How Pastors Can Improve Their Preaching Techniques

James, the Lord's brother said that people should think twice about becoming instructors for God's sheep. "...not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly." (Js.3:1) Pastors carry a tremendous burden for those they shepherd.

Any sincere pastor wants the congregation to get the most out of the sermon. Preaching techniques differ from one pastor to another, which to some people makes no difference at all. These are those who attend church for social reasons. However, most people go to church to worship and hear the Word of God preached. Some even travel long distances to attend a church that has a pastor with better preaching skills than the churches in their own neighborhood.

Good pastors don't just walk up to the pulpit and start talking. There is much prayer and preparation involved in putting a sermon together.

Nevertheless, there are some pastors who fail to realize how much more effective their message would be if they changed their technique such as those who simply read from a prepared sermon; which is one of the best ways to lose the attention of a congregation. People are always more apt to listen to a message from the heart than a script.

Application is very important to people. Some pastors don't realize that God has given them eyes to see and ears to hear so that they can feed His sheep. Therefore, the pastor understands what he is preaching but the congregation may not fully understand. Therefore, explaining how one can apply the Word to daily life means a lot.

Scriptures such as, "Faith without works is dead," may seem simple to understand for some while others have no idea of the full meaning of it. The pastor should explain how works demonstrate faith then go on to give some examples of how we can apply it to our lives. This is how Jesus taught. He used parables to paint mental pictures in the minds of his listeners.

There are two extremes that a pastor should avoid. One is moving too fast and the other is moving too slowly. When a pastor moves quickly through a subject a number of people can miss the point. Some people simply don't think as fast as others. They need time to let crucial truths sink in but while they're contemplating what was just said, the pastor has already made the point and has changed the subject.

The best way to avoid this is dual elaborations or demonstrations so as to allow contemplation. Hesitating to allow for contemplation will cause those who got the point the first time to lose interest so that when the next subject comes up they're thinking about what they're having for lunch rather than listening to the sermon.

On the other hand, moving slowly can put the congregation to sleep in a hurry. There are pastors who talk slow, read slow, and pray slow. They hesitate often to reflect and in the meantime most of their congregation has lost interest and their minds are miles away from the sermon.

Regardless of style, people want to know how to apply the Word to their own lives. They want a demonstration of passages that are difficult to understand and not just the facts. The disciples were always asking Jesus, "What does it mean?"

Some pastors mistakenly assume that people automatically know what they're talking about. As ministers of the Word, they spend so much time in the Scriptures that they practically know it by heart. But unfortunately, a number of people rarely even open their Bible much less study it and what they get from the pastor is the only spiritual food they receive.

Therefore, a pastor has the task of "feeding sheep" that probably haven't "eaten" all week. Then again, he has to avoid "overfeeding" those who do study the Scriptures. So a brief demonstration should suffice to "feed the hungry" and not bore those who already understand the message.

Pastors carry a lot of responsibility as under shepherds for the Lord and much more is required of them than we who are not called to the office of clergy. Some people have the false idea that a pastor leaves the church and has the rest of the time off which couldn't be farther from the truth. They have phones and doorbells that ring all too often at times. Then there are hospital visits, many of which are in the middle of the night due to a sudden illness or accident.

They also have families and families need attention. They have to study, research, pray and meditate more than most people realize. Being a pastor is a full time job with lots of overtime. They usually get very little time to themselves and give very much of themselves to everyone around them.

Lastly, it must be understood that regardless of technique the power of the message comes from God. When a pastor approaches the pulpit in his own strength he is powerless against an unresponsive heart. Only God can penetrate the heart and pastors are God's tool. It is imperative that pastors pray earnestly before a sermon for God's strength and guidance.