Chapter 10: Attaching the Words (Step Four)

Now that your paraphrase flows freely from the picture in your mind, we come to the point where we add the actual words.  Your work with the first three steps will lay a strong foundation for this step. 

Step 4:  Attaching the Words

Have your text in front of you.  Look at the words and pick the first short phrase which should be approximately 3-5 words.  Remembering the movie of that incident, recite those words that match the picture.

For example for the healing of the leper, I look down and read the words, “While Jesus was in one of the towns.”  I remember the story in my head of Jesus in this small, village town with a few villagers scattered about.  I see the image in my head.   While I work on remembering the picture I’ve create in my mind, I then attach the words by saying them out loud—“While Jesus was in one of the towns.”

Next I look I read the phrase “a man came along who was covered with leprosy.”  So now I look at the movie in my mind of Jesus walking through town, and then the man comes along and he’s covered with leprosy.  Then I say the words, “While Jesus was going through one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.”

I go back to the verse and see that it is not quite tight.  The Bible says, “While Jesus was in one of the towns” which was a little bit different than what I said.  I correct myself and try again.  “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.”  All the while I am matching the story in my imagination with the exact words I am now speaking. 

Then I add the next phrase, “When he saw Jesus.”  In the movie in my mind I picture him seeing Jesus.  Then I start with where I’ve come so far, “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus…” 

You get the idea.  You keep adding phrases and matching them to the picture you have created in your mind.  You do this while you keep building and adding more text.  Always and ever keeping the story image before you and now attaching the exact words to the story. 

One caution is that if you find yourself reaching for the words, stop what you’re doing.  Go back and look at the text.  It’s better that you go back then strive to remember the words.  Just keep the film in your head  as much as possible while attaching the words.  It will come.

Soon you will find that the exact words are starting to attach to the story.  It will take some time but it does come. 

When you have a section of verses down, it is time to practice.  The important key is that you keep the story in your head as you are reciting the words.  The reason is because when you see the story in your mind, those around you will be seeing the story with you.  If you see words, they will hear words and become bored.  Practice out loud to yourself first, and when you begin to get a handle on the Scripture, it is time to practice with other people. 

There was one student who was in a missionary training school that had learned this method.  It was testimony time after they had come back from local outreach  and everyone was getting up sharing their amazing outreach stories.  Then she got up and began to tell the story of two men along the road who were healed of their blindness.  They didn’t realize until half way through the story that she was telling the story of blind Bartimaues.  This is exactly the goal.  Tell the story in such a way that you saw everything happen and you are telling your outreach story.