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I find it interesting how we can try to outdo ourselves. In our efforts to be appealing, sometimes we can get so out there that we are putting more effort into making our illustration happen than to making the message relevant. I'm guilty. I've had some illustrations that I really wanted to work. I've had some ideas that are outlandish. I've tried hard to make the dots connect by way of visual presentation. What I've found though is that it's not about the illustration. Matter of fact, if the illustration works right, people won't remember it at all. Illustration help illustrate messages. It's only when they go wrong that people remember. If the illustration beats the message, then we know what happened. When motorcycles go through walls, messages get hosed. I've been in a season of limited illustrations. If anything, illustrations come to me in the middle and we try to make it work. I don't know what that means. I don't want to be prideful and say that I'm sticking to the message. I don't want to be humble and say I don't want to. But what is going to matter? Is it an illustration? Is it a speaker? The only thing that leaves any kind of indelible impact is Jesus. If an illustration gets people there, great. But let's be those who lead people to Jesus, not catchy illustrations.
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