As believers we all have a story to tell of the
amazing circumstances, God-incidences and even miracles of how we got to where
we are.
1 Peter
3:15: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
People do
not want a sermon or a trite rehearsed version of the Gospel. This is mostly
offensive to them and hardens their perception of “Christians.” They are
however open to your personal story when told without religious-sounding
phraseology. This is your testimony (also an overused religious-sounding word)
which is your primary gift.
Consider the
great preachers you have heard over the years and you will probably be able to
recall their personal story. This is because they recognise the power of a
story so they like to tell it often. Oh yes it is true that things get
embellished with many retelling’s but as long as you can prune out the churchy' sounding words, it will be an effective means of influence.
More than
ever before, media sources are wanting things to look and sound like a story.
This is why some TV ads are looking like a serial. Even radio ads feature the
owners of a business who will talk about how long they have been making
widgets. Stories are powerful and engage the listener who can relate to the
various circumstances. We all know versions of the stories of various famous
products like McDonalds or Coca Cola. This is the best form of advertising they
can get.
Who said
your personal story is not interesting? Everybody has a story to tell and
surprisingly everyone else is interested to hear it. All of humanity is geared
to hear stories, fact or fiction; it is the best of human communication.
Pastor David
No comments:
Post a Comment