Martin Luther said that “the ears are the organ of conversion.” How do you craft the right combination of words, so that it sticks in the minds and hearts of your listeners?

The Rev. David Roseberry, an Anglican pastor and executive director of the non-profit, LeaderWorks explores how to make sermons powerful with potent phrases, alongside Kevin Miller.

Roseberry said “The turn of phrase – the idea of being able to sum up what you’re trying to say in a memorable phrase is really a skill that’s acquired and honed over time.”

When he started preaching 30 years ago, he used manuscripts. Now Roseberry carefully crafts summary statements, a punchline that listeners can go home with. Sometimes they manifest themselves as puns, that reinforce a big idea from a particular passage of scripture.

If you were summing up Jonah chapter three, you could say “you can run, but you cannot hide.”

Kevin Miller is pastor of Church of the Savior in Wheaton, Illinois,