I believe that when game day arrives, every Sunday morning, I will ultimately deliver the best messages that I am capable of based on 2 major components: Preparation and Inspiration. This assumes I have done the hard work of diligent study and invitation for God's Spirit to to guide and equip me throughout the whole process. There are no substitutions for those 2 things, however, here are some other tidbits that I have found make the actual presentation more effective:
- Play to your strengths -I tend to be humorous and a good storyteller in my real life, so when I can incorporate those elements in a sermon, as style not substance, then it usually helps me to connect better with listeners
- Tap into the other senses -Preaching is mostly an audible vehicle, but not everyone is an audible learner. Many learn visually; this is why I use a PowerPoint presentation, I often use outlines, and sometimes use movie clips. I also sometimes tap into tactile teaching by giving someone an object that reinforces the lesson
- Cut it down -My goal is to make my messages shorter. It's been said that to have a good message you need a strong intro, a strong close, and to put the 2 as close together as possible! I do better at this some weeks than others
- Fake it till you find it! -This is one you don't need to consider as often, but when you need it, you need it! If you lose your place in the middle of a message, find your way back and act like you know what you're doing! I once saw a friend preach and he lost his place and said "Hang on, I lost my place...oh yeah...ummm...OK...uhhh...here I was..." Very distracting and a confidence killer...start riffing and fake your way back!
- Find your own voice and be yourself rather than a cheap imitation of your favorite communicator -I wrote about my struggle with this in a post awhile back -This may be the biggest thing a preacher can do to have an effective presentation
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