Look for words that jump out at you from the story. Why do they spark your intuition? Look them up in their original language. What is it in the Hebrew? In Greek? Sometimes, there are hidden metaphors lost in translation. When you look at the original word or...
“If you want to change a life or a church, change their metaphor.” –Len Sweet Everyone has a metaphor that defines his or her identity. Churches are no different. But be careful. There are metaphors that describe what you’d like to be, or what you imagine you are. ...
Holy Communion is an event sometimes rushed, sometimes made rote. Remember that your sermon can introduce holy communion in creative ways, and that you can make communion a participatory and personal event, even as it is also communal and sacred. Change up your...
When you preach, let your faith shine through, and let your passion (and God’s passionate love) flow out. When you speak in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, your preaching will not only be meaningful, but also passionate. And people will feel the power of the Spirit...
Metaphors give the scriptures their depth and beauty. They also deepen our understanding of God by allowing descriptors with many levels of meaning to soak into our minds and hearts and create visions, sounds, and sensory experience about our personal encounters with...
If you want people to “take” your sermon with them when they leave worship, it helps to give them something tangible that reminds them of your message. Whether an experience or an object, it’s worth the investment to leave people with reminders and triggers. To...
