5 Secrets to Making Your Sermon Unforgettable

1. Be Relatable

One of the most important aspects of having a sermon connect with the audience is their ability to relate to you. A preacher who seems distant from the audience will have difficulty communicating their message. Some preachers like to use examples that confirm what their audience is already doing. For example, a preacher might tell the congregation that to be a real Christian, they can't watch Harry Potter movies. While many congregation members might clap in agreement as they are already not doing that, it simply makes them feel good to know they are a "real" Christian. However, that's not a biblical concept. The grace and mercy of the cross can cover watching a Harry Potter movie. Although we can agree that it's important to monitor what we are putting into our minds and bodies as we seek to worship the Lord, making a statement like this may make people feel good in the short- term, but in the end, confuse or even unnecessarily shame people when they watch something that would be equally as inappropriate.

2. Use Colorful Illustrations

We are a story-driven society. Videos dominate our culture. Social media feeds like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have all taken the world by storm, simply because people like to look at videos. In our screen driven world, people want illustrations that not only tell a compelling story but also evoke the senses. One of the more common mistakes writers make is they tell, but they don't show. This means writers tend to simply state facts of the story rather than filling in details that evoke the senses. For example, a pastor talking about visiting his grandma might want to include details about what the house looked like, what she cooked for dinner, what it was like to visit her as a child, etc. These types of details not only give people something to focus on but also help the preacher drive the point home.

Illustrations often steer the sermon in the right direction. Offer an illustration after every two to three minutes of information. Not only do illustrations help drive certain points home, but they also break up the text so that it's not a litany of information or facts. This keeps the audience engaged and focused on the stated topic.

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3. Be Vulnerable

Writers who write nonfiction material need to prove they are experts on that topic. Sharing vulnerably with their audience with their experience with the topic builds credibility and trust with the audience. In the same way, preachers who offer personal stories show they have experience with the topic, build credibility with the audience, and help the audience build trust and intimacy with the communicator. Although it may be difficult to strike the delicate balance between oversharing and not sharing at all, being vulnerable regarding a pastor's failures and mistakes in light of the topic can be incredibly helpful in helping people be inspired to change their lives.

4. Pack a Punch

Preachers sometimes preach too long. Their sermons can often be an hour. Because we are so video-driven, information is constantly changing. Understanding that people's attention spans were not as they once were years prior will help the communicator craft a sermon in such a way that each word packs a punch. A 20-minute sermon focused solely on one passage of Scripture with poignant illustrations and an application step at the end can be just as transformative as a 50-minute expository sermon going verse by verse through the Bible. A good communicator will understand what their audience can handle and what they can't. Good communicators will think more about their audience than they want to communicate. They will tailor their sermons accordingly so the audience will receive the main thesis statement as well as an application step so that they can apply what they're learning throughout the week.

5. Interaction Is Key

At a former church, my pastor husband crafted the sermon each Sunday service to be more interactive. This meant that people could ask questions and dialogue with the sermon as it was being told in real-time. People loved this because they were able to express their opinions, but also their doubts and disagreement with the Scripture. Wrestling with the Scripture with the congregation was helpful and people could interact with each other, sharpening each other while expressing their own viewpoint regarding their interpretation of the passage. He had received many positive comments from people who loved this part of the church service because they could express their doubts, failures, and mistakes in an atmosphere free of judgment or condemnation. They could also apply what they were hearing to their own lives based on the experiences they had with the particular topic.

Many sermons simply state facts but don't help the audience apply what they're hearing. A good sermon is applied in such a way where the person's life has changed with the Holy Spirit because of their interaction with the topic. For example, a person who desires to pray more but simply can't fit it into their overpacked schedule needs to hear a practical application step for their life. Perhaps the preacher would encourage them to get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning, set a timer, and sit quietly with the Lord. This will not only help them understand that prayer is not only about talking to God, but also listening to God giving them a practical step that will help them grow. They're then able to apply it to their overpacked schedule and still adopt a life of spiritual maturity, rather than simply hearing a bunch of facts about prayer, or worse, feeling guilty because they don't pray enough. While conviction is good for the soul in that it inspires people to change, they must have practical, tangible steps for how to do such things. A sermon is no good if the hearer only hears the word but does not do it.

Regular church attendance has declined over the years, especially since COVID. People who dedicate their Sunday morning to listening to a sermon intend to hear something that will change how they view or interact with God. The communicator is tasked with a great responsibility to communicate in such a way that touches their audience. By using colorful illustrations, being vulnerable and credible with their audience, and interacting with them by using words that will pack a punch, people who strive to change something in their spiritual lives may walk in on a Sunday morning one way but make him out completely transformed.

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