Getting a message across to an audience is a tough thing. “One on one” is hard enough – but try doing it front of many and things really get frustrating. What I find the most difficult when I’m asked to share a message at Church is to compress what’s best defined as a “3D thought into a 1D sentence.”

When I “think” about things, it’s very much a “given this,” “then that,” “in spite of” and “because of” – all rolled into a single line of thought. But try communicating this in a 1D sentence, and much of what you are trying to communicate is lost on your listeners.

That’s why I take my hat off to master story tellers who are able to articulate the thinking behind a sentence and do it in a way which captivates the attention of the listener. For those of you that know me, you know that I’m talking about Mark Driscoll as a prime example.

I love this guys preaching style. Not only is he a crack up, but he holds onto a very strict interpretation of Scripture and upholds the integrity of it rather then wanting to rip it apart. But he does all this in a way that grabs your attention and leaves you wanting for more. Perhaps this is the reason why the Church he Pastors is accustomed to listening to him speak for more then an hour as the norm.

For those who haven’t heard him speak, below is a 2 minute grab from one of his recent sermons. I overlayed it on some music to give it a bit of effect. But have a listen to how this guy tells the story. And remember that this little snippet was just part of an introduction – very mild compared to what he says later on.

Have a listen and tell me what you think…

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