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How Some Stories Can Harm Your Sermon

A few weeks ago, I heard a sermon by a preacher who obviously had heard of the benefits of stories in effective sermons. However, his particular illustration posed great difficulties for the sermon. It actually detracted from the message: you had to have a scorecard to remember all the names the preacher presented. That was only the first problem. The next problem was the story just didn’t seem believable. It may have been true, but it wasn’t believable. Finally, the story illustrated points that needed no illumination. As I thought about this sermon, I quickly saw that these are three rules that can help anyone’s use of stories. 

Your Story Should Aid Understanding

The first thing you need to ask yourself before you use a story is, will this story aid understanding of the sermon? If you drop the story, would something be missing? Don’t just tell a story to fill the time. Don’t even tell a story to illustrate a point. If the point is already clear, move on. Sometimes a quick reference to a cliché or even a great hymn or spiritual will suffice to illustrate the point you are considering.

Your Story Should Be Simple

The preacher I referred to above told a long and involved story. It had five characters who were interlocked together. It was confusing to get the names right. One should always keep in mind that you cannot do in a sermon what you can do in print. You can tell a short story in print; however, a sermon requires either more work on the part of the storyteller or less complexity. Keep your story simple!

Your Story Should Be Believable

The last and very important thing to remember is that your story should be believable. Note I didn’t say it should be true. Yes, it should be true, but it must also ring true. There are some stories that are just so far-fetched that you probably shouldn’t use them in the pulpit because the story will detract from your message.

There are some exceptions to this rule, like obvious homiletical devices, but in general: if you are telling a story that is supposed to be an actual occurrence, make sure it’s believable.

Conclusion

If you break one of these rules, your sermon could suffer. As I listened to the preacher and looked at the preacher, I could tell that he was getting more frustrated even as he was further alienating his listeners by his less-than-effective illustration. So please make sure that your story aids the sermon, is simple, and is believable before you attempt to use it in your next sermon.