Way back in 2011 (remember 2011? That was a simpler time.) we began a series of posts on the concept of STORY.  From the beginning, people have loved stories.  Oral traditions gave way to literature which evolved into all kinds of media dedicated to the simple idea of telling a story.

And you have a story.  And most of you just thought to yourself “My story is boring.”  Well, if you are a follower of Jesus and you think your story is boring, then I guess you think that the fact that you used to be dead and now you are alive is boring.  That’s what Paul tells the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 2:1-10.  You were dead and now you are alive.  Not “you were sick and now you are well.”  That might make a decent story, but not as good as “I was dead but now I am alive.” 

At some point in our church experience our story became our “testimony.”  Now there’s nothing wrong with the word testimony.  As a matter of fact the dictionary says a testimony is “an open declaration or profession, as of faith.”  R3Ally.org is the LAST place you will see anyone criticized for openly declaring their faith.  But what happened was “your testimony” became something it was never supposed to be:  BORING.

Your story is not about how much fun you used to have sinning and how now you don’t do that stuff anymore.  Your story is that you were DEAD and now you are ALIVE.  That you were HOPELESS and now your life is defined by your HOPE.  Your story is that you are a part of the most exciting, most revolutionary, most important thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind.  And that story is exciting. 

Next week we will look at how you can tell your exciting story effectively.

by Michael Smith

Community Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church NW Arkansas

mismith@fellowshipnwa.org