Sermons grow stronger by wrapping your mind around big ideas.

"I could never be a pastor," said the man in a small group Bible study.

"Why not?" I asked, hoping he would wax eloquent about the long hours or the agony of being with people in their most difficult hours of life.

No such luck.

"Because," he replied, "you guys must spend all your time trying to find a thousand ways to say the same thing. I couldn't stand that kind of boredom."

"Oh," I retorted brilliantly.

After twenty-something years of ministry, I have accumulated more than a thousand ways to say the same thing. Creativity, I've discovered, is neither a spiritual gift nor a trick to find the right reference materials-at least that's not my story. Nor have I found creativity a matter of one side of my brain working better. (I can never remember which side is the creative one; I've always speculated it was the side my morning coffee affected first.)

But my friend's comment indicated one felt need of most pastors: we all seek fresh ...