As wonderful as it sometimes can be, our format tends to default to sameness. Songs can sound alike. Promotions can sound instructive rather than inspiration. At its worst, it can sound like…

…nice Christian people talking to nice Christian people about nice Christian things.

Well, that may be nice, but it doesn’t make for compelling programming.

You’ve probably heard me say…

There is no format as compelling when done well… and no format as uncompelling when done poorly.

But too often we revert to facts and instruction rather than storytelling and emotional connection. I recently heard one station talk about how they would pray for their listeners, a noble thing indeed.

But they fact that they do it isn’t compelling, it’s just a statement. No one would find it compelling if we simply said that we had a conversation with someone. The potentially compelling part is what was said. What transformation occurred because of the conversation?

Here’s the deal.

“Research shows when people think analytically they are less likely to think emotionally. The mere act of calculation reduces people’s charity. Once we put on our analytical hats, we react to emotional appeals differently. We hinder our ability to feel.”

In “Made to Stick,” Chip and Dan Heath share that the goal of the message is to make people care.

“Feelings inspire people to act. For people to take action, they have to care. To make people care about ideas we get them to take off their Analytical Hats.”

Don’t give me more data. Paint me a picture of why I should care. And give me a free taco.