1. Shocking start<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019ve seen preachers use this technique and so far, none of them were successful. Starting with something shocking (a shocking video, quote, song, joke, etc) may seem like a sure way to grab your audience\u2019s attention, but if often backfires for several reason. First of all, after a shock, it\u2019s hard to keep interest for the rest of the sermon\u2026<\/p>\n
2. Predictable start<\/strong><\/p>\nThere are preachers who start every sermon the same way, with the same sort of story, the same joke, or the same prayer\u2026\u00a0 Make sure your starts are fresh and avoid being predictable. Don\u2019t overuse the same jokes or stories; believe me, listeners have a fantastic memory for these things.<\/p>\n
3. Offensive start<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2026Offending people is easier than you think. Avoid negative remarks about today\u2019s culture, music, movies, games, etc, before they know you, like you, and know the context in which you\u2019re saying it. They may love the very things you\u2019re denouncing, and while you may completely right, they won\u2019t listen to you.<\/p>\n
4. Long start<\/strong><\/p>\nSome intros are so long, they become a sermon in itself\u2026<\/p>\n
5. Passive start<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you want your audience to become captivated, start actively with something that\u2019s easy to listen to, like a story, a narrative or something emotional or funny\u2026\u00a0 Keep it short, engaging and move on.<\/p>\n
6. Announcement-start<\/strong><\/p>\nAny preacher starting with \u201cToday I want to talk about\u2026\u201d immediately loses my interest\u2026<\/p>\n
7. Show off start<\/strong><\/p>\nThere are these preachers who feel they have to start with demonstrating their oratory skills or their knowledge\u2026\u00a0 I\u2019d advise you to just be yourself. I\u2019ve seen the other end of the spectrum as well: preachers who almost desperately tried to be cool in their intro, using all the hip words, talking about the latest movies or music, and trying to convince listeners that they were \u201cit.\u201d Don\u2019t. Again: just be yourself\u2026<\/p>\n
8. Apologetic start<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is a pet peeve of mine. I hate it when people start a sermon with some sort of apology. They\u2019re sorry because they\u2019re late, because the mic wasn\u2019t working, because they have a stain on their shirt, or whatever. The thing is, when you\u2019re apologizing, you draw attention to stupid details nobody is interested in\u2026<\/p>\n
GREAT THOUGHTS! WHAT IS THE WORST SERMON INTRO YOU\u2019VE EVER: A) DONE, OR B) WITNESSED?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here\u2019s some quality thoughts on \u201c8 Starts to Avoid in your Preaching\u201d from Rachel Blom: 1. Shocking start I\u2019ve seen preachers use this technique and so far, none of them were successful. Starting with something shocking (a shocking video, quote, song, joke, etc) may seem like a sure way to grab your audience\u2019s attention, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[465,796,1042,19183],"class_list":["post-3503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-ministry","tag-kurt-willems","tag-preaching","tag-rachel-blom","tag-sermon"],"yoast_head":"\n
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