Ask Andy 2

Well, I’m cheating when I say that: I’m reading his book (Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication

) and generating questions that are answered by his chapters. Sorry, but I think that first paragraph was Andy-esque. I maybe have to repeat this each time to make the whole approach clear.

Anyone have some suggestions for learning to preach toward a point?

Andy starts off with a low blow to many of us preachers: “If life change is your goal, point by point preaching is not the most effective approach” (103). Hear that: point by point preaching is not as effective at change as preaching with a single point in view. He says his famous preacher dad was the “king of points.”

What’s a point? An application, an insight, or a principle. Two questions have to be asked: What do I want the congregation to know? What do I want them to do?

And this: Dig until you find it, build everything around it, and make it stick.