Sermons to Stories

~ Daniel Kinkade

There is great beauty in storytelling. Carol Pipes, director of corporate communications at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee, recently said in a podcast interview, “Stories are the best vehicle for communicating important messages. Tell stories wherever you can. Testimony is the currency of transformation.”

Ever since I began as a full-time copywriter almost a year ago, I have gone from mainly writing sermons and small curriculum (which I still enjoy writing) to writing stories and telling people’s stories. In this process, I have learned so much about communication and how to effectively capture an audience’s attention. This is the very reason movies and plays are so inviting. For some, a well-written book does the same. If done well, these outlets grab your attention and leave you wanting more; they make you feel a part of the experience. In short, stories are told, and meaning is held.

While sermons and stories may have different desired outcomes, I understand they are more closely connected than I had ever realized. If I were to preach a sermon tomorrow, my delivery would be quite different than if you heard me two years ago. I would do my research, theological framework, and then find the best way to communicate truth. I would move away from an outdated formal style of preaching and engage with the audience. To do this, I would find a biblical narrative and real-life examples to connect you to the heart of what God wants his people to know. Favorite singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson once said, “If you want a child to know the truth, tell them the truth. If you want a child to love the truth, them a story.”

Why does a story enthrall people? Because there is both beauty and depth. Good storytelling allows for the creative mind to flow, character development to unfold, and captivation to take place. Jesus was an authoritative, master storyteller. So much so that His audience, who was still trying to make their minds up on who He was, remained astounded by His gift (Matthew 7:28-29).

Stories allow for your mind to run endlessly and to draw conclusions based on what you have just read, seen, or heard. As one pastor friend of mine puts it, “Words create worlds.” When captivated by a great story we typically are moved to action. These actions have the potential to better our communities, churches, and cities, for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom.

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Baseball: America’s Favorite Pastime

~ Daniel Kinkade

BaseballFresh-cut green grass, ice-cold drinks right over here
Find your seat, as the city embraces the home town cheers
Gathered for America’s favorite past time,
Proud and true, fans stand to salute the red, white, and blue

The pitcher finishes his last warmups, the time is finally here
All that is left is one last conversation in the catcher’s ear
The lights shine brightly into the summer’s night, reveal a called third strike that appeared to be high and tight

Two men on, the bottom of the 4th, excitement builds
A squeeze bunt is laid down, barely hitting the edge of the infield
As the baserunner races to home plate, the umpire readies for the close play
These are the memories father and son have been waiting for all day

Fatigue starts to set in, the bullpens stirring with fresh arms
It’s a shot to the gap in left-center, with a sliding catch it causes no harm
It’s time for the seventh inning stretch, and the song we know and love
The words of Take Me out to the Ballgame fit like an old leather glove

Bottom of the ninth, two men on, two outs,
Will it be the sinker or the curve, the runner at third is restless no doubt
The crack of the bat, all eyes focused to deep right field
As it sails over the wall, the hometown team victory pile starts to build

Hard work, determination, years of highs and lows
What a dream come true for the kid who finally made it to The Show
As we get in our cars, travel back home, and tip our caps
We are thankful for the game that gathers friends and family from all over the map

Baseball – it’s America’s favorite pastime that gives us thrills and maybe even a few chills
For about 150 years now we love the way it has made us feel
It won’t right life’s wrongs but can silence them for 9 innings long
As we hear the words, “It’s going, going, it’s gone.”

For Granny

~ Daniel Kinkade

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The year 2018 ended with an emotional experience for my family and I, we buried Granny, my dad’s mother. She had been in bad health for quite some time, so it was not a total surprise when she passed. However, it is never easy to say goodbye to someone who had such an impact on your life. What brings the ultimate comfort is knowing where she will spend eternity, in the arms of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Still with loss, comes pain and sorrow. Family events that used to be the norm, will now only be memories. I’m grateful to have known my grandmother for 33.5 years, many can’t say the same. I’m grateful for all the lessons she taught and for the special times together with family.

It was her wishes I speak at her funeral. It was a heavy, emotional moment, but still an honor nonetheless. The following is what I wrote and read for her funeral service.

For Granny:

Today, Granny, we remember the things you said, the things you did
How much you loved us grandkids
It is easy to celebrate a live well lived.

It was always fun at Granny’s house
We would run and play; asked mom and dad if we could stay
There in the kitchen with your apron on
That chocolate and yellow cake was barely cooked before it was gone

The summer heat that would bring little league baseball games
In that long, white and black Cadillac you came
You would sip on Diet Coke, napkin wrapped around
Cheering for us to hit a homerun was the sound

The winter months would bring snow on the ground
Wrinkled one-dollar bills in box could be found
Every year, aged one to eighteen
A personalized ornament with our name and the date could be seen

You loved your church and the traditional music that would ring
We joined you on Mother’s Day as the choir in their robes would sing
It was a faith you passed down to Uncle Scott and Dad;
we are eternally grateful that you had

This past Christmas as we were all gathered
It was the sweet, sweet spirit of family that mattered
Hugs and kisses with Madelyn and Caleb on your lap
Those are the memories that bring a smile and a clap

Now you are back home in Jesus’ embrace
Where Scripture promises He saved a place
For now, we see you in picture frames
That won’t always be the case, one day the Savior will call our names

Today, Granny, we remember the things you said, the things you did
How much you loved us grandkids
It is easy to celebrate a live well lived.

Life, Leadership, and Things That Will Last

~ Daniel Kinkade

The belief that one can be all things, to all people, at all times is absurd. Life will be miserable if this is your attempt. Every single person will end up doing two things in life at some point—attempting things and doing well and attempting things and failing, sometimes miserably. I’m learning, in different scenarios, both of these results are just fine.

Jesus said in Mark 8:36 (ESV), “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” I admit I have been on a roller coaster of emotions the past six months of my life—experiencing every emotion from sadness and pain to joy and freedom. Sometimes these emotions have intermixed as if the one trying to figure out how to put together a child’s toy that is labeled “easy assembly required” on the outside box.

My prayer for the thoughts below is that, no matter where you are in life, in a good season, or a tough season, that it will help and encourage you in some way. That you may come to understand that life is a precious gift, every single person has leadership capacity, and only one thing will last for all of eternity.

Life.
“Life is a beautiful gift, and we only get one shot at it.”

I’m always reminded, of the ups and downs of life, that life is a beautiful gift. For the past 33 years, God has woken me up every single day. Some days, I nail it. Others, I fail. This does not change the fact that, with breath in our lungs, we have been given much and much is required. Life is beautiful because the Creator of life made it beautiful. This does not mean we dismiss the brokenness that surrounds us. It does mean we maximize the opportunity we have been given, while we still have it. We take our God-given uniqueness, and we use to further a mission that is beyond anything we could do on our own accord. We maximize relationships with others because we were built for the community. We serve, we forgive, and we extend grace, all because the same thing has been done for us. The beauty of life is not based on circumstances. The beauty of life is based on the giver of life, that fashioned you in unique ways, to contribute in ways that you may have never seen coming. Find comfort in you are not the giver of life; therefore you don’t have to have it all figured out to make a difference. Life is a beautiful gift, and we only get one shot at it.

Leadership.
“How you carry yourself – day in and day out – says a lot about your leadership capacity.”

Thomas A. Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” We can become so inundated with our failures, that we miss what God is showing us through them. There are days I have led well. There are days I have not led well. I have served under some extraordinary leaders that have challenged, pushed and encouraged. I have also served under some leaders who were insecure and have created work environments in which nothing was ever good enough. I have learned much from both. An important leadership lesson is this: other’s insecurities do not change your leadership capacity. This is difficult because we can often feel the weight of other’s insecurities around us. Capacity is defined as “the amount that something can produce.” What are you currently producing? What is stopping you from maximizing your leadership potential? Responding with the “blame game” is an endless cycle that drives you to bitterness, not development. I believe you can learn as much, if not more, from bad leadership. Never allow an insecure leader to convince you that you are not called or fit to do exactly what God has built you to do. An unstable leader or great leader, for that matter, did not fashion you in your mother’s womb, only the King of Kings did that. How you carry yourself – day in and day out – says a lot about your leadership capacity. How you bounce back from adversity, says a lot about your character and what drives you.

Things that will Last.
“The Kingdom of God—the only thing that will last; the only thing that is eternal.”

That career that you thought you were going to be in for the rest of your life, God knew all along that you wouldn’t be. It may have just been a set up for what He built you to do. That best friend that you thought would always be by your side, no matter what may be taken unexpectedly. The normal that you thought would be the routine normal can instantly be replaced with a new normal. Change in this life is inevitable. One of the funny things I think we can ask a senior graduating from high school is, “So, what is your five-year plan?” Lead well, yes. Plan well, yes. But, realize that absolutely nothing in this life is eternal. You can attach a U-Haul to a Hurst, but it might as well be empty because nothing in it will follow you. The only thing that will last is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what is worth our time, attention, and resources every single time. The Church is the vehicle used to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. May it be so ingrained in your life that one can’t talk about you without mentioning it.

Life is miserable when it centers on you. After all, the child’s toy box never says, “easy assembly required for you,” it only says, “easy assembly required.”

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:2-4 ESV)

Advice to the Next Generation

~ Daniel Kinkade

I’ve spent more than a decade of my life investing in the next generation. While I’m no longer in full-time student ministry, investing in the next generation and the generations to come makes my heart beat a little bit faster. We must invest in the next generation because they need to make a Kingdom impact now. I still love being around students and their families, hearing their stories, and sharing wisdom when appropriate. If I were standing in front of a group of middle and high school students, saved or lost, the following is what I would tell them.

Walk in Truth. Your life is guided by the truths you deem to be exact—it drives why you do what you do. However, would it be comforting knowing that circumstances or the changing times don’t have to dictate the way you live? Live in the comfort that you don’t create truth; Truth was established a long time ago. Furthermore, you are part of a greater mission and Kingdom that can guide your steps. It is impossible to walk in this Truth if you don’t know the Creator of Truth. Make it your life’s ambition to know Truth, embrace Truth, grow in Truth. Not walking in the Truth will allow the Enemy to steal your joy. Also, the world’s idea of success will drive you. You will end up longing for more of something that will never satisfy. Walking in Truth will often not be the favored route; yet, it will always be the best one.

“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16a, NIV)

The heart is deceitful. Our natural bent is towards our sinful nature. When we wake up in the morning, our daily battle between spirit and flesh begins. Following our heart leads us down a road that begins and ends with ourselves. The danger therein is our heart—as tender as it may seem—will lead us no further than our wisdom or feelings can take us. What if our heart is wrong…what then? We don’t know what is best for us. Our natural bent is what led to the world we now occupy. What captivates our heart will define the man or woman we will become. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV)

Be careful who you surround yourself with in life. We were created for relationships. From the beginning of humanity, we see a man surrounded by the perfection with all that had been created, yet something was missing—a companion, the woman. Whether we consider ourselves introverts or extroverts, we were all built for community. What community do we allow to influence our lives? We will become who we are around. Include people in your circle of influence who ask you hard questions, love you no matter what, and always have your best interest in mind. Have people in your life who tell you what you need to hear, even if it is not what you want to hear. Allow others to build into you; and you, in return, build into others. Ultimately, make sure you have people in your life who cause you to pursue the One who knows you best—the One who created you.

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 1:20, NIV)

Don’t settle for good; go for the best. We live in a society that settles for just good enough. This idea of “barely getting by” leads to living a life of complacency and never going the extra mile. When we settle for good enough, we rarely give our best. And when we don’t give our best, can we look at the person in the mirror and be pleased? The result is we aren’t living in the fullness of which we were created to live. Giving our best means, we show up before we are supposed to and stay later than we are supposed to, all for the betterment of the higher objective and mission. We should give our best to the One who gave His best for us. Why settle for good enough when best is achievable?

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, NIV)

Serve, expecting nothing in return. Our attitude and actions toward others reveal our hearts. If we serve to be recognized, we aren’t helping. Instead, we are looking for self-gratification through the lens of good works. Serve others even if they can never serve you back. Love your neighbor as yourself, not just because it is the right thing to do but because it is the best thing to do. Serve the least of these and serve the greatest of these. You won’t change the world through teaching and talking; you will change the world through loving and showing. After you show love, then your words will be heard. Serve because giving is way more rewarding than receiving. Serve because the One who fashioned you in your mother’s womb came to serve you.

“Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:4, NIV)

Kinkade Family: A Personal Update

~ Daniel Kinkade

This post is going to be a different post for me. My posts are usually centered on helping Christ followers, ministry leaders and the like in maturing their faith and circle of influence. For this one, I want to give you a personal update on the journey my wife, family and I are on.

For the last twelve years, I have served as a local church associate pastor, mainly in the area of youth ministry. It was what I went to school to do and what we as a family have invested many hours of time and energy. We have been a part of four great churches in this time, seeing incredible ministry take place. At all four of these churches, we have been blessed beyond measure to be around incredible families who have loved us like their own family and been there for us. Local church ministry on the staff level can be robust no doubt. It can be messy and figuring out how to best work in the “system” that you are in has its challenges. There is no doubt that God called us to all four of these churches and His hand guided us in the season while we were there. I love pastoring and shepherding. I have a deep passion for the local church because it is the primary vehicle God uses to spread His Kingdom.

About five years ago I stumbled into writing with a local publishing ministry here in Nashville. I’ll never forget it. I sat around the table with the ministry leaders, writers, and editors and we planned how to best help this curriculum line take next steps. I remember calling my wife that night from my hotel and telling her, “I loved being apart of this. I don’t know what this means or looks like, but I would love to write and help local churches and ministries in this way.” One opportunity led to another, and I began contract writing soon after that and haven’t looked back. I love writing and have a deep passion for helping churches and ministries through the written word, whether that be curriculum, story-telling, and articles, blog posts, or training materials. There is no doubt in my mind that five years ago what I thought was “stumbling” across a writing project, I can clearly see as God’s providence in my life- leading, guiding and directing me.

Next week, my two passions, the local church, and writing, collide into a new full-time ministry opportunity. I have accepted a job as a copywriter with The Gideons International here in Nashville. This is an incredible organization whose sole purpose is to win the lost to Christ and to get the Word of God into the hands of as many people as possible. How awesome is that! Will it be a change of pace and a learning curve? For sure. Are we excited? Absolutely! God is faithful. He has and continues to reveal that to us time and time again. He can be trusted when things are going well. He can be trusted when you have no idea what will happen next.

Our life long calling is ministry and the advancement of the Kingdom of God. We get one shot at this thing we call life, and we want to do well. The local church was established by God Himself for a reason. Plug in, be active, serve, give. Be faithful to the mission given to every single believer to make disciples in your circle of influence and beyond. I love the local church and pastoring. I love writing, and I’m eternally grateful for this God-ordained opportunity. I am also incredibly thankful for my incredible wife and family who has been right beside me every single step of the way.

Gauging Where People Are Spiritually

~ Daniel Kinkade

When your burden to reach the lost becomes deeper, your passion to reach the lost will become greater. I am convinced that people do not share the Gospel on a frequent basis because they simply do not have a burden for where others will spend eternity. Christians all over the world have a direct mandate from Scripture, said by Jesus Himself, to “Go make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19-20)  As simplistic as this sounds, depending on the context and the realistic hardships in that context, this may be at best, difficult. It takes courage to talk about our faith but what we will realize is, more people than not, are open to a conversation if we will simply open our mouth.

So how should the conversation begin? How do I know where to even start? First, I would not begin with the classic line “If you died tonight, do you know where you would spend eternity?” My personal approach is much more relational. Get to know the person, talk about common interests, family, etc. What this does is break down preconceived “religious” barriers. In other words you do not want to come across as a “Bible thumper.” Men, if the co-worker, neighbor, is a lady be sure and involve your wife or connect her with a female small group leader from your church so they can connect. Ladies, the same for you. Second, we must realize that only the Holy Spirit truly knows where one is at. We cannot save and we must not act like we are God, knowing all and being all. We are as human as the person we are in conversation with.

So… to the best of my ability, how do I determine if someone understands the Gospel and is a Christ follower? Asking the following questions can help you in gauging where they are at and help them in taking next steps. If you are reading this and you are not a Christian, I encourage you to take these questions and find a Christian you trust and discuss them. Eternity is a big deal.

God: If someone with very little exposure to the local church and the Bible asked you, “Who is God and how do you know He is real…” how would you answer them? Here we have to determine what one thinks about God, whether it is accurate or not. This will help us in determining where their foundation lies.

Sin: What does it mean to commit a sin? What has sin done to our relationship with God? No doubt sin can be a hard thing to talk about. The goal here is not to unveil all of one’s deepest and darkest secrets but, sin is necessary in understanding our need for a Savior. Those who don’t view sin as a big deal will not view the need for a Savior as a big deal. 

Jesus: If someone with very little exposure to the local church and the Bible asked you, “Who is Jesus…” how would you answer them? Why did God send Jesus to us? Jesus is absolutely crucial in the salvation conversation. Understanding Jesus had to come in order for things to be made right, cannot be overlooked or missed. God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit DO NOT operate independently.

Salvation: In your understanding, how does one accept Jesus as their personal LORD and Savior? Has there ever been a time you asked Jesus to be your LORD and Savior? Tell me about that time. Where were you? How old were you? Who was involved in the conversation? Is this a one time decision or can this be done many times? This is where we get to the when, where, who and how. What you are looking for is a time in which a real conversation with a real person occurred. Within this we must determine that the Gospel was clearly and biblically explained, understood and accepted.

Baptism: What is the purpose of baptism? Why should one be baptized? What can baptism not do for you? Baptism is an outward symbol of the work Christ has already accomplished on the inside. Baptism does not have the power to save. A new believer should joyously want to embrace this step with their local faith family.

Spiritual Growth: What is God teaching you right now in your walk with Him? What are you reading in the Word of God right now? This is needed further evidence that Christ is working. Salvation and baptism are not the finish line, it is the beginning.

Click HERE to download the Gauging Where People Are Spiritually tool to help you when you are witnessing or ministering to someone. It can also be found in the Ministry Resources section of the blog.