By Terrie Hellard-Brown
I gave each VBS child a seed to illustrate gospel planting while sharing our story of Taiwan.
As missionaries, my husband and I witnessed how seedplanting works.
In 1984, we led one person to Christ during our month-long trip. When we returned as full-time missionaries in 1999, we found the island had grown from almost no Christians to 2%.
After another 15 years of seed-planting by Christians, parts of Taiwan reached 10% Christian.
That’s what we do as Christian storytellers—we plant seeds, water them, and trust God for the harvest. Christ left us with one job: make disciples. Whatever our calling, discipleship remains every Christian’s mission, so our goal as storytellers is still to disciple others to follow Christ well.
Stories Change Everything
Stories touch hearts and move feet in ways instruction manuals cannot.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood … but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” As Christian writers, we help people long for the endless love and grace of Jesus.
Jesus modeled this throughout his ministry—sheep, prodigals, a Samaritan. His vineyard analogy made discipleship truths compelling and memorable. These stories required engaged hearts and minds to grasp their depth. We want that same impact.
We can weave discipleship throughout our narratives—through characters, personal testimonies, or humor that reveals God’s amazing grace.
5 Practical Ways to Make Truth Memorable
1. Show Transformation; Don’t Rush Redemption
Characters facing believable struggles and growth help readers understand God’s transformative power.
Don’t sanitize examples—be vulnerable and transparent while emphasizing God’s redemptive grace. Make it clear you’re still learning, not that you’ve mastered life. Honesty and humility allow our stories to come alongside others in their faith journey.
Discipleship thrives where honesty lives.
2. Create Space for Reflection
Use pauses and questions inviting deeper examination. In fiction, break the fourth wall occasionally. In speaking, ask audiences what they would do. This interaction lets audiences become part of the story, allowing the Holy Spirit to apply truth personally.
Reflection allows the Holy Spirit to work.
3. Emphasize Redemption and Revelation
Following Christ means seeing God redeem situations while revealing himself through our experiences.
Show characters finding redemption through conflicts. Share what God did and what you learned about Him. Like Mary and Martha discovering Jesus isn’t just a healer but the resurrection and the life, we’re constantly learning who God is.
Redemption through pain mirrors real discipleship.
4. Ground Stories in Scripture
God’s Word never returns void— it’s alive and shares His heart. Include biblical themes, even without references. I heard a speaker at a secular training weave Scripture throughout her message without references. The positive feedback was overwhelming because her words carried divine weight and power.
Biblical DNA shapes stories invisibly but powerfully.
5. Point Beyond Inspiration to Invitation
Every story should point to Jesus and next steps in faith.
Final paragraphs should stir action—prayer, repentance, hope, hunger for God, or desire for change. Ask audiences about their next steps or how your message could change their lives starting today. Trust the Holy Spirit to work on hearts as you share.
Discipleship is movement, not just a moment.
Reaching Beyond Ourselves
God has called us beyond ourselves.
Our writing and speaking will bear eternal fruit when we let the Holy Spirit lead and Jesus shine through our messages. We can intentionally create thirst for God and desire to follow Him, teaching what He’s taught us in our own walk.
The children holding seeds that VBS day reminded me: we’re all seed-planters in God’s kingdom story. Every word we write, story we tell, or testimony we share plants seeds for eternity.
Terrie Hellard-Brown writes, coaches, and speaks on discipling our children. She has several books, including Up, Down, and All Around: A Discipleship Handbook for Parents.
