From super-sizing to super-soaking …

“Super-sizing” is still the American mantra … bigger, wider, deeper, more!

Super-size me please!

It hasn’t been such a good idea to do so with our food. The results have been weight gain to the point of obesity, regressive personal fitness, and even negative affects on our health.

Yet Americans still love the idea of “the next size up” … the larger house, better car, plusher office, and bigger job title. The portable soda cup the size of a human head. And a flat screen TV the size of a living room wall. The magazine cover screaming 1,001 new ideas you absolutely, positively must try.

We like “lots” … gimmie lots!

Preachers have gotten carried away with this “soak ’em” philosophy as well. It’s not just that we try to load our churches with as many programs as we can imagine, but we soak our congregations with so many thoughts on a Sunday morning it’s no wonder few people rarely remember more than 10 percent of the message …

“10 tips for …”

“8 ways to improve …”

“5 methods to achieve …”

“The top 9 ways to …”

Yet, with all those numerous steps, methods, ways and means spilled out every week, just how many do the listeners actually absorb and apply?

Ten?

Ok, how about 9?

Surely 7?!

Uh, at least 3?

More often than not, when you get positive feedback from someone, it’s something along the lines of, “That one thing you said about such and such changed my way of thinking …”

“… that one thing …”

Perhaps instead of plying listeners with so many things they will never pursue, maybe lives would be more impacted if they were challenged with a single step to pursue. Just one idea to actualize. One thing they would directly apply to their lives to bring about real change.

Wouldn’t that be better than 10 ideas that are interesting but soon forgotten?

Maybe church leaders need to step out of the cultural hype of more, to a focused message that is realistic for their audiences. After all, our genuine goal is to bring about change.

There’s nothing wrong with breaking scripture down and having a few key items to study. But this constant multi-stepping all too often leaves listeners more confused and confounded than enlightened and enabled.

Try giving your people a single step to move their lives forward and see how much impact that may cause.

Scotty