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Don't Just Tell People What You Want Them to Do. Give Them a Reason to Want to Do It.

Every day, Christian organizations send thousands of messages asking people to: Watch. Listen. Attend. Buy. Donate. Subscribe. Register. Give. Click. But there is an important question behind every call to action:

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Why would someone want to act?

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Jesus understood something about human motivation that remains extraordinarily relevant today: People move when their hearts are engaged. Jesus didn't simply communicate information. He understood people. He met them where they were, spoke to what mattered to them, and invited them toward something better. Biblical Growth Solutions™ applies five of these motivational principles to modern communication:

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HOPE • PURPOSE • IDENTITY • COMPASSION • BELONGING

 

Together, they form the Five Pillars of Motivation™—a framework Christian organizations can use to create messages that don't merely generate attention, but inspire meaningful action.

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Jesus Didn't Just Deliver a Message. He Motivated a Response.

 

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus inspired extraordinary action. People traveled great distances to hear Him. They brought friends and family to meet Him. They left careers to follow Him. They shared what they experienced with others. They served. They gave. They became part of a community and a mission much larger than themselves. Yet Jesus rarely motivated people through pressure. He offered hope. He connected people to purpose. He changed how people saw their identity. He demonstrated compassion. He created belonging. Then He invited people to respond. “Follow Me.” “Come and see.” “Go and tell.” His communication frequently moved people toward a next step. That principle is at the heart of BGS Messaging.

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The Five Pillars of Motivation™

1. HOPE

Show people a believable better future.

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Jesus met people in difficult circumstances, but He didn't leave them there. The sick encountered the possibility of healing. The broken encountered restoration. The guilty encountered forgiveness. The discouraged discovered purpose. The lost discovered direction. Jesus acknowledged people's present reality while showing them that their current situation did not have to be their final destination.

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The Messaging Principle

Hope-based messaging names the current struggle honestly, then points toward a believable, specific better future—not vague positivity. Instead of simply saying: “Watch our Christian programming.” Consider the future you are inviting someone toward: “Looking for encouragement in a difficult week? Discover stories and messages that can help renew your hope.”

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Don't simply promote what you offer.

Show people what could become possible because they experienced it.

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2. PURPOSE

Connect action to something larger than the transaction.​

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Jesus continually helped people understand that their actions mattered. Fishermen weren't simply changing careers. They were becoming fishers of people. Disciples weren't simply following a teacher. They were participating in the advancement of God's Kingdom. Ordinary people discovered an extraordinary purpose.

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The Messaging Principle

Purpose-based messaging connects a person's action to something larger than themselves—a mission, not just a transaction.

Don't merely say: “Support our station.” Help people understand why their support matters: “Your support helps bring Christ-centered encouragement to thousands of people searching for hope.” Purpose answers: Why does this matter? Why do I matter?

How can my participation make a difference? When people understand the why, the desired action can become more meaningful

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3. IDENTITY

Speak to who people are—and who they are becoming.

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Jesus frequently helped people see themselves differently. Fishermen became disciples. Followers became leaders. Outsiders became insiders. Ordinary people became participants in God's mission. Jesus didn't merely change behavior. He helped transform identity.

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The Messaging Principle

Identity-based messaging speaks to who your prospect or customer already is—or is becoming—not merely to the product or service being offered. Instead of: “Buy tickets to Saturday's game.” Consider: “This is your team. Your school. Your community. Be part of it Saturday.” The first sells a ticket. The second reinforces identity.

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Ask: Who does someone become by participating with us? When people begin seeing themselves as part of your mission, audience, team, organization, or community, the relationship can become much deeper than a transaction.

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4. COMPASSION

Demonstrate that you understand before asking someone to act.​

Jesus paid attention to people. Matthew 9:36 tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, “He had compassion on them.” He saw more than a crowd. He saw their condition. Their struggles. Their needs. Their fears. Their hopes.

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The Messaging Principle

Compassion-based messaging avoids exploiting pain through guilt, fear, or shame. Instead, it demonstrates genuine understanding and nearness to the person's situation. Before asking: “What do we want them to do?” Ask: “What might they be experiencing right now?” A Christian business, college, media organization, or ministry should never have to manipulate people into responding. Start by demonstrating: We see you. We understand. We care. Then offer a meaningful next step.

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5. BELONGING

Invite people into community—not simply activity.

Jesus created community everywhere He went. He gathered disciples. He ate with people others rejected. He welcomed outsiders. He created relationships. People weren't merely invited to attend. They were invited to belong.

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The Messaging Principle

Belonging-based messaging emphasizes community and being welcomed as-is—not belonging only after someone has achieved something. Instead of: “Come to Saturday's basketball game.” Consider: “There's a place for you in our community. Join us Saturday and experience game day together.” Attendance asks: “Will you come?” Belonging communicates: “There's a place for you here.” People may visit because of an event. They return because they feel connected.

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The BGS Messaging Question

Traditional marketing often begins with:

What do we want people to do?

BGS Messaging begins one step earlier:

What would motivate someone to want to do it?​

Is it...

HOPE — I believe something better is possible.

PURPOSE — I believe my action matters.

IDENTITY — This reflects who I am or who I want to become.

COMPASSION — I believe this organization understands and cares about me.

BELONGING — I believe there is a place for me here.

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Then—and only then—comes the call to action. Watch. Attend. Learn. Join. Give. Buy. Share. The CTA tells people what to do next.

The Five Pillars help give them a reason to want to do it.

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From Message to Transformation

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A message is not the destination. It's the invitation to take the next step. 

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Awareness → Interest → Engagement → Participation → Connection → Transformation → Advocacy

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That's why BGS Messaging works together with the broader Biblical Growth Solutions™ framework. Targeting helps identify who should receive the message. Motivation helps determine why they would respond. AdMessenger can help create targeted awareness and invite the next action. Transformation defines where the relationship is ultimately trying to go. Kingdom Performance Indicators help determine whether deeper relationships and meaningful growth are actually occurring. Together, they create a strategic pathway designed to:

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Move people from awareness to transformation.

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