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Maybe Disney Isn’t the Only Problem – Maybe the Real Problem is Us
People don’t like preachy stories. That’s what Christian writers hear all the time. Avoid preaching! Focus on telling a great story! Beware of agenda-driven writing! If you want to make a point, write an essay or a non-fiction book but keep your stories pure. Your biblical worldview will infuse them organically so leave the message …[ read more ]
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What Kind of a God Does That?
In college, I was forced to take a science course. Not a fan of this requirement. Dr. Andrus, a petite, exacting, fireball seemed really excited about science, so I knew I’d better get over my distaste and jump into my assignments with appropriate gusto. Our first assignment was to stare at a candle flame and …[ read more ]
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Pray Now for the Poets – They May Be Our Last Hope
We say prayers for the preachers and prayers for the hands of missionaries and teachers in foreign lands. We say prayers for the soldiers who are off at war and prayers for the workers serving food to the poor. But a time is coming, twisting round like a cloud, when the preaching of truth will …[ read more ]
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Bringing Preachy Back, Baby
Once upon a time, I memorized the modern rules of Christian writing: Avoid sounding preachy. Stay away from “Christian-ese” – words that only people in the church understand. Don’t be a Bible-thumper. Weave the gospel into your story but don’t be obvious. Never sound judgmental or condemning and whatever you do, don’t mention hell. Once …[ read more ]
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Calling All Storytellers – How to Use the Force
Have you noticed how hard it’s getting to tell the good guys from the bad guys? I watched a couple of my sons movies with him recently and had to keep asking, “Is that guy on the good side or the bad side?” My son’s answer was, “It’s complicated. Just keep watching.” Usually everything got …[ read more ]