Sermon Design

The two most important sentences in a sermon are the first sentences and the last ones...How a sermon begins has great bearing on how likely it is that , people; especially those with short attention span or have a busy schedule all the time, are going to pay attention to what a preacher has to preach. Even with narrative sermons an introduction plays an important role in getting people into. The story. What the preacher wants to do in that brief moment of introduction is to make a connection between the content of the sermon that has been prepared and the congregation that has gathered on that day....

The purpose of the introduction in a sermon is to hint at the matter to be discussed.In the sermon in a way that establishes interest in the topic among the listeners. An introduction should not consist of small talk, pointless anecdotes or the formalities of acknowledging and greeting the congregation. Nor should it be confused with the first point in a three point sermon. An introduction is a targeted and intentional act with one purpose and one purpose only: to establish interest in the topic for the day and to make a case for why it is urgent or beneficial for the people gathered that day to hear what is about to be said.

There are a variety of ways to shape an introduction. Most preachers use a type of three point sermon method beyond the dialectic method we spoke about previously, that consists of the following: 1) Tell them what are you going to tell them; 2) tell them; and 3) tell them what you have told them.