by Julie Zine Coleman @JulieZineColeman

You know the difference between an effective preacher who tests your patience every time he takes the pulpit. Now hopefully both preachers are preaching the Word of God. Both of them have spent considerable time and prayer on a passage. God promises that His Word will not return without accomplishing its purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).

So then, why do some sermons have people weeping in their pew, while other sermons get little response?

The sermons that are most powerful reach the heart.

We can see that played out in the story of the prophet Nathan and his king. David had sinned appallingly and believed he had gotten away with it. Then one day Nathan came to visit, and everything changed.

Nathan began with a story. It was about two sheep owners. One was very wealthy with flocks and herds of animals. The other was poor, and had one little ewe lamb to his name. That lamb was a part of the family. She ate scraps from her master’s table and drank from his cup. She would lie in his lap to be close to him. He loved her like a daughter.

One day, the rich man welcomed a visitor into his home. He could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock to make a lavish meal. So he decided to take the poor man’s precious lamb from him, slaughter it, and serve it to his guest.

David was a former shepherd, and knew what it was to love an animal. He erupted in anger. “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die! So he must make restitution four times over, since he did this thing with no compassion!” (2 Samuel 12:5-6).

Then Nathan hit him with the message God had sent him to deliver: King David, you are that man. David’s response was immediate shame and repentance. Do you think David would have responded so quickly without that leading story? He’d already been clever at covering his tracks—protecting himself at all cost. But a story touched his heart and changed his perspective.

As a writer, you may not preach a sermon, but everything that Christians write preaches a message. How can we open our readers’ hearts to receive that message you mean to communicate? Write for the heart.

Story is a powerful way to open hearts to receive. It strips away assumptions and tightly held beliefs that should be challenged. It is our job as writers to prepare our readers to accept God’s message.

Let me be clear: the real power is in the Word of God. Romans 12 tells us when we renew our minds with the Word of God, He transforms us. Scripture is where the power lies.

But story can help open the heart to actually hear God’s Word. When an author begins with a story about themselves, exposing a problem they have or had, the reader may think: I have that issue. I might need what the Bible has to say about that.  It inspires them to read on.

I once sat in a conference that featured a panel of authors, editors, agents, and publishers. An audience member asked: what do you look for in a proposal? The professionals passed the mike down the line. But every person’s answer was the same. Story.

Story takes a good article and makes it great. It connects our readers with God’s Word so that they can hear from Him. Don’t neglect story—it is an effective tool to reach the heart.

Bio: Julie Zine Coleman is an award-winning author, speaker, and member of the Pastoral Team at New Hope Chapel. She is the managing editor for the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association’s devotional website, Arise Daily. Julie holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and has authored four books including Unexpected Love: God’s Heart Revealed through Jesus’ Conversations with Women and On Purpose: Understanding God’s Freedom for Women through Scripture, which was named The Golden Scrolls Book of the Year as well as The Selah Awards’ Director’s Choice. Julie and her husband have four grown children, six grandchildren, and one crazy Golden Retriever puppy.