us find the heart of the story along the way.

MATTHEW WEST, award-winning singer/songwriter

If you live in the world of business, you can easily get stuck in the earthbound story of your work. Randy Frazee gently repositions our eyes and priorities toward Gods grand narrative, one in which you will see yourself clearly as you live out your calling. As you ponder these stories, youll feel Gods vertical tug on your spreadsheet-driven, people-problem world and discover how to raise the cross at the center of the marketplace. In Randys words, youll find your story in Gods story.

GREG LEITH, CEO of Convene

We live in the Lower Story. Its hard for us to see around the next bend in the road, let alone a generation or millennia. God sees everything from the Upper Story. He wrote the beginning and is orchestrating how the story ends. The Heart of the Story gives a glimpse into Gods Upper Story and provides a road map for aligning our story to his story. Randy Frazees teaching has deeply influenced my personal life, teaching, and the congregation I lead. It will do the same for you!

DR. BENJI W. KELLEY, founding pastor of
NewHope Church, Durham, North Carolina

ALSO BY RANDY FRAZEE

The Christian Life Profile Assessment

The Connecting Church 2.0

The Heart of the Story

Making Room for Life

Real Simplicity (expanded edition of Making Room for Life; with Rozanne Frazee)

Renovation of the Heart: Student Edition (with Dallas Willard)

Think, Act, Be Like Jesus

ZONDERVAN

The Heart of the Story

Copyright 2011, 2017 by Randy Frazee

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Epub Edition December 2016 ISBN 9780310350040

ISBN 978-0-310-34936-5 (softcover)

ISBN 978-0-310-35004-0 (ebook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Frazee, Randy.

The heart of the story : tracing Gods big idea through every story in the Bible / Randy Frazee.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-310-33272-5

1. BibleCriticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible stories. I. Title.
BS511.3.F73 2011

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.