Pastors, Teachers - It is too easy to settle into the familiar with our presentations.  Same basic message, same basic stance, tone of voice, position on stage, beginning and ending - all the same - week after week, year after year.  

Though our people will be gracious and some will listen, we take the risk of losing many, especially teens.  As humans, our brains crave surprise, newness, the unknown.  It is what stimulates us to pay attention, to hear where we don't normally hear, to see with different eyes.  

That is the role of creativity, and it is a MUST for those of us who present the Word of God.  If people don't remember what we say, then why are we speaking?

Creativity jars our audience OUT of the mundane and surprises them INTO attention. Here are three simple ways you can be creative.

When we preach the word of God we do so most often appealing to the intellect of our audience.  We want them to study, II Timothy 2:15, reason, Acts 17:2 and then make a decision for change, either to stop doing something wrong they are doing or start doing something good that they aren't doing.  

And yet there was a reason why Jesus used story telling constantly in his ministry.  Jesus knew that while he could give people reasons, which he did, they would not make decisions until they "felt" like it, or until their emotions were involved.  As a result, he used stories, the greatest tool for tapping into people's emotions.

A few years ago, neuroscientist, Antonio Demasio, made a groundbreaking discovery. He studied people with damage in the part of the brain where emotions are generated. While they seemed normal in most instances, they were not able to feel emotions. As a result, they all had something peculiar in common: they...

How do you accomplish the impossible?

God's power

AND

discipline.  

Here's 3 steps to get discipline in your own life and the 3 steps you must teach others in order for them to have a disciplined life.

Many years ago Richard Foster wrote the classic The Celebration Of Discipline.  It was not a book that I wanted to read.  I thought it would be laborious, judgmental, frustrating and leave me with a terrible case of "I'm a loser".   

None of that occurred.  In fact, the book became one of my favorite.  A book that pointed the way to freedom, power and accomplishment in life.  

These 3 steps are the start.  Without these three, you will never engage in a disciplined life and without that type of life you cannot hope to accomplish what God has called you to do and be.

Blessings,

Vance

Dr. Vance

We all like to think that we can keep our audiences spellbound with our preaching and teaching.  But, no matter how good you are, no matter how many years you've been teaching, there will be times when you look down into the audience and see people nodding off, distracted, whispering or surfing the net.

To continue the way you have been going means that you waste their time and yours because frankly they are not going to remember anything more that you say.  

What can you do?

Here are 4 very simple methods for regaining your audience.  4 simple ways to go from boring to "What did he just say?!!"

May you use these to more effectively communicate our Lord's gospel.

Blessings,

Vance

Dr. Vance Hardisty