My husband put some headphones on my ears and asked me to listen to what he’d been working on. “Close your eyes,” he said. “See if you can follow along.” I closed my eyes and heard a man’s voice giving complicated instructions for using a software program – and though he was speaking English, I couldn’t understand a single word he was saying. Huh?
“Now, open your eyes and watch it with the video.” Tom said. In front of me was the video he was putting together to accompany the instructions. It showed a computer screen that mirrored the verbage, complete with the cursor following along and graphics edited in to illustrate each point. Suddenly, the words made sense because I could plainly see them come to life right in front of me. Aha! Now I was getting it!
I immediately thought of the way Jesus used stories to illustrate spiritual truths. He didn’t just say “the kingdom of heaven is coming and it’s different than what you’ve ever known.” No, he told the story of seeds being planted in different kinds of soils. He also described it as yeast, mustard seeds, and a pearl of great price. He talked about bridegrooms coming for unprepared brides, noblemen going on long trips, and a king who forgave a huge debt. All throughout his teachings are metaphors and stories that took complex truths and made them simple. Understandable.
Jesus knew the power of great illustration.
He still uses illustrations in powerful ways. We have a wonderful new resource available, called “Seed,” that is full of the kind of illustrations that make the complex – simple. Priscilla has done these teaching “seed packets” in a way that is a bit different than the materials she’s done in the past…and we think you are going to love them. Priscilla tells us about it on our home page in a little video.
You can find more information here. What is unique about these is that you can purchase full packages of the teachings, or individual DVD’s. You can do the studies by yourself, or with a group – you can choose what works for you. I hope you’ll check them out.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. A special heartfelt “Thank You” to all our military men and women who are serving our country here and abroad. We appreciate you so very much.
Rachel and the Going Beyond Team
