READ: Psalm 66:16

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

I love stories. Give me a list of facts and dates, and watch my (and most teenagers) eyes glaze over. It’s hard to keep up with straight information. It’s like taking a bite out of a raw onion not very pleasant and often brings tears of pain to your eyes.  Stories, however, can turn that bitter onion into something delicious; I’m thinking a bowl of French onion soup personally or maybe caramelized onions on top of a burger from Phil’s Ice House.

Jesus was the master of telling stories. When he was asked “Who is my neighbor”, Jesus didn’t simply answer him with whoever is in direct proximity to you, of any gender, race, or creed. Instead, he told a story: “there once was a man.”

Every one of us has been given a story; one that continues to be written. Scenes from our lives are like chapters where our hero shows up to do something amazing with our brokenness. And like all good stories, yours is meant to be shared! This is the essence of what a Testimony is: the story of God’s goodness meeting your brokenness.

This week, I want to challenge you with two things: First, take time to think about your own story; how has God impacted your life THIS month? What has he been teaching you (and maybe more importantly, HOW is he teaching you)? Write it out, start a journal, and find that as you retell God’s story of your life, your heart is moved to worship.

Second, this week, take time to LISTEN to stories. Often times, we’re so eager to talk about ourselves… and that’s great! We should be excited to share our stories. At the same time, we know that a heart that feels heard is much more open to hear. Encourage people around you to tell stories. And when all the stories are told, we’ll all worship together.

Looking for a song to listen to this week? Try: Tell me the Story Again by Chris Rice!