It’s Not Just “This or That”
Let me follow up and give some more examples of degrees, levels, or layers.
Below I have also included some additional lists of degrees or layers which can help generate content.
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One of the reasons that some speakers are so good at identifying with their audience is that they are able to think about their audience and refer to them in more than “this-or-that” terms.
A transcript of a message by Andy Stanely called “Shine.”**
One of the things that we all have in common — and we’ll kind of get into this on location thing in just a second — but this is kind of interesting — isn’t true that at some point in your life when you went from my childhood to adulthood
and it may have been
when you’re a senior in high school
or maybe a senior in college
or I don’t know when it happened
but there’s this transition we all go through — we all decide either consciously or subconsciously that — you know — what I’ve got to figure out what works for me
there’s this thing of — I’ve got to start
I know my parents said
I know what the church said
I know what my granddaddy always told me
and all this stuff
and common sense says
but I got to figure out what works for me
and so we at some level — all of us begin experimenting with life
and maybe again it was that freshman year in college
or maybe as the first week of the freshman year in college we decided I’m going to do everything I was always told not to do because
I got to see if it works for me
I got to figure out what I’m missing out on
maybe it was when you got your driver’s license
maybe it was after college you came to Atlanta got your first job in a big city — you were anonymous nobody knew anything about you and so you kind of had the freedom to experiment
but all of us — to some extent — all of us — this is normal — all of us experiment with life to figure out what works for us
because there’s something in you
and there’s something in me — that wants to figure out
how do I get happy
how do I be happy — you know
how do I make myself happy
what kind of decisions — relationships will make me happy
and so you know — when you transition to adulthood — you just experiment
so we make some happiness decisions — right
and we spend some happiness money
and we get into some happiness relationships
and then we get out of those happiness relationships — because I mean it didn’t make me so happy
that I got into a new one
then I spend some more happiness money
then I wish I hadn’t leased that happiness car
and you know — buy a happiness of condo — you know
so we’re just trying to figure out life and figure out what works for me
what’s the right combination
what’s the right kind of person
what’s the right kind of job — you know — with the right kind of major
and all of that is perfectly normal — and most of that happens — in what I call — the momentum years.
— Andy Stanely – Shine
You see Andy doesn’t stay with one broad category or statement but covers a span of various degrees. Andy’s mind has been taught to — or it’s just very natural to him — to think in degrees and layers . . . .
- as he describes where people are
- as he describes what moves and motivates
- as he talks about the seasons of life
- as he identifies “what” some maybe looking toward for . . .
- Etc.
___
Look at the different layers which he references
Maybe it was when you . . .
- I don’t know when — (fill in your own)
- adulthood
- started that first job
- graduated from college
- were a senior in college
- in your first year in college
- your were a senior in high school
- you got your driver’s license
___
He does the same thing when he talks about happiness . . . . It was a . . . .
- car
- condo
- relationship
- money
- out — and into a new relationship
- a combintation of
___
Again, when he identifies the different sources of why some did what they did . . . .
- parents
- church
- grand-daddy
- common-sense
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Some Other Lists Of Degrees
- forced
- seeking
- felt obligated
- were curious
- “accidental”
- not sure why you’re here
___
- committed to
- serious minded
- somewhat serious
- uncertain
- in name
___
- a house
- a car
- a boat
- a vacation
- a bank account
- a profession
- a position
- popularity
- power
- comfort – ease
- an opportunity
___
- Saved & Spiritually Minded
- Saved & Coasting
- Saved & Struggling
- Saved & Worldly Minded
- Saved & Just Saved
___
- Mature / Old Men (I John)
- Young Men (I John)
- Children (I John)
- Babe In Christ
___
- Victorious
- Inconsistent
- Struggling
- Losing the battle
- Gave up the battle
___
- Obedient Heart
- Obedient in Mind
- Inconsistent
- Disobedient
- Rebellious / Willfully Disobedient
___
- Satanic / Malicious
- Rebellious
- Knowingly sin
- Struggling with sin
- Ignorant — you were never taught / you were raised thinking
___
- Influential person
- Friendships
- Supporter
- Companions
- Acquaintances
___
- repentant
- sorrowful
- embarrassed / Ashamed
- unashamed
- brazen
____
- measured
- intentional
- passion / zealous
- careless
- unintentional
___
- heathen
- atheist
- irreligious
- agnostic
- uninformed
- uncertain / doubt
___
- believer
- ministers
- fellow workers
- workmen
- laymen
- leader
- disciple
- follower
- believer
- interested
___
- addicted
- habitual
- sporadic
- flirt with
- finally / just free from
___
- Satanic / Purposefully Wicked
- Evil
- Sinful
- Naive
- Righteous
___
- adultery
- fornication
- pornography
- lust – tempted
- intermittently caught up in
___
- addicted
- habitual
- constant
- frequent
- repeatedly
- intermittent
___
- sexual sins
- materialism
- temper – anger
- discontentment
- unhappiness – depression
- bitterness
___
- retired
- grandchildren
- in your career
- progressing
- children
- married
- first career job
- dating
- college years/trade school
- high school
___
I need a . . . .
- new car
- new house
- new wife
- new job
- change of location
- different occupation
- an exciting vacation/experience
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* See the full discussion of the topoi of “Degrees”
RhetoricAndHomiletics.Org 