cultureshock
Puritan Board Freshman
Dear friends,
I would like to know how to become a good preacher. I am interested in any general comments about being a good preacher.
I am also wondering about how to overcome stagefright and freezing up in front of a crowd. I realize that this comes from a sinful fear of men. If anyone else has struggled with this and overcome it, I would be interested to know more how you approached the problem.
Lastly, I also wonder if anyone has any thoughts on starting sermons with stories or analogies. Oftentimes, I feel that such oratory devices are misused in the pulpit. At my church, the liturgy communicates to the congregation that we have been called into the presence of God, and that we are there, not because we have obeyed his law, but on Christ's account. If this message has been communicated through the liturgy, and has set the congregation's frame of mind, I think it is inappropriate to jump into the sermon with a light-hearted personal story that doesn't have much of a point except to draw the audience in (not to say that this happens at my church). If this happens, essentially, I feel that the message being communicated in the liturgy has been betrayed by the opening of the sermon. Do any of you out there relate to this or have any further thoughts?
Personally, the kinds of sermon openings I appreciate are the ones that get right down to it, with the high expectation that the Word of God already is directly relevant to your life, and doesn't need some flowery intro to try to make it such.
Brian
I would like to know how to become a good preacher. I am interested in any general comments about being a good preacher.
I am also wondering about how to overcome stagefright and freezing up in front of a crowd. I realize that this comes from a sinful fear of men. If anyone else has struggled with this and overcome it, I would be interested to know more how you approached the problem.
Lastly, I also wonder if anyone has any thoughts on starting sermons with stories or analogies. Oftentimes, I feel that such oratory devices are misused in the pulpit. At my church, the liturgy communicates to the congregation that we have been called into the presence of God, and that we are there, not because we have obeyed his law, but on Christ's account. If this message has been communicated through the liturgy, and has set the congregation's frame of mind, I think it is inappropriate to jump into the sermon with a light-hearted personal story that doesn't have much of a point except to draw the audience in (not to say that this happens at my church). If this happens, essentially, I feel that the message being communicated in the liturgy has been betrayed by the opening of the sermon. Do any of you out there relate to this or have any further thoughts?
Personally, the kinds of sermon openings I appreciate are the ones that get right down to it, with the high expectation that the Word of God already is directly relevant to your life, and doesn't need some flowery intro to try to make it such.
Brian