It seems obvious, but it needs to be said. When we speak we need to make sure we make sense. There are various reasons why we may not make sense to our listeners. Here are a few to be aware of: 1. Obscure Language – If you obfuscate using technical, rare or archaic vocabulary, then [...]
Archive for the ‘Delivery’ Category
When the Coughs Drop
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion on August 12, 2010 | 1 Comment »
As a speaker you should be able to sense the level of focus of your listeners. Before you say they always listen well, I would encourage you to follow this advice. Try being in the crowd and listening, observing, sensing what is going on around you among the listeners. If you have the privilege of [...]
Precision in Spoken English
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion on August 4, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Yesterday we addressed the uncomfortable issue of verbal pauses. Uncomfortable for us when we discover we use them. More uncomfortable for listeners when they can’t avoid the fact that we use them! So what to do? Diligently stop ourselves from using them every time they start to spring forth? Perhaps. Maybe electric shock treatment would [...]
I Mean, Just, Really
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, tagged Sermon Delivery, Verbal Pause on August 3, 2010 | 1 Comment »
It’s been a while since I mentioned verbal pauses, so why not? A verbal pause is a space filler. It isn’t a productive and healthy pause – that requires space and silence. It is a filler. It keeps anyone from hearing the silence that scares some public speakers and threatens some domineering monological conversationalists (i.e. [...]
Preacher, Use Strategy
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, tagged Andy Stanley, Spurgeon on July 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I typically teach with reference to the arrow and the target (i.e. the main idea and the message purpose respectively). In order to deliver the arrow to hit the target, strategy is necessary. This might mean preaching in the clear and logical manner of a deductive message, or it might choosing the slightly trickier, but [...]
Sermon Speaker Service Leader?
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion on July 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Different church traditions handle services differently. Some have a worship leader (or in some more formal settings, perhaps a chairperson). Others expect the preacher to lead the service. If you fall into the latter category, some thoughts: 1. Being a gifted preacher doesn’t mean every public speaking activity is therefore covered in one person. The [...]
Sermon and Song
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, tagged worship leader, Christian Worship on July 22, 2010 | 3 Comments »
How does the sermon relate to the singing elements of the service? Here are a few thoughts: Singing is not the warm-up. In some circles the singing elements of the service seem to function essentially as a warm-up before the main event, which is the preaching. While I don’t deny the centrality of the Word [...]
What Adjectives?
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion on June 29, 2010 | 1 Comment »
When you preach, what adjectives best describe your manner, tone and style? Perhaps you tend to preach in a relaxed manner, or intense, or aggressive, or rushed, or tense, or lighthearted, or calm, or nervous. Some adjectives are probably to be preferred over others – is there really a place for a preacher to come [...]
Pre-Sermon Review – A Strange Idea?
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, tagged Feed-Forward on June 28, 2010 | 2 Comments »
I don’t know of many churches that require it, but I do see many that should consider it. Too often we leave the preacher in a very lonely spot as far as preaching is concerned. The sermon is prepared and delivered, and then everyone gets to think and evaluate and critique and respond and so [...]
They Can’t Concentrate That Long!
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, tagged attention span, Sermon Attention on June 23, 2010 | 3 Comments »
I’d like to return to something that has been addressed on here before. The idea that people now have a reduced attention span of fifteen to twenty minutes (insert similar number of your choice). This is a myth. Urban legend. Fallacy. People have never had a concentration span that long. Good speakers know that people will [...]
Love People To Jesus
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, tagged Spurgeon, Thielicke on June 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Lacking motivation for anything productive (post-preaching experience, anyone?), I decided to dip into Thielicke’s Encounter with Spurgeon again. Guess how many paragraphs I had to read before being ready to offer another post (and that largely by quotation)? One. Check this out: “Among the important elements in the promotion of conversion are your own tone, [...]
Preaching to Youth
Posted in Audience Analysis, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion on June 12, 2010 | 2 Comments »
I received an email from Peter who was asking about preaching to youth. Now I don’t know the setting of that message, the age of the youth, their culture, etc. So my response has to be non-specific, and honestly, more focused on my cultures (US/UK). Nevertheless, here are some thoughts, perhaps you could add others: [...]
Personality Excuses
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion on June 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Phillips Brooks once famously defined preaching as “Truth through personality.” Today the word “personality” is sometimes used in a more restrictive sense to refer to the quirks of an individual. “Oh, that’s just his personality” we sometimes say. Now when it comes to preaching, there is a potential tension that can surface. The tension is [...]
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