Preaching

Do you preach? Either you preach in a church, on missionary trips, or on the streets, I would like to know what are some elements that helped you develop your preaching skills?

Did you listen to a lot of sermons, prayed and fasted, talked to other preachers?

I am a young student majoring in a Bachelor's in Theology and Ministry, and would like to hear your advices or experiences.

Be blessed,
Vlad

I preach on the streets, at our church, in jail services, and in a nursing home. I have also preached at a church for two periods of time, helping until they got a pastor. It really helped me, having to prepare for messages. ( Praying, fasting,studying) I have learned to use illustrations by listening to my pastor for the past 14 years. It is a blessing in praying for the right message to help someone grow in the Lord and get what they need in a service.

Hey Neemia,

Great question in your circumstances!

I preach "officially in front of a congregation" a couple times a week. Hopefully the "preaching" is also done by my words, actions, and witnessing to the folks in my life on a daily basis. There was also a period of time in one church I served that a real movement of God happened. Lots of folks being born again every week, receiving the fullness of the Spirit, and finding their place of ministry in the body. Some weeks during that time frame I preached as many as 5 services in one day.

I have tried a great many things to be a better communicator of God's eternal truth. I won't rehash the obvious truths of fasting, prayer, and inspiration from others that have already been posted. Those are all obviously true and essential. However, here is something else that may be of help for you.

If you can find ways to bring the message of the hour home in multiple ways it can be a tremendous benefit for long term spiritual growth in those you serve. It is of little value to share a message that is forgotten as soon as folks walk out the door. Research indicates that folks normally forget well over 90% of what was said by the next week. Some studies indicate it may well be over 97% ! If that is so then it becomes inherent on us to find better ways of communication that will enable people to REMEMBER AND APPLY God's word on a daily basis.

SOME IDEAS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT: Try to find "props" to help you communicate your message that day. Let them HEAR your message.. but if possible also find ways to let them SEE..or SMELL..or EXPERIENCE in some way. The more common and everyday those things are the better. What you are trying to do is find things that people will "link" the message with and therefore remember the truths of scripture from that day every time they see that object/thing. That is why you want it to be common things. The more often people can see it, and thereby remember it, the more deeply that truth from God's Word is embedded into them and becomes part of who they are. They are then "transformed by the renewing of the mind".

A FEW EXAMPLES: If preaching from the scripture about Jesus meeting the demoniac from the Gaderenes I might try something akin to this- As you recall in the text Jesus allowed the demons to enter the pigs when he cast them out of the man. Somewhere in the message I would hold up a can of Underwood's deviled ham. Make a comment about it ...everyone would enjoy the humor..have a laugh.. but also connect the elements of that message with that can of deviled ham (1 reinforcement). At the end of service have the ushers give everyone a can of of deviled ham as they leave (2 reinforcements). Every time they walk down a grocery store aisle and see the product all of that truth will come tumbling back and reinforce itself deeper into their hearts.(continual reinforcements) That is preaching for lasting change. If you are particularly eager on this Biblical story one might try preaching it with an actual pig in a cage/crate on the platform.

OR...if preaching from Peter's betrayal of Christ I might have one of the guys in the Church bring in a rooster, put it in a cage, and preach the entire message with the rooster sitting on the platform with me. A person in that service will never again see a rooster.. the sign of betrayal ...in the same way. It might even come to memory every time they see chicken in the grocery store or at KFC. If not as ambitious someone could simply use a bucket of chicken as a prop/help on this one. However, the more grand and multisensory the imagery is the easier it will be for your people to remember it.

The examples are absolutely endless. Always ask yourself... how can I make this the most impacting message possible today and also one that sinks into hearts to be lived out in the future. It does no good to preach the most outstanding message ever if it is soon forgotten!

Lest anyone think this is a bit "unbiblical"...consider the day of Pentecost (fire, wind, tongues)... or Peter's denial that I mentioned...do you think Peter ever heard a rooster again without remembering to be faithful to Jesus? Do you think those at the last supper ever looked at a washtub and towel the same after the night Jesus washed their feet and told them to be servants? Do you think those with Jesus when the demons went into the pigs ever saw pigs again without recalling what they learned from Jesus that day? Of course not. That , for me at least, is the goal. To preach for a commitment on that day..and then have preached in such a way that the commitment they make that day is continually brought up before them to be remembered and applied as often as possible. Pigs..roosters...towels...mustard seeds, etc. ..common stuff of life used to communicate eternal truths

Dear brother,

I try to give my best now, shortly. This is the essence of my experiences. YOu can spare years, or decades, if listen to these:)

1: listen to other preachers, read the greatest preachers' books. It is useful to learn strong and nice expressions, parables, etc. Some good style will stick on You.

2: You must preach in a way, that your serving clothes would not be polluted by the blood of those, who You are responsible for. (Spurgeon told this)

3: In the practice, I have learnt, that I need very small thinking on the message, but a lot of prayer.
Pray for the people a lot, because, the message is given them by only the Holy Spirit!
Pray, and fast for them, so that the Spirit would break their heart, and open their eyes of heart. If You can not cry foor the people, or Your own heart's hardness, Your message will not wound any heart!
Ef 6:17-18 has a hungarian translation: take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, through praying prayers and supplication in the Spirit.
No other way! Most of my messages I get when praying for the people, for the church, for the hearts, even my own heart, and about the word. I pray the word, and tell even to myself first in prayer. I pray let's say 4-6x more time, than writing my sketch and reading commentaries, etc. And the same with preaching: I pray 5x more time, than I preach.
With this, You will always have fresh messages in Your heart, and will be able to preach without even any preaparation, if needed. It is like burning fire in You, waiting for being poured out.

4: You have to learn, that God is able to work in the hearts, even if You will not preach a single sentence!

Some came into the church, sat down, and hearing the word started to cry. I have not told anything on the gospel, but this young couple understood, that they need God. How? The Spirit was in work.
You must learn, that the principal of preaching is to let the Spirit of God work. If the effectiveness of my preaching is 1, the effectiveness of the worok of the Spirit meanwhile is 1 million or more:) So do not want to substitute His work with Your thoughts and style, but long for His work.

Lots of preacher do not have faith in Him. They have faith in methods, theological education, understanding, greek language, and style etc. But You, if You want to preach effectively, must have strong faith in His work.

5: If the word is weak in You, it will be still weak, when leaves You.
You must be full of the word, that You are going to preach. If YOu can not catch fire, You can not expect others to do so.

6: Preaching starts not on the pulpit, but in YOur own heart, and then in YOur family, and friends, then in the church.
You can not preach things, that YOu have no experience with. The word, that is not worthy to share with Your family and friends, before sharing on the pulpit, has no value at all. If it is not precious enough to tell it immediately to all to change their lives, it has no value to preach in the church.

Dear Brother,
I have not preached but shared the word of God few times. My advice to you is do not consider your self a preacher because you have a degree in theology and ministry. Right from old testament God has always chosen people who are not from bible school but lived a God fearing life. So even if your degree certify you to preach, I would still advice you to wait till the word of God is fully alive in you. Out of abundance the truth (word of God) should flow from you and not out of knowledge that your degree gives.
It is surprising how people advice you to first listen to other pasters instead of telling you to learn from God. First listen to God for your own Godly life, and if it works then share it.
Lastly do not do preaching for getting paid, non of the new testament preachers did that for living including our load Jesus. He never got paid from synagogue for his preaching. He earned his living as a carpenter.

1, "It is surprising how people advice you to first listen to other pasters instead of telling you to learn from God. "

If You are aiming on my comment, please go on with reading first.

2, Theological degree he holds does not mean, that he is not a God fearing man. Do not overshoot the mark. He is reading this forum, that means good:)
Only from a paper, noone will be a preacher, it is true. But he can be a good preacher although he has education. Just see Paul.

Thanks brothers!

Neemia, If this is what God has layed upon your heart then preach when spoken to! Be honest, and if you have not preached first to yourself, do not attempt to preach to others. Never preach without Him. They are not supposed to be your words, only your delivery.