I really like Abraham Piper’s blog, 22 Words. Recently he gave this challenge:
1. Write a Jesus-centered sermon.
2. List 10 words pivotal to that sermon’s content.
3. Rewrite the sermon, making the same point without those words.
A good exercise for all of us, in keeping with Abraham’s idea, would be to write out a presentation of the Gospel. Then list 10 words pivotal to that content. Then rewrite that content without using those words. Why would this be a good exercise?
1) It would foster good, Gospel meditation.
2) It would keep us from using the same language (Christianese) that many of us use to describe these realities.
3) It would, therefore, help us not only embrace the truth of the Gospel with our own lives but to make that content readily available for each and every lost person we encounter.