Communicating for a Change, pt. 2

More highlights:

Never lose sight of the fact that it’s God who really does the talking. We’re just the mouthpieces.

Every single person who sits politely and listens to you on Sunday is one decision away from moral, financial, and marital ruin. Every one of them. There they sit. Silent. Waiting. Hoping. Doubting. Anticipating. How hard are we willing to work to create a delivery system that will connect with the heart of our audience?

Jesus & Paul addressed felt needs and supported them with references from the Old Testament. They didn’t teach through a whole book of the Old Testament. They knew better.

At the end of the day, I want the people in my congregation to trust God with every arena of their lives.

Preaching multiple points doesn’t reflect the world we live in. We don’t live our life by points. We live by our emotions. We respond to what we see, taste, or feel. So there’s no compelling reason to remember a list of points. Even the preacher giving the points know they don’t come in handy. That’s why he or she has to refer to their notes. 

By one point, I mean an application, an insight or a principle. Every message should have one central idea that serves as the glue to hold the other parts together.

You still say a dozen helpful, potentially life changing things in one sermon. 

Let the text speak.

Discipline yourself to leave a lot of good ideas on the cutting room floor. You end up with a much more focused and powerful message people are able to follow.

Let’s face it, the reason so many churches are half full on Sunday morning is because a whole bunch of people decided not to come back. Why? The preacher didn’t given ‘em anything to come back for.