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The direct equivalent of "sensibilizar nuestro corazón" is "soften our hearts." Avoid "sensitize our hearts" and "make our hearts sensitive" — in English, both carry a clinical or scientific connotation, as if making something more reactive to external stimuli, which is completely out of place in a sermonic context.
The direct equivalent of "rezar" is "recite prayers," as it conveys the mechanical, ritualistic repetition of a fixed prayer text. "Pray" is the equivalent of "orar" — heartfelt, spontaneous communication with God — and should not be used for "rezar." "Repeat prayers" is too ambiguous, as it could simply mean praying the same request more than once, which is not inherently negative.
The direct equivalent of "sensibilizar el corazón de Dios" is "touch God's heart" — that is, doing something that elicits a favorable response from Him, much like when a husband says something kind to his wife to win her over. Avoid "soften God's heart," as this implies His heart is hardened, which is contrary to His merciful nature. Avoid "sensitize God's heart," as it carries a clinical or scientific connotation.
The direct equivalent of "sumar puntos" is "earn merits" — conveying that every good action toward God is taken into account by Him and rewarded accordingly. Avoid "score points," as in English this expression carries a negative connotation, describing someone who does things insincerely to gain favor for personal ends. Avoid "add points," as it is too literal and loses the spiritual weight of the expression.
The direct equivalent of "tener palanca" is "have connections" — a neutral and natural expression suitable for teaching contexts. "Pulling strings" is also a valid English equivalent, but it is less practical in simultaneous interpretation as it does not always fit naturally in the sentence. Avoid "have levers," which is a literal interpretation that carries no idiomatic meaning in English.
The direct equivalent of "estar al día con el Señor" is "be in good standing with the Lord," meaning pleasing God by turning away from sin. Avoid "be up to date with the Lord" and "be updated with the Lord" — both are literal interpretations that reduce a spiritual concept to something resembling an administrative or technical task, and neither conveys the intended meaning in a teaching context.
"Ponerse al día con el Señor" has two accepted equivalents: "make sure you are in good standing with the Lord" and "set your life in order before God." Both convey the idea of a believer assessing his or her life to identify anything that displeases God and taking corrective action. Avoid "get caught up with the Lord," which is a literal interpretation that does not convey the intended meaning in a sermonic context.
The direct equivalent of "escudriñar" is "search," as confirmed by John 5:39. Avoid "scrutinize," as it carries a negative connotation in English, implying close examination due to something negative or suspicious. Avoid "look up," as it simply means locating a reference rather than studying Scripture deeply.
The direct equivalent of "estancarse" is "become stagnant". Avoid "become stuck," as "stuck" is too informal. Avoid "lose momentum," as it is more common in sports or business contexts and would sound out of place in a sermon. Note that "become" is preferred over "get" — "become stagnant" is more appropriate in register than "get stagnant."
The direct equivalent of "experimentar" is "experience." Avoid "experiment," which refers to a scientific procedure for testing something and is unrelated to the intended meaning. Avoid "undergo," as it implies going through something difficult or unpleasant, which does not fit contexts such as "experience the presence of God" or "experience His blessings."
The direct equivalents of "irle bien en la vida" are "succeed in life" and "do well in life," both of which are acceptable. Avoid "do good in life," as it shifts the meaning from personal outcome to moral conduct. When the context clearly refers to God's blessings, "prosper" is also a valid alternative, as confirmed by the NKJV in Joshua 1:7-8 and Deuteronomy 5:33.
The direct equivalents of "irle mal en la vida" are "fail in life" and "not do well in life," the latter being a softer pastoral alternative. Avoid "be a failure in life," as it shifts the meaning from personal outcome to personal identity — the original expression describes how things turn out for someone, not who they are as a person.
The direct equivalent of "orientar" is "give advice." Note that "advice" is an uncountable noun in English — never say "give advices" or "give an advice." To singularize it, use "a piece of advice." Avoid "orientate," which is a literal interpretation that would not be easily understood. Also avoid "counsel" or "counseling," as the Church does not offer counseling — the only One who counsels in the Church is the Holy Spirit through the gift of prophecy.
The two preferred equivalents of "la Biblia dice" are "the Bible states" and "the Bible reads," both of which are natural and precise in a sermonic context. "The Bible says" is also acceptable and may be used interchangeably, as confirmed by Mark 15:28 and Romans 10:11. Avoid "the Bible talks," as it is too informal, sounds grammatically incomplete and does not convey the same authority.
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