6 Tips To Preaching Better Sermons
No matter what context you find yourself communicating in, in order to get your message across you must communicate well. Here are six tips to preaching better messages (that would also work in most public speaking environments).
1) Know what you are going to say
In other words, don't wing it. You don't have to write out a full manuscript of everything, but you should have a good idea what you are actually going to say. If you don't have a clear direction of where you are going, people will not be able to follow you. The only thing worse than not having a clear direction? Continuing to repeat yourself because you also don't know where you are going or are trying to fill the time.What is a great way to know what you are going to say? The next point below.
2) Rehearse what you are going to say
I speak my messages out loud multiple times during the week before giving it at our weekend services. This way you can actually hear (and know) what works and what doesn't. Often I will find that what I wrote doesn't come across the same way when I speak it.Speaking it out loud also lets you know how long your talk or sermon actually is. There is nothing worse when you're communicating to see you are almost through your content and still have 10 minutes left. Or worse, being only halfway through your content and realizing you should be wrapping it up.
3) Too short is better than too long
Especially for preachers, there seems to be this unwritten rule that the longer your sermon is, the better a preacher you are. But here is the truth; it's a lot harder to be clear and concise than it is to talk longer because you didn't put the work in to be clear and concise.I am not saying you can't preach long sermons, but it is always better to wrap it up than to ramble on. This is especially true for inexperienced communicators. Did you get through your material faster than you thought you would and even practiced? That's ok. Going too long and muddying your message isn't good for anyone.
4) Don't start with a welcome, start with something engaging
Could you imagine going to a concert and the first thing the featured band did was thank everyone for coming and welcoming everyone to the show? That would be boring.Instead, right out of the gate, they start performing. The same should be true of communicators.No one doubts that you are excited or thankful to be there, but you don't need to say that right away. The beginning of your message is the only time you will have everyone's attention. So instead of wasting it on something not worth remembering, you should instead begin with a story or illustration that causes them to lean in. Engage them from the beginning and give them a reason to keep listening. I promise no one will be offended that you didn't welcome them right away, they won't even notice.
5) Know your bottom line
I'm all for teaching the Bible and explaining what is going on in the context of your passage. But in whatever context you find yourself as a communicator, if people don't know what to do with what you are telling them, they are simply going to forget what you are telling them.It's great to have points and takeaways, but the most powerful way to help people remember what you want them to remember is to tell them what to remember. Make it memorable and applicable. Help show them what is most important, otherwise they
6) No one cares how much you know until you tell a story
This is especially crucial for preachers. We want to explain and teach all of the minor points and subpoints of a Biblical text, but that is not the most important thing we can do. The most important thing a communicator can do is help people connect what they are learning to their lives.Stories are the best way to make real and tangible what people are learning. Jesus primarily taught in stories. The most memorable things you say are stories. Tell a story. Make it memorable. Help people see why what you are saying matters.