Summary
- Gaining attention is the first goal of preaching
- Understanding is the second goal of preaching
- “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand.” (Matthew 15:10 NIV11)
- Give people time to turn to the scripture
- Non-Christians might not know where to start
- Makes it look like what you are going to say about the passage is more important than the passage itself
How
- Mention scripture before you go there
- Pause while people find it
- Put the reference on screen
- Plan what to say while people are searching for the passage
Conclusion: Don’t empty the Word of its power!
What are your thoughts on the significance of this issue? Do you have any other ideas to help us avoid rushing to the reading?
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
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God bless, Malcolm
PS: If you would like some coaching in spiritual disciplines, look me up here.
PPS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John
