Story Telling

I used the tools I understood and worked hard at communicating the Gospel, or what I thought was the Gospel, not understanding that we need to, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation” ( Lu 3:4-6; also Isa 40:4). The ministry of John the Baptist cannot be ignored today. Valleys, hills and crooked ways vary from one nation to the next. Jesus the Messiah still has no resting place in a society that is twisted in ways that void the need for repentance. Sin defined fills in the valleys. Preaching the impossible nature of self-righteousness flattens hills raised up against the knowledge of God. Without this broader message the masses will not grasp the nature of the Kingdom of God and His call to obedience. The preeminence of communicating the truth of the Word of God must become part of our makeup as the people of God.

Story telling prepares the way for the Lord. It is a major part of communicating the truth of God and is an art that must be learned and also passed to the next generation of believers. I erroneously believed that people who could read and write were literate in all areas. Many today read newspapers and write articles for their business, yet rely upon oral traditions to receive and convey their religious beliefs. This is especially true for hundreds of millions that do not read the language of their religious background. For this group of people as well as for those that cannot yet read, the power of a well-delivered story will impact their hearts. Chronological story telling brings the listener into two new realms: obedience to God and transformation of worldview. Miraculous Movements by Jerry Trousdale tells the stories of God’s transformational power through prayer and use of biblical stories in chronological order.[i] Candidates must be taught to tell the stories of God in order to introduce Jesus to their audience.

Village Hospitality

Village Hospitality – Time for Story Telling

 


[i] Trousdale, Jerry

2012 Miraculous Movements. Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN.