Sermon Series Revives Bible Characters

A congregation sits expectantly, waiting for their pastor to step onstage. But instead of the khakis and button-up he usually wears, he appears in a set of robes. He doesn’t introduce himself as Pastor Mical—but as Moses from the Old Testament. And instead of delivering a traditional sermon, the character shares his own perspective on his life: his fears, his faith, his struggles, and how deeply human he is.

At Lake City (Mich.) Christian Reformed Church, a recent sermon series invited the congregation to experience Scripture in a new way—through personal, testimony-style storytelling.

Senior pastor Mical Pugh said the idea came to him one day in his deer blind, of all places, while reflecting on plans for the congregation’s winter sermons.

“I thought about Hebrews 11, the heroes of faith, and how they were identified as people who lived out their faith,” Pugh said. “So that led to the idea of ‘What if we take Old Testament characters and have them give their story from the perspective of their faith journey?’”

He said he also reflected on how people connect deeply with personal stories. “People love testimonies. They love stories. Everybody wants to hear testimonies,” Pugh said.

The idea eventually developed into a sermon series that he called “Life Stories,” based on an acronym Pugh remembered from a Faith Alive curriculum published in the 1990s: Living in Faith Everyday. The concept of the sermon series was to study biblical characters from Hebrews 11 and to share their journeys in front of the congregation as if they were giving a testimony themselves.

“Story in general is incredibly captivating,” said Wes Jones, Lake City’s next-generation pastor, who co-led the series. “Whenever we read narratives in the Bible, we just want to know the story and be part of the story.”

Jones added that bringing the details of those stories to life can help people engage more deeply with Scripture. “Anytime you can bring to life the details of the story and how that helps us grow as followers of Jesus, that's what you want to do,” he said.

When biblical characters are portrayed this way, said Pugh, they stop feeling distant or idealized and instead begin to feel relatable. “We tend to put these characters on a shelf,” he said. “By getting back into the character, we found out again that they were real people. They had doubts. . . . they didn’t always get it right.”

The series featured six biblical figures from Hebrews 11: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and a member of the people of Israel representing the broader story of God’s people.

“We just looked at Hebrews 11 and kind of went down the list . . .” Jones said.

And what began as a sermon idea quickly gained traction and grew into a church-wide effort.

Several parts of the congregation contributed to the series. The pastoral team developed the sermons, the worship team created graphics and visuals, and the children’s ministry and church librarian helped to gather Bible-story resources for families.

Members of the congregation also became involved in unexpected ways. Some even offered costumes, robes, and props to help bring the characters to life.

“It was kind of fun to watch people helping in different ways with the characters,” Pugh said.

The congregation wasn’t the only group affected by the series. Both pastors said that portraying the biblical characters helped them experience Scripture in a new way.

“As I portrayed Joseph, I got to think a lot about the idea of waiting,” Jones said. “Joseph’s story is one where he's stuck waiting often, years and years.”

Reflecting on that part of Joseph’s story, he said, reshaped how he thought about faith and patience.

The series also reflected Lake City CRC’s mission to help people grow as disciples of Jesus and to encourage them to live out their faith daily, Jones added. “We’re wanting people to walk as disciples of Jesus and learn how to do faith—not just on Sundays, but every day,” he said.

Ultimately, both pastors said they hope the stories will encourage people to trust God in their own circumstances.

“I would want people to step out in faith and trust God with whatever they’re facing,” Pugh said.

Jones added that faith is something believers must actively choose.

“Living in faith every day requires choices,” he said. “Regardless of the circumstances you face, you choose to follow God and trust God.”

The stories of Scripture remind believers that faith isn’t perfect, noted the pastors; faith is lived in real life, and God works through ordinary people.

Learn more about Lake City CRC at their website: lakecitycrc.org/