Preaching Tips - July 2010

A dear friend asked me offer constructive criticism of her preaching. I got the idea of sharing preaching tips I have learned from those I have witnessed. I am not a "great preacher" but I do learn from others. Here are the tips I shared with my friend:

1. If you are a person who moves a lot when speaking, make sure you grab hold of the mic when first standing to preach. The congregation cannot hear you if you step away from the mic. Don’t ever assume that you speak loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Most of the time, people in the rear can’t hear.

2. When preaching, only ask rhetorical questions. When teaching, you can solicit answers to questions, but not when preaching.

3. Be careful of giving too much information and very little revelation. Your audience needs to hear application.

4. Be specific when using application. People can relate better when you are specific. For example:

• Good: There was a time when I did not depend on God. I tried to do things on my own without Him.
• More Impactful: There was a time that I depended on the money I made instead of God. I had a good job making great pay and thought I was secure because I had extra money in the bank.

5. Preach for results, not reaction. Don’t be discourage because people aren’t shouting and/or “talking back” (encouraging) you. The results of the Word proclaimed manifests in transforms lives. Anyone can produce a reaction (shouts, “amens”, etc.).