4) Internalize the message – what’s your story?
- No actor would make simply take out a manuscript and start reading monotone
- You need to own your message, as if it’s a part of you, where you able to tell it rather than preach it
- Do you really expect anyone to remember anything you said if you haven’t?
- If you’re reading from notes, chances are you haven’t internalized it
- Having too much to say is sometimes the equivalent of saying nothing (less is more)
- If something doesn’t support the point, cut it… have your talk read like a story (tension, resolution, climax, conclusion)3) Create a map – what’s the best route to your point?
ME – Orientation – introduces dilemma/topic
WE – Identification – common ground to share dilemma, assuring them this is a relevant topic
GOD – Illumination – Discover what God says about the tension or question
YOU – Application – Challenge audience to act on God’s Word
WE – Inspiration – The “what ifs” of if we all acted upon God’s Word
ME
- Common ground is essential for any relationship
- People desire genuineness, so share your struggles and be open with your weaknesses
- People buy into the messenger before they buy into the message
- Don’t focus on rushing through your content at the expense of the person, don’t make people feel like they are a second priority to getting through everything
WE
- Bridging your struggles to encompass emotional agreement with as many people as possible
- Never transition out of the WE section until you have created a tension people are dying for you to resolve
- Application isn’t a section of your message, it’s the context of your message
GOD
- The meat of the message, being able to share God’s insights!
- Engage the text… don’t brush over it so much that people become biblically illiterate, but don’t go so far deep that people feel like they could never understand the Bible on their own
YOU
- Answer the questions “so what?” and “now what?”
- Think through how this can apply to relational circles (me, family, other believers, non-believers, workplace, etc.) and life stages (teenage, singles, newlyweds, empty nesters, etc.)
- Make sure to address the nonbelievers in your audience as well… simply letting them know your aware of them will help build a bridge
WE
- Really about vision casting (dreaming phase)
- Explain “what if”, if people would actually do the application and what that would look like
1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.
3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.
4. When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.
5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded.
9. When you head into battle, visualize success.
10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.
11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.
13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.
14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible.
15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.
16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do.
18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
20. When you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment.
Irronically, after just writing my previous post, I stumbled upon this interview with Dino Rizzo, church planter, author, and a man focused on serving others.
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Q: Dino, there is an idea out there, held by many Christians, that the job of the Church is to meet peoples’ spiritual needs (salvation) and then, if we have extra time or money laying around, meet their physical needs. How do you address this mindset?
A: To answer your question, I don’t believe we should have to choose between the two. At the end of the day, we want to see people come to Jesus. And serving is a means to that end but it isn’t the end itself. What we really want to do is help the cause of Christ come alive in people’s hearts, but the path to that is serving people where they are. It’s all one package - one goal - seeing people live out God’s plan for their lives. And we need to be willing to do whatever it takes, whenever it is needed.
God is doing phenomenal things at Healing Place Church thru their attitude of service. To learn more, check-out the website www.SERVOLUTION.org.
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We must beware the popular “share the Gospel, and if necessary use words” mindset.
Similarly, the Gospel is, properly speaking, preached, not done (though our actions can certainly affirm it, e.g., John 13:34-35 [even here it is interesting to note that it is our love for one another that is said to point to the Gospel!]).
Social ministry done by the church should be self-consciously engaged in with the hope, prayer and design of sharing the Gospel. J. Gresham Machen wrote that “material benefits were never valued in the apostolic age for their own sake, they were never regarded as substitutes for spiritual things. That lesson needs to be learned. Social betterment, though important, is insufficient; it must always be supplemented by God’s unspeakable gift,” (J. Gresham Machen, New Testament, ed., John Cook, pp. 345-346).
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