Up to this point we have covered two of the five places to find great illustrations:
1.
Your own life.
2.
Media
Up next we have...
3. The Bible.
No surprise there, right? Think again. You would be surprised at the number of Christian youth speakers/preachers/youth pastors who do not use the Bible. Many will pull a verse out of context here or there to "backup" the life-principle they are trying to teach, but few will actually exegete scripture or illustrate Biblical principles with Bible stories or illustrations.
Jesus himself was the greatest youth communicator ever. He taught the Old Testament law, history, poetry and prophets as the Holy-Spirit-inspired-and-filled Son of God. He was The Word of God. As he spoke to children, teenagers, young adults and religious leaders, He was faithful to the text and intent of the Old Testament authors; moreover, while doing so, He used current stories, parables, and illustrations to help His listeners understand.
Why would we, as we communicate the Word of God to young people, do anything less.
Recently, while speaking on relationships, I used the story of Isaac and Rebekah to illustrate how God is both interested and concerned with who we decide to marry. While it was important for me to share my own experience and story of meeting my wife, it was crucial for the students to see how even in Genesis, God was at work behind the scenes in bringing two people together. Also, any time we can allow the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to speak, there is significantly greater power and effectiveness in our preaching.
Be sure to remember to use the Bible when illustrating your messages. If Jesus did it, so should we!
For parts 4 & 5 click here...
