Teaching Tip 360 | “Plain Speaking – Speak With Life” | Malcolm Cox

Introduction
Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively” by David Bercot.


What does it mean to ‘speak with life’? Well, does your lesson have ‘life’ in it? Does it contain a spark? If so, it will fly from your mouth to your listener’s heart and set it aflame. What does life look like in a speaker? Enthusiasm. Bercot shares three healthy expressions of enthusiasm in a preacher.

  1. Gestures. Our bodies naturally move when we are excited about something and talking about it with a friend. As such, we should not really concern ourselves too deliberately as to our gestures. A lack of movement is likely a sign that we lack enthusiasm for our subject. No artificial use of gestures will fix that. However, pay attention to distracting movement (watching yourself on camera will reveal any problems in that area), and consider any points in your lesson that would be helpfully highlighted by movement.
  2. Confidence. Arrogance and confidence are poles apart. I’m guessing you wouldn’t be engaging with this material if you were arrogant anyway, therefore let’s focus on confidence. The right kind of confidence comes from good preparation, making your main point a personal conviction, avoiding hypocrisy, and trusting that God is with you—working through his Word by the power of the Spirit.
  3. Conviction. Speak your mind. Jesus was gentle, merciful, and kind, but he was clear. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t be like the preacher who “almost said something.” Bear in mind that conviction can come across as overbearing, pompous, and harsh. Ask someone you consider safe as to how you come across when sharing your convictions.

What are your thoughts on speaking with life?

Conclusion
Next time, we will go on to explore how to speak with an interesting and clear voice’.

Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so.

Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching.

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Remember to keep calm, and carry on teaching.

God bless, Malcolm