Early on Sunday morning, Matthew Jeffers saddled his horse and rode into town. This time, he didn’t stop at the saloon but tied up at the old church, which had been empty for years, in bad need of paint. He sat on the end of the fourth pew, hoping to hear a few words of wisdom.
The new preacher didn’t seem bothered by the small crowd—only Matt, and two Indians sitting near the back. After three songs and a prayer, the preacher opened his Bible. He spoke with the eloquence and passion of a man facing a multitude of needy people. He waved his arms and shouted, “The Lord is coming. You gotta git ready.” He read verse after verse, then said, “Don’t be like them foolish virgins.” After an hour condemning all sorts of misbehavior, he caught his breath long enough to recite a poem and close with prayer.
At the door, the preacher thanked the Indians for coming. He extended his hand toward Matt. “Well, what did you think of the message?”
Matt paused, thinking. “A whole bale full of inspiring words—all of it good,” he said. “But you know, I feed my horse every day. I’ve never made him eat the whole bale of hay.”
Readers will stay with us and come back for more if we practice short, inspiring messages, getting to the point in as few words as possible.
