Use the right language. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. ” – Nelson Mandela When trying to bridge the world of the Bible and the world of an audience, it's important to understand both contexts.  We want to hear from Scripture an authentic and accurate word; to do so means understanding first what the passage meant and then what it means. After that, our next task is to communicate truth in a way that makes sense to our audience.  To do so requires finding their language -- what are they dealing with, reeling from, suspicious about?  What's their language?

Know what you're not saying. "A man does not know what he is saying until he knows what he is not saying." – G. K. Chesterton One of the hardest disciplines in preaching is knowing what to eliminate from your outline.  Too many times we have two or three really good sermons packed into one sermon.  Slice and dice until you have the essential message.

Have soul. "I believe that one always does himself and his audience an injustice when he speaks merely for the sake of speaking. I do not believe that one should speak unless, deep down in his heart, he feels convinced that he has a message to deliver. When one feels, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head, that he has something to say that is going to help some individual or some cause, then let him say it; and in delivering his message I do not believe that many of the artificial rules of elocution can, under such circumstances, help him very much. Although there are certain things, such as pauses, breathing, and pitch of voice, that are very important, none of these can take the place of soul in an address. When I have an address to deliver, I like to forget all about…

Mix and mingle. "If you are the type that gets frightened or intimidated by speaking to large groups, it doesn't hurt to speak to a couple people in the audience before you start your speech." - Kate White We may stand before crowds but we speak to individuals.  While it may not be possible to mix and mingle before every sermon or speech, it does help to strengthen the human connection between speaker and audience.  It creates warmth and removes the distance between seat and stage.