Preaching that Connects: Using Journalistic Techniques to Add Impact

161 Pages·1994·1 MB·English

by  Mark Galli

PREACHING
THAT CONNECTS
Mark Galli and Craig Brian Larson
F O R E W O RD BY H A D D ON W. R O B I N S ON
Master the craft of effective communication
that grabs attention and wins hearts.
Like everyone else, preachers long to be understood. Unfortunately,
the rules first learned in seminary, if misapplied, can quickly turn
homiletic precision into listener boredom.
To capture heart and mind, Mark Galli and Craig Larson sug­
gest preachers turn to the lessons of journalism. In Preaching That
Connects, they show how the same keys used to create effective,
captivating communication in the media can transform a sermon.
Amply illustrated from some of today's best preachers,
Preaching That Connects walks through the entire sermon, from the
critical introduction to the bridge to illustrations and final applica­
tion. Key points include the five techniques for generating creative
ideas, your six options for illustrations, and the ten rules for great
storytelling—and why the transition sentence is the hardest sentence
you'll write.
Preaching That Connects is for all who seek to hone their craft
to communicate the truth of the gospel effectively.
MARK GALLI is the managing editor of Christianity Today magazine,
was a pastor for ten years and is the author of numerous books on prayer,
preaching, and pastoral ministry.
CRAIG BRIAN LARSON is editor of PreachingToday.com and Preaching
Today audio, both by Christianity Today, and the pastor of Lake Shore
Church in Chicago.
Cover design: Tobias' Outerwear for Books
' J O NI )I:KVAN
PREACHING
THAT CONNECTS

Using Journalistic
Techniques
to Add Impact
PREACHING
T H AT CONNECTS
Mark Galli and Craig Brian Larson
TONDERVAN "
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 49530 USA
^ON OE RVAIST
Preaching That Connects
Copyright © 1994 by Mark Galli and Craig Brian Larson
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Galli, Mark.
Preaching that connects : using journalistic techniques to add impact / Mark
Galli and Craig Brian Larson,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-310-38621-7 (softcover)
1. Preaching 2. Communication—Religious aspects—Christianity.
I. Galli, Mark. II. Title.
BV4211.2.L375 1994 94-9870
251 — dc20 CIP
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible:
New International Version". NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechani­
cal, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed
reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Edited by Elizabeth Yoder
Printed in the United States of America
06 07 08 09 /• DC/ 20 19 18 17 16
To Ernest Iden Bradley,
who took a chance on an unexperienced young
giving him his first opportunity to preach.
—MARK GALLI
To Marvin Fulks,
who nurtured men as a preacher,
and to Jim Hall,
who taught me to study the Word.
—BRIAN LARSON

Contents
Acknowledgments 8
Foreword by Haddon Robinson 9
Preface 11
1. Love Your Hearers as Yourself 13
2. How to Be More Creative 23
3. Introductions That Get Listeners 35
4. Structuring Your Sermon for Maximum Effect 47
5. When You Can't Find an Illustration 57
6. Good Illustrations — and Great Ones 71
7. How to Tell a Good Story 81
8. A Forceful Style 91
9. Crafting Words That Inspire 105
10. Pacing 117
11. Finishing Strong 127
12. Preaching Within Yourself — and Beyond 139
Notes 147
Index of Persons Cited or Quoted.. 155
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Marshall Shelley and the editors of
Leadership journal and Christianity Today, Inc., for sharpening our
journalistic skills and for exposing us to the array of great preach­
ers featured on Preaching Today.
Thanks also to those who have granted permission to use
extensive quotations from sermons:
Excerpts from the sermon "When Life Crowds You Out" by
Bruce Thielemann are used in chapter 3 with the permission of
Mrs. Alyce Thielemann.
Excerpts from the sermon "Why I Believe in the Church" are
used in chapter 10 with the permission of Jay Kesler.
Excerpts from the sermon "The Hard Side of Epiphany" are
used in chapter 10 with the permission of Fred B. Craddock.
8