Last week I introduced our topic for Lent which is all about how to tell your faith story. I want you to think about a moment in your life when Jesus was real to you. Try to remember everything that happened before that moment and everything that happened after. And see if you can recall where you were, who you were with, what you were going through, and even what smells your nose picked up. Sharing this story isn't easy. But I know you can learn how to share that story with others. Part of our calling as followers of Jesus is to tell others why we have faith in him. And being a faith-based storyteller is a skill we can learn at any age.

During this season, we're using Pixar's method of storytelling as a way to frame the story we want to tell. Our first lesson involved setting everything up. Once you have your personal faith experience in mind, I asked you last week to finish this sentence: Once upon a time there was . . . You might have finished that story by describing a family member, an event, or just a word about yourself. You want to use enough words to let someone imagine that moment in their minds. But, you don't want to use too many words or else you'll overwhelm your audience. You only need one or two sentences to set your story up. For example, it could be as simple as: "Once upon a time there was a young man living in New York City who was couch surfing between apartments." I hope you saved what you wrote last week because we're going to add to it now.

Now that the scene is set, what was a regular part of that moment? Were you going to work, commuting school, walking in a hallway, or hiking in the woods? What happened in that moment that started you on your road to experiencing Jesus face to face? Once you have that in mind, finish this sentence: "And then . . ."