Are You Telling Stories?

When Nehemiah went back to Jerusalem to take on the arduous task of rebuilding the city walls, the first difficult task in front of him was to envision the people to join in the work. It's one thing to get people to commit to a common mission when things are going good and there's momentum all around. It's another thing to engage people when all they see around them are ruins. So what did Nehemiah do to get the people to sacrifice their life for the greater good? He told a story.

"Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God has been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, 'Yes, let's rebuild the wall!' So they began the good work." (Nehemiah 2:18)

Up until this time we are given no indication that the people were willing to join in the work. However, once Nehemiah told the story of God's leading and what God had accomplished up to that point, everyone wanted in on the action. Why is that? One of the reasons is because stories are powerful tools that engage people.

We live in an age where information is increasing at the speed of light. As a result we have grown blase with it all. Instruction must be more than information if we have any shot at engaging people in God's mission. We must include stories that point to God at work.

For example, one of the points I made in last Sunday's message out of Hebrews 10 was that faithfulness does not preclude suffering. Originally I was going to go to a number of Bible passages that support this point. Instead, I opted for a story that I found online in video format. I'm including the video at the bottom of this post. In the end the story was so much better at communicating my point and engaging people. (If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to click on the title at the top of the email in order to see the video.)

Whether your a primary leader who preaches every week, a small group leader, or a children's volunteer, look for ways to include stories in your instruction. I'll share some tips next time for where to look for stories and how to keep track of them.