Did you know that Gallup researchers estimate that we are exposed (more like bombarded) with 5000 different advertising messages a day? We hear them, we read them—we are surrounded with messages telling us what to do and what to believe and what to buy.

That means there’s an awful lot of competing noise out there. It can easily drown out what’s most important. When there are so many different messages, they tend to cancel each other out. If you don’t believe me….

Try this activity at home with your family or friends. Watch a favorite TV show but don’t fast forward through the commercials. Let them all play. When the show finishes, turn it off and ask your family or friends to tell you about all the commercials they just watched. They will have trouble remembering them all. If one does stick, ask them why it stands out from the rest?

So how do we as leaders work on not saying TOO MUCH in the limited amount of time we have with kids and teens each week? It’s hard to not jump from point to point or hurry to ask all the questions when there’s so much we want them to know. How can we focus and zero in on the most important thing that might resonate with something they’re going through or something that brings out strong emotions and feeling– like the Super Bowl commercial you remember the next day? Basically, how do we share specific, key truths in ways that really stick and stand out?

We want to emphasize one thing over everything else each week. We want to say it and display it and talk about it from as many angles as possible– so that this truth can’t be missed or lost in a lot of other competing messages.

What do you do to narrow the focus and spotlight just one of God’s principles or truths so they stick in the minds and hearts of the ones we serve and love?