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    Illustrations That Connect
    Illustrations That Connect
    Illustrations That Connect
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    Illustrations That Connect

    By Brian Hunter

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    About this ebook

    Over 100 Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, Public Speakers, and Writers to Help You Connect With Your Audience In a A Powerful and Insightful Way

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrian D Hunter Ministries
    Release dateMar 8, 2016
    ISBN9781519944009
    Illustrations That Connect
    Author

    Brian Hunter

    Brian D. Hunter is a son, father, friend, encourager, lecturer, teacher, visionary, dreamer, writer, and Senior Pastor. Though most would describe my personal persona as quiet and reserve, (I prefer reflective and observant) but he “catches on fire” as he releases and flows in his area of gifting and passion. He has devoted his life to empowering and equipping people to thrive. Hunter has been in ministry for the last 20 years; speaking and instructing for over 25 years. He has impacted the masses through writing, consulting, education, and insightful resources. His greatest joy is equipping others to achieve their goals; helping them discover and develop the unique gift God has given to them. We hope the illustrations in this book will get your creative wheels rolling.  As you bring light and insight to your subject matter

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      Book preview

      Illustrations That Connect - Brian Hunter

      DEDICATION

      To my mother Etries Hunter and my father, the late Howard Earl Hunter.

      For your love, your care, your example,  and the many sacrifices you rendered on my behalf beyond my knowledge. 

      I am indebted to you.  I love you. 

      Many of the illustrations in this book derive from the many

      rich experiences we shared.  I still draw from them and use them to

      bring clarity and light to the glorious gospel.

      Introduction

      ––––––––

      Can you read me a story, please?

      This is the request of children all over the world. Whether it's midday story time or at bedtime, nothing beats a good story. Oh, and children always want the books with pictures in them! Images and pictures that flow from words help to shape the imagination for better understanding.

      Images have inundated our lives in a way like never before. Not only through the means of movies and videos, but especially now through social media. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and online streaming have all taken the image to another place. On any smart phone or tablet you can access full length movies through Netflix or watch your favorites TV shows through mediums such as Hulu. We have become a society dependent on images.

      Many of us remember when, to get directions, we either had to secure a map or the directions were given verbally. Now on just about every cell phone or tablet there is a GPS system. We literally speak or type in the destination or the address and directions are given. But have you noticed the directions given are not only spoken verbally, but they also give you diagrams with arrows of left, right, or a U turn? Even navigation systems use words and images.

      ––––––––

      Karl Barth is credited as saying we need the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. It was his way of saying we need to engage timeless biblical truth with current, contemporary culture. As communicators, we ask people to listen through a means that almost seems archaic, through the means of imagery in our words, so that peoples’ ears become eyes that they might see the truth that we are trying to convey.

      ––––––––

      Psychologists say that we have two sides to our brain: a left side and a right side. The left side is given to the abstract. It is the left brain that deals with things of a more cognitive and logical nature; things such as language, numbers, and scientific concepts. The right brain specializes in handling things that are creative, such as patterns, shapes, poetry, art, and music.

      Our challenge as communicators is not only to employ our left brain, but also to add flavor and creativity by using our right brain''. As we turn the listener's ears into eyes, we want them not only to hear the message but see" the message as well.

      We normally spend the week preparing to speak using commentaries, and timeless quotations. Employing the Hebrew and Greek language, mastering outlines, and hermeneutical principles. All of this information we grasp and understand using our left brains. But the people we stand to speak to every week have been flooded by images and stories all week long. So the question then becomes do we force them to understand and receive the information through an abstract lens, or do we take the extra step in giving them a window to look out of to see the truth we are trying to convey?

      We believe Jesus was a carpenter by trade. Carpentry is a left brain occupation, done by following exact measurements with numbers and figures. Although He was trained to use His left brain, Jesus was a master storyteller.

      Though He was trained to use His left brain, when we hear Him teach, He employs His right brain. One out of every three lessons Jesus taught used imagery and stories.

      To help His listeners understand a spiritual truth, Jesus employs the use of parables.

      The word parable is taken from the word paraballo. The prefix "para means alongside and ballo means to throw. A parable is throwing a (spiritual) truth alongside something familiar to aid in understanding something complex. For example, to help us understand how connected we are to Him, He says, I am the vine, and you are the branches."

      A parable starts out as a picture of something that is familiar and common, then moves to illustrate and make plain a deeper truth.

      When Jesus said a sower went out to sow that was a familiar picture to his hearers. As He was teaching there may have been someone nearby in a field actually sowing seeds. The people he was talking to knew that some seeds would fall by the wayside. Others would be devoured by the birds. Still others would fall on stony ground, and others fell on good ground, took root, and began to grow. He used the seed as the Word, and the different types of soils as different conditions of the heart.

      When Jesus said I am the vine, and you are the branches they could identify with this picture. They were very familiar

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