Sermon Delivery
RocketCast 015: How To Preach A Sermon People Will Remember
People don’t remember sermons – they remember statements. Jeff Henderson, lead pastor of Gwinnett Church and regular communicator at North Point Community Church in the Atlanta area, shares how to create memorable statements for your sermons. These “sticky” statements will be what people remember days, even months, after your sermon. There is a unique formula…
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How To Find Your Unique Preaching Voice
When I was a kid, one of the first impressionists I saw was a comedian named Rich Little. Rich did a spot-on impression of President Richard Nixon, and almost any big-time celebrity back in the day. The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson would have Rich on his show and Rich would actually do an…
Read MoreRocketCast 010: How To Find Your Unique Preaching Voice – Whiteboard Wednesday
As pastors and church leaders, we have a unique opportunity to stand up and speak in front of people. For many of us though, we aren’t aware of the strengths and weaknesses of our own preaching “voice” or style. The result? Our sermons aren’t as effective as they could be. In this Whiteboard session, Pastor…
Read MoreSeven Christmas Service Ideas and Tips That Work
Christmas is usually the most highly attended time of year for churches, and provides a great opportunity to allow regular attenders, seekers, and out of town extended family to experience something special. It can also be one of the most difficult services to plan for the same reason. We spoke with Todd Fields—Director of Worship…
Read MoreHow to Improve Your Sermons With A Feedback Team
One of the best books I’ve read recently is Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, the CEO of Pixar. While it’s certainly not a preaching book, I came across an idea that I recently leveraged in a sermon series at Gwinnett Church. It’s an idea called The Brain Trust. As you know, Pixar has this amazing streak…
Read MoreWhy People Listen to Some Sermons and Not Others
Two sermons. Both truthful, and biblical. Both helpful. But one is heard and the other is forgotten. One is engaging and the other is endured. One sticks, the other doesn’t. We know that God’s Word doesn’t return void, and that the Holy Spirit is the One who enables someone to understand the truth of scripture.…
Read MoreThe Anatomy of a Great Message-Preaching Infographic
Great sermons and great stories share some common themes. They all have a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Other elements such as connection, tension, and resolution also factor in. That got me thinking. Any great sermon or message is going to be first and foremost founded in the scriptures and God-honoring. But great sermons…
Read MoreHow Dr. Charles Stanley Prepares to Preach
As a pastor, or communicator, it’s easy to neglect the most important component of sermon and message preparation—your own heart. With family obligations, staff meetings, and other commitments competing for your time, you may find yourself trying to find something to say, without having something worth saying. How do you prevent this? Here are some…
Read MoreThree Powerful Ways to Start Your Sermon
Most communicators understand that their message introduction must capture the attention of the congregation, or half of them will be asleep by first point on the outline. However, the best openers not only get attention, they get people thinking differently— opening the path to transformed living. Powerful communicators don’t wait for the conclusion to issue…
Read MoreThe Ten Commandments of Preaching
God gave the original Ten Commandments to Moses and the Nation of Israel from the top of Mount Sinai. These commandments aren’t in the Bible, and they weren’t written in stone. But breaking them could keep you from connecting with your congregation. Here are the Ten Commandments of Preaching. Thou shalt not preach stolen sermons.…
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