Stories Connect Us (part 1)

We speak and think in stories. Stories are the core of who we are, how we define ourselves and how we find our connection with the world. If you want to communicate well, you must use the principles of story to do so. This wisdom goes back to Aristotle and beyond.

The three main elements of a story are the setting, the conflict, and the resolution. Sure, your high school English Literature teacher told you all about the denouement and a bunch of other stuff about how the forest symbolizes the chaos of the world, but that's not going to help you be a better preacher (probably). Thinking of how you can connect to people through the basic elements of story, however, will give you a better chance at connecting with people and through that connection, communicating powerful words to them.