17/09/2026
Why do people sleep on my sermons???
Some preachers are known to be a lullaby each time they stand on the podium people sleep. Others are bothered but some seem unbuffered because they have been doing it long enough that if they cared they would have changed.
But today I want to help one who is saying I am bothered.
Consider these things;
1. Study your audience
Every audience has certain subjects that are beyond their reach or maybe 🤔 a degree of depth that may be too much for them.to grasp. Imagine on an ordinary Sunday service and you are launching deep into financial teachings with that deep mathematical language like lamda, phi and omicron. Yet the moment you are past x & y you would have lost have the congregation.
So know your audience, are they youths, adults, students, leaders or a mixed multitudes.
There are certain topics that would get a positive response if addressed to a specific group, not in mixed group.
2. Topic or theme selection8 anxious and excited. Set a theme that ignites expectations in your audience. And please do justice to it.
3. Time your presentation
Give your presentation a reasonable time frame that is able to be within the listening span of your audience. Leave whilst people want you to continue.
4.Organise your points
You hear someone saying I don't write my speech or sermon I just speak..ummmm thats a dangerous habit. Do your research and create meaningful points. It guides your sermon so that it won't be repetitive and boring. Move within a sequence that one is able to follow you. The most common way is to use the schematic system. Whereby you start from.the known going to the unfamiliar, simple to difficult.
5. Make use of illustrations
When you use illustrations it makes your presentation easy to remember and follow through. Also the audience becomes part of what you are doing so they will be active participants. It irons out grey areas that might have skipped the audience maybe through language barriers, semantics or otherwise.
6. Good gestures
Some speakers weaken the audience by their posture, voice projection and gestures. The moment you show that you are not sure of what you are presenting on you have already lost a huge part of your audience. Be confident and use coherent gestures to support your presentation.
