When you’re preaching or preparing a sermon, there’s a lot of pressure on you. You must be ready to grab the interest of the room and keep listeners engaged. In order to spread the Lord’s teachings, you need to start a sermon strong, or the room will be disengaged from the beginning. Here are some key methods to effectively introduce a sermon.
Mix It Up
If you are a regular speaker, your audience knows what to expect. You can pique their interest by mixing up how you start. Straying from your typical introduction or speaking style will re-engage regular listeners who may otherwise tune out a familiar introduction.
The Urgency Effect
There’s a principle often used in marketing that you can transfer into your sermons. Think about the infomercials you see late at night – the ones that tell you to “act now” for a better price or to get a bonus item. A sense of urgency can drive an audience to engage.
Why not take this same principle and use it to immediately grab attention for sermons? Start your sermon strong by getting right to the point, announcing immediately what the day's topic will be and why that topic is personally important to each listener. This method will focus the congregation right away, rather than losing them upfront with long anecdotes or social banter.
Bring the Excitement
Remember that you are undoubtedly one of the blessed people in the world, as you get to worship the Lord. Not only that, but you get to lead his followers closer to him by sharing his Word! Never forget this as you start a sermon.
You should bring energy and excitement with you to the pulpit. Excitement is contagious and will spread to your congregation. Make people feel excited to be part of the church, and let them feel excited to share God’s message with friends and family.
To create this energy, you must send body language signals. Smile as you greet the congregation and introduce the day’s topic. Speak loudly and vary the tone of your voice to emphasize the most important words and phrases. Let them know you think you’re lucky to be there spreading the Word, and that they are as well.
Tell a Story
We all feel a need to know what happens next, which is why stories are so effective in grabbing and keeping our attention. Even more effective are those stories we feel connected to, such as personal stories involving relatable experiences and emotions.
Channel shared experiences in your storytelling because everyday struggles like family disagreements or personal struggles mean more to the audience than you’d ever guess. This method is great because it helps keep your audience engaged! For maximum impact, begin with a relevant and relatable story then wrap it up at the end of the sermon.
Call For Action
If you want to grab attention and zoom in on a sermon’s main point right off the bat, a call to action is the way to go. Tell your congregation they have a duty to perform, then use the sermon to reveal why this action is important. Providing a life application upfront will help listeners feel involved, and they’ll be more likely to listen to your background for the why behind the action.
Ask the Congregation a Question
Asking a hard questions like "Why would God allow this horrible event to happen?" or "How could such deep sins be forgiven?" will intrigue the mind. There are questions your congregation would never dare ask, but as a preacher, you hold the key to address doubt and provide clarity. Doing this will ensure a successful and engaging sermon, as well as strengthen people’s belief in the Lord.
Include Humor
Want to make people listen? Try making them laugh! Leading with humor and sprinkling it throughout a sermon can make a tough topic feel lighter and prevent listeners from shutting down or tuning out.
Apply Today’s Culture and Context
At any given time, we are faced with newsworthy events that we feel compelled to keep up with. Take note of these wars, political battles, and natural disasters. In the Bible, we find countless passages for all of the same.
To catch your congregation’s attention, let them know that these events have happened before, and God’s followers have always persevered. Tell the stories of The Battle for Jerusalem, Noah's Flood, the Plagues of Egypt, and show your audience which teachings of these times should be implemented once again.
The lead of your sermon is like the starter in your car; it's the one piece of a bigger whole that can ignite interest or sputter out before you even begin. The next time you plan a sermon, try leading with excitement, stories, current events, humor, or something else that’s unexpected. Taking hold of the room’s interest right away is the key to successfully introducing a sermon.
