Illuminate

We started a new series at Cornerstone this past week called illuminate.  We are doing a book study of 1 John for the next six weeks.  We will be talking about what it means to “walk in the light”   Coming up with a theme for a sermon series is important.  I have noticed that our sermons with strong titles get downloaded much more frequently.  Good graphics and videos tie the messages together and create a desire to come back each week to hear more.  It simply helps connect the truth of God’s Word to your congregation.   When you pick something out of culture or a metaphor that people can relate to, it helps them to remember what you teach and preach.

It’s also following the example of Jesus.  When He shared with farmers, He used parables and examples from agriculture.  When Jesus talked to fisherman, He used their language.   The language of our culture today is multimedia.  So when you can use a strong image as a basis for teaching, it makes a difference.  But I typically find myself in the position where I don’t have the time to create the graphics.   Now I know larger churches have staff dedicated for this, but let’s be honest.  In most churches, this responsibility falls on the pastor or an individual with strong graphic design skills.   I love working in photoshop, but I can’t justify the time that is required to create new graphic sets.   That’s why I am glad that many churches have a kingdom mindset when it comes to sharing graphical resources.

In planning for 1 John, I wanted to go with either a counterfeit theme or a light theme.  So I started looking through some sites that have free graphical resources.   Lifechurch.tv, Newsping, and Vine Resources all have excellent material to choose from.  I found the series illuminate on Newspring’s site.  It immediately reminded me of David Crowder’s CD, and the light bulb is a strong symbol of light.  I loaded up photoshop, made a few adjustments and changes and came up with graphics for print and videos to use in church, all in a matter of minutes.   Now I can focus my time on studying God’s Word and preparing the message, both of which are far more important tasks in my role as pastor.  Don’t feel like everything you do has to be original when it comes to graphics.   Your job is to be effective, not original. Don’t lose sight of the fact that every image and video you use should bring attention to God’s truth.   Start with the truth, and then illustrate it using every possible way.