Stick with it. "All the great speakers were bad speakers at first." - Ralph Waldo Emerson The only way to get better at preaching (or public speaking) is to do it over and over and over again. In business terms, it's called churning. Develop the product and churn it. When it comes to preaching, it's a never-ending process of learning what worked and what didn't. It's getting comfortable in front of a crowd. It's sticking with it.
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"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not the one who does not feel afraid, but who conquers fear." -- Nelson Mandela. This from a man who spent 27 years in a South African prison for standing up against apartheid - racial inequalities. Growth in life is not the absence of pivotal circumstances. It is the result of allowing God to work in those circumstances. The most pivotal circumstance in all of history was when Jesus prayed before going to the cross. Not my will but yours be done. We can overcome our pivotal circumstances because Jesus faced his. Posted from WordPress for Android
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Paraphrasing Phillips Brooks, a 19th century preacher in Boston, preaching is "God speaking through personality." Effective preaching occurs when the Word that been stirring within the preacher becomes the words he uses in a sermon. That's why it's almost impossible to preach someone else's passion. Once when Mark Twain's wife grew weary of his constant foul language, she repeated back word-for-word a sentence filled with curse words. Twain smiled and said she had the words right but she lacked the passion. It's why David refused to fight in Saul's armor; it wasn't the right size. It wasn't David's armor. God wants to speak through jars of clay. Out of our life experiences God wants to work and use them to bless others. As preachers we want to say the right words but let us never just recite them back without passion. Posted from WordPress for Android
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Perhaps you've heard of Corrie ten Boom, a young Dutch lady whose family helped hide Jews during the height of Nazi persecution. After the war, she went on to become a powerful and inspiration speaker and writer. You may not know much about her family, particularly her father: Casper ten Boom. While operating a successful jewelry business, he also started a ministry to the poor in Amsterdam. It was called "For the Salvation of the People." When the Nazi's began their persecution of the Jews and required the Jews to wear the star of David, Casper ten Boom wore one, too. In 1942 he became an active part of the Dutch Resistance, helping hide Jews as they traveled to safety. Two years later, the Gestapo raided his house, arresting Casper and his family. He was 84 years old when they sent him to prison. Here's how his last few days…
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Read this morning a good blog post by Kevin Eikenberry about how leaders can create buy-in or ownership. Here are his nine steps but I recommend you read the entire post. ********** Be genuine. State your intention (sometimes). Most of the time it is a good idea to tell people what you are doing. Be prepared. Don’t shoot from the hip. Give context, not opinions. Talk about why. Ask. Yup, ask for their input. Get their ideas. Shut up and listen. Think “and”. Leave your “but” mindset at home. Summarize and add as needed.
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