Advertising and Discipleship

Those whose life is marketing and advertising know — they live to succeed in making ideas about products or services stick in our heads.  They work hard to get messages to the public memorably,  frequently…and even humorously.  The greater the exposure, and the more repetitious the message, the more a product is oft presented with a short laugh, the greater the chance of success.  What you and I end up remembering, and then choosing to buy, is their evidence of the power of repetition.

What advertising slogans are stuck in your head these days?   Here’s a few that I can’t seem to shake:

• “Only pay for what you need.”  (Liberty Mutual Insurance)
• “Eat more chick’n” (Spokes-cow for Chick-Fil-A)
• “Call me…the strong arm!” (Frank D. Azar law firm)
• “Call me…I’m on top of it!”  and “It’s just that easy!”  (Heuser Law Firm)
•  “The quicker picker upper!” (Bounty paper towels)
• “They melt in your mouth, not in your hands” (M&M candies)
• “Eat fresh” [Subway)
• “Let’s go places!” (Toyota)
• (what comes to your mind?)

Repetition is the mother of learning.  Whether it’s the ad we’ve seen (& heard) a hundred plus times, or what “Grandpa always said…”, or even what songs (hymns) your church family sung over and over through the years.  These things not only stick in our minds, they can also shape how we think, or even what we consider to be important.
 
BECOMING LIKE JESUS THROUGH DISCIPLESHIP
One of the key ways we grow into Christlikeness involves hearing (and applying) truths oft-repeated.

I happen to believe Jesus understood the impact of simple truths spoken often.  He sent his disciples throughout Galilee with a brief but compelling message: The kingdom of heaven is at hand!   Several Gospel-account authors included the same stories Jesus publicly taught.  Those who spent time with Jesus heard him repeat, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

The Spirit of God codified Jesus’ teaching through these authors (i.e., the apostles) so that Christians throughout the ages could read, re-read, and re-read again life’s most important truths.  Paul told Timothy to “entrust to faithful men the things you heard me say in the presence of many witnesses” (2 Timothy 2:2).

Which is why in the coming weeks and months – indeed throughout 2023 – you will begin hearing from our pastoral staff and ministry leadership a repeated set of truths.  Truths having to do with our mission as a church.  Our prayer is that in time we together will be shaped by the following.

                                         To grow into His image…through loving, aligning, participating, anticipating, and seeking.
This won’t be the last time you hear this! 5020202020Recent