Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday August 2, 2011

Paul Ford is known far and wide as a savvy radio owner of several radio stations in this region. He is also a nice man who on occasion has been led down the path by people supposed to be sincerely religious. In spite of this he and his dear wife love Jesus. For some reason they decided to be my friend and I am deeply thankful for this blessing.

For many years I preached every day on radio stations and a few TV stations. I enjoyed the ministry this outreach afforded. I now appear or actually am heard on Paul's stations and he is always sharing advice on how to make the message more effective, more appealing and thereby more apt to arrest the attention and hold the audience.

One thing he has been hammering home is the importance in citing and reading scripture references rather than simply alluding to said references. His point is well taken as many church people and only an infinitesimal percentage of non-churched have a clue about things biblical, historical or ancient mythology. Mythology was often referred to by the preachers and orators in the past. Now the most moving biblical sagas meet with blank stares. Thus my style of preaching has been and is being overhauled to increase the understanding of why certain things are being said.

Paul told me a listener wrote to say, "Larry Lilly's sermons are right up there with Alistair Begg, Billy Graham and Erwin Lutzer, but I don't have the time to search out his Bible references."

Now you have some idea of what you're missing if you do not listen to my sermons via radio. A shame it is.

Truth be known many people really want to know more about Jesus, but cannot/will not invest the time to study on their own, thus the Bible Teacher must find a way to more thoroughly instruct in ways that have a lasting impact. In the area of being successful at what you do Stephen Pierce writes:

"Either you do things differently or you do different things."

Certainly my message has not changed nor will it, but by using a more exacting method it will be much more effective in a busy world where many Sunday School teachers do not own a Bible Concordance or computer Bible program. Sad, but true.

Commenting on his own teaching ministry Paul reminded the Ephesian leaders of his intensely thorough style when he said in Acts 20:20 "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,"

Seems like a good pattern to me.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2011 Use with credit.

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