Stories for Preaching

Stories for Preaching is a fan favorite Christian teaching. Sharing insightful and inspiring stories from the bible and from the world to bring spiritual transformation. Stories to encourage us, inspire us, and give us hope even in the toughest moments. Created by Skipper, a writer, storyteller and life coach. Stories also make great Bible studies. Ideas for studies can be obtained at.

Stories for Preaching is a storytelling podcast describing a moving narrative that inspires listeners with God's infinite story. From biblical events to personal journeys, these stories will remind listeners of the grace and wonder of faith. When teaching Bible lessons, a story related to the topic is a wonderful tool to use. Jesus and others in the Bible used stories frequently to impart truths that may have otherwise not been understood.

For instance, take Jesus' story about the "Good Samaritan." (Luke 10:25-37) He was able to help His listeners understand how to love God and love others. Remember when God used the prophet Nathan to tell a story? He told a story about a shepherd that had his sheep stolen so that King David would recognize the truth of his own sin. (2 Samuel 12: 1-10) A Christian story can open our eyes to truths about ourselves through the passive, nonthreatening telling of a story about someone else.

Most preachers today use stories to clarify points of their sermons by using what is called a "sermon illustration. "Whether a story is true or fictional, it really doesn't matter. What matters is that the listener becomes involved in the story and is transformed by its meaning. A Christian short story taps into our emotions and thereby locks in the experience in our memory.

Christian stories can be used in Bible studies to introduce a study topic, clarify a Biblical truth, or to involve the class emotionally by experiencing the story. If you personally or as a group need a inspirational lift, try reading Christian books. Of course, don't let these replace your Bible study, but they can enhance your spiritual life and growth. Christian stories through Christian books, both nonfiction and fiction, that have touched life in a very real way and many times have given me a new perspective by experiencing what the character in the book has gone through.

When he looks out over a church before starting to preach, Rev. Scott Hoezee sees people who have brought a wide range of personal stories—some happy, some sad, some about triumph, and others about sorrow. Given the stress and strain some people feel and the joy that others experience, Hoezee says it can be hard to determine how to best bring a gospel message that touches everyone.

But he’s come to believe that the best way to share the gospel with these people who have so many tales to tell is to be a storyteller himself, says Hoezee in his new book Actuality. Without a doubt, seated in the congregations that pastors serve on a week-in and week-out basis are men and women whose imaginations are waiting to be sparked. They want to be drawn in. They want to imagine what it would feel to walk with Jesus. They want to feel the spray of the water on Peter’s face as he stepped into the boat. To wonder, as John writes in his gospel that captures the imagination, what the perfume smelled like when its aroma filled the room.

Often in many sermons, the imagination is left untouched. In a noble effort to be accurate and to avoid emotionalism, many become guilty of being emotionless. Good storytelling is a way to capture the imagination of the congregation drawing them in to see the scriptures in a new way.