Does Powerpoint Increase Retention?
You have all heard the statistics – that listeners retain only 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they see, but more than 30% of what they see and hear, or something along those lines. People use this...
View ArticleBest PowerPoint Practices for Preaching
A couple of days ago I posted on the limitations of using PowerPoint as it relates to retention in preaching. That post led to a record number of page views for this website. Clearly, many people are...
View ArticleThe Fourth Wall
Someone recently told me that they like the way I “break the fourth wall” when I preach. That sounded kind of cool, so I immediately had to go and find out what he meant by it. Turns out, this is …...
View ArticleThe 500 Word Manuscript
So how much manuscript should a preacher use? Does a sermon manuscript keep a preacher from rambling into irrelevance, or does it stifle and inhibit communication? A more oral and in-the-moment...
View ArticlePaying Attention to Life
I heard a sermon this morning on the famous “Widow’s mite” narrative. The preacher took care to tell us the story in a way that had us leaning forward. We were completely gripped by his imaginative...
View ArticleTo Manuscript or Memorize
I have been having a bit of a debate recently with some of my students about memorization. If we value a more look-the-audience-in-the-face kind of extemporanaeity, are we better to memorize written...
View ArticlePlaying to Specific People in the Crowd
Often when I am preaching or teaching, I find that I am focused on how a particular listener in a crowd might be responding to what I have to say. I find that sometimes I am scanning the crowd looking...
View ArticleAn Instinct for Preaching
If you have been preaching for any length of time you know the experience. You are deep into the sermon when some fresh idea comes unbidden to your mind. It seems to be a worthy idea, but then you...
View ArticlePreachers Listening to Preaching
It struck me recently that preaching would be greatly improved if preachers listened to more preaching. This is difficult when we are the ones charged to preach to our congregations every week. But...
View ArticleThe Art of Persuasion
Preaching, if it is to be biblical, will always be persuasive. Persuasion is foundational to preaching because the gospel always seeks conversion and commitment. That preaching is a persuasive act,...
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