The Church’s Top 40+

These Bible stories are especially good resources for faith-sharing during the period of Inquiry, when an adult is preparing for Baptism.

1.      Creation (Genesis 1:1—2:4a and 2:4b-25)

2.      The fall (Genesis 3)

3.      Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16)

4.      Noah (Genesis 6:5—9:28)

5.      Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

6.      Call of Abram (Genesis 11:31—12:6)

7.      Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15)

8.      Joseph (Genesis 37–45)

9.      Burning bush (Exodus 3)

10.  Passover (Exodus 11:1—12:36)

11.  Crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17—15:21)

12.  Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21)

13.  Golden calf (Exodus 32)

14.  Great Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

15.  Samson (Judges 13–16)

16.  Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

17.  David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1—12:25)

18.  Elijah meets God (1 Kings 19:1-13)

19.  Job (Job 1:13-22)

20.  Psalm 23

21.  Call of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-10)

22.  Infancy narratives (Matthew 1:1—2:23; Luke 1:1—2:52)

23.  Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)

24.  Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11; Luke 6:20-23)

25.  Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-14; Luke 11:2-4)

26.  Sower and seeds (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8)

27.  Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

28.  Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

29.  Prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32)

30.  Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31)

31.  Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

32.  Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12)

33.  Woman at the well (John 4:3-42)

34.  Bread of life (John 6)

35.  Woman caught in adultery (John 7:53—8:11)

36.  Man born blind (John 9:1-41)

37.  Good shepherd (John 10)

38.  Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44)

39.  Feeding of the multitudes (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14)

40.  Prediction of Jesus’ death (Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31—9:1; Luke 9:21-27)

41.  Lost sheep (Matthew 18:10-14; Luke 15:3-7)

42.  Great Commandment, New Testament version (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28)

43.  Final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46)

44.  Passion (Matthew 26–27; Mark 14–15; Luke 22–23; John 13–19)

45.  Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-23; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

46.  Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10)

47.  Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

48.  Thomas (John 20:24-29)

49.  Jesus appears to the disciples/Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:36-50; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:6-11)

50.  Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13)

51.  Stoning of Stephen (Acts 6:8—8:2)

52.  Conversion of Paul (Acts 9:1-30)

53.  Grace (Romans 1–3)