Scott walked away from God nearly a decade ago and became an agnostic. Cheryl spent those years praying for a miracle but living in a spiritual mismatch.

A couple of weeks ago, Scott came back home, because he could no longer deny the reality that God had been pursuing him relentlessly with his love.

Scott and I have had coffees and lunches and lots of conversations about life and faith over the last two years. Finally, I had the privilege of baptizing him! And this past Sunday, Scott and Cheryl shared their story, along with a video of his baptism.

God communicates himself through story. The Bible is filled with stories of redemption, but it's also one big story of redemption when read as a whole. And while people will debate and discuss facts, opinions, and viewpoints, stories stand on their own quite well.

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Whether you're sharing the good news about Jesus or trying to build a business, nothing is more powerful than using story to communicate.

As a matter of fact, one of the most powerful ways to connect with someone is with the simple question, "So what's your story?"

When it comes to crafting and sharing your own story, here are a few things to remember...

1. Your story matters. Someone needs to hear it, to be inspired by it and to connect with it.
2. You have more stories than just the main story. All of your experiences can count for something good.
3. You don't get to write your own story. You just can't control your circumstances or the choices of others than affect you.
4. You do get to contribute to it. That is, you do get to make some wise and healthy choices of your own along the way.
5. You get to give it a powerful headline. There's a big difference between this was awful and this was for my good.
6. You can get better at sharing it.

The fact is, the story Scott and Cheryl told had way more impact on people than the list of truths I shared. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for instruction and for the sharing of precepts and principles.

It just means that people are inspired and motivated far more by stories than by statements.

So by all means, come up with your mission statements, purpose statements, and value proposition statements. But at the end of the day, it's your story that will make the most difference! 

Brandon Cox has been a pastor since he was 19 and has served churches, large and small, including serving as a pastor at Saddleback Church. Currently, he is planting a purpose-driven church in northwest Arkansas. He also serves as editor of pastors.com and Rick Warren's Pastors' Toolbox and authors a top 100 blog for church leaders, as well as a blog about men's issues, a blog about blogging and a blog about social media.

This article originally appeared at brandonacox.com.

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