From Soil to Soul: How ordinary images can carry extraordinary meaning
One of the most striking things about Jesus is not only what He taught, but how He chose to teach it.
He did not begin with complex explanations or distant ideas.
He began with what people already knew.
With water drawn from a well.
With seed pressed into soil.
With boats rocking gently on familiar shores.
Jesus spoke of eternity using the language of everyday life.
What was unseen, He made visible.
What felt distant, He brought close.
What seemed complex, He made understandable.
This was not accidental.
It was intentional.
Jesus never taught from a distance.
He stepped into the ordinary spaces of life and taught from there.
Standing beside water, He spoke of living water.
Watching a farmer sow, He spoke of the kingdom.
Looking at sheep, He spoke of care, value, and pursuit.
The dusty roads of Galilee became the classroom of heaven.
At the heart of Jesus’ teaching was a simple but powerful principle:
He wrapped heavenly truths in earthly language.
He clothed divine revelation in human experience.
And because of this, people didn’t just hear His message —
they recognized it.
Jesus said,
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations.”
— Matthew 24:14
A testimony is something you hear.
But a witness… that’s something you see.
Jesus didn’t just tell people about God —
He showed them what God was like.
His words and His actions were inseparable.
Truth walked among the people in visible form.
You see, truth doesn’t lose its power when it’s made simple.
It becomes accessible, relatable, understandable, and memorable.
We see this pattern repeated throughout Scripture.
God speaks to different people in different ways — not because truth changes, but because people do.
Same message.
Different symbols.
Different methods.
Truth remains constant.
The method serves the mission.
Perhaps the question before us is not only what we say, but how we say it.
And perhaps the next truth God wants to reveal
is already present in the ordinary moments of life, waiting to be seen.
This week, consider not only what truth God has placed on your heart, but how He may be inviting you to communicate it.
Ask yourself:
Who am I trying to reach, and what language of life do they already understand?
What everyday experiences, images, or stories might help make eternal realities clearer to them?
How can I speak of heavenly things in a way that is understandable, relatable, memorable, and eternally impactful?
Rather than defaulting to familiar phrases or the same religious rhetoric, pause and ask God for wisdom to teach as Jesus did—drawing from the soil people walk on, the work they do, and the moments they live in every day.
The challenge is not to dilute truth,
but to translate it.
To trust that God can take ordinary words, common experiences, and simple images—and use them to reveal eternal realities with lasting impact.
These are some of the very things I have been pondering and prayerfully seeking to articulate more fully in my newly published book, The Art of End-Time Preaching. The book explores the sacred responsibility of communicating eternal truth in a way that can be seen, understood, and remembered—especially in these final moments of history.
If this reflection resonates with you, I invite you to learn more and get a copy of the book here.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to explore these themes together in upcoming newsletters—looking more closely at how Jesus taught, how Scripture models contextual communication, and how we can faithfully share hope in a world longing for clarity.
Aloha Always,
Taj