Tips To Effective Preaching. (The Do’s and Don’ts)
- Long introduction to the speaker– this may not be part of the sermon preparation but I will include this as well, long introduction to the Preacher must be short and concise, you don’t need to mention all the accomplishments and achievements of a preacher. We should exalt Christ more than the speaker. Not everyone may be impress of someone’s achievements but so poor in preaching.
- Long Introductions to the sermon – introductions to your sermon can start with a prayer, illustrations / stories related to your message, prayer, Bible text and others. Dynamic preachers usually starts with something illustrations to catch the attention of the audience.
- Don’t make excuses – some preachers, when they are not ready and prepared they tend to mention it in their introduction, we’ve been there but avoid saying, “I’m not prepared for today’s sermon”, “I wasn’t told earlier this week, I didn’t have much time to prepare”. Excuses makes the audience evaluate, judge, and discriminate you, remember, you were chosen for a purpose – to preach the Word. Do not disqualify yourself, you are a preacher.
- Balanced and Dynamic preaching – not everyone can be dynamic, but try to engage your sermon to the audience, It is better to have an outline to know exactly the flow of your sermon, highlights. There’s no perfect time when it comes to the limitations of a good sermon, a short sermon might be ideal but most of the time its raw. Some sermons can last to more than 1 hr but depends on how the engagement of the audience and a preacher. Usually, the right amount of time in preaching is about 30-45 mins.
- Don’t be monotone – this is the opposite of a dynamic preaching. One tone the whole time makes your audience bored, even when the sermon has a great lesson into it. Preaching and teaching is different. There’s some preachers who is soft spoken, some seems like they are always shouting the whole sermon. A good sermon has different variation, functions, facial expression, engagement and somewhat related to them. “But remember, you are a preacher not an actor”.
- Know your Audience – you can not preach ALL theology, non-common terms, Hebrew or Greek to your audience at all times. Use terms when it is necessary but not to impress your audience on how much you know those terminologies.
- Expository Sermons – expose the Book, Chapter, Verse even the Author of your sermon. Why it was mentioned, application and use Bible commentaries, concordance to expand the meaning of those specific topic in your sermon.
- Prepare and Practice – nothing beats a well prepared sermon, practice it at home with an audience, ask your family member to watch and listen to you and let them give you constructive criticism about how you deliver the sermon. You can also practice in the pulpit before your preaching schedule.
- When having an outline, do not read them all throughout the sermon, make sure you have eye contact to your audience, when sharing a PowerPoint, avoid using too much animation on the slides, make sure the audience can read your slides, and your outline should not be ALL the same in what you present in the slides. The tendencies is, your audience attention goes to the slides not to the preachers anymore. Long reading from the slides makes the sermon monotone.
- Use terms and expression that your audience will remember. You’ll be surprised once the sermon is done. Some will nonchalantly use it and keep repeating it. It may impact them from the sermon.
- Do not mention “this is my introduction, body, appeal” to your sermon.
This are just some of the suggestions on how to preach effectively. Thank you.