Preaching on Money, Part 3
When you calculate assets and liabilities, money in your pocket always belongs in the “asset” column, right? According to an accountant friend of mine, this is actually not always the case. The technical term for money that is a liability is “unearned asset.” When a person or business receives payment for services that they have not yet rendered, those funds must be counted as a liability.
A “big story” sermon series first asks the question, “What is God’s purpose?” The next question is, “How has sin mucked it up?” God has given us money as an asset. Sin has made it a liability.
Preaching on Money, Part 2
Preaching a “Big Story” series on money will naturally begin with God’s purpose for our relationship to the material world. Once we understand this, we are more prepared to understand how this relationship has been affected by sin, and how Christ has redeemed it. Here is a list of texts and ideas that could help us tell the story of money.
Towards A “Big Story” Homiletic
How do we go about intentionally establishing a ministry of “big story preaching?” We need a “big story homiletic” that could secure a metanarrative thread in every sermon. Such a homiletic will need to weave the big story into its theology, its hermeneutic, its cultural engagement, and its application of the text.
What does the “Big Story” Do?
We are all shaped by a story. The question is, which story will it be? For disciples of Jesus, this life-shaping story is the Gospel. Before we turn to specifics of how to integrate the “big story” into our preaching, we should ask another question: What are the goals of Big Story Preaching?
How do we expect the grand narrative of the Scriptures to form disciples of Jesus? I will focus on four ways: The big story defines identity, shapes worldview, informs and guides mission, and creates community.
“Big Story” Preaching: Making Disciples in a Post-Christian World
How do we make disciples in a post-Christian world?” I am convinced that the answer must begin with the story we tell. I’m not talking about merely “telling stories,” that people like to hear. We must tell the story — the grand narrative of the Scriptures that shapes our view of the world, of ourselves, and of history. Why? Because the single most important factor for forming identity, character, and purpose is how we answer the question, “In what story am I living?”