The easiest way to teach or preach without notes is to select a topic that you have extensive experience or education in. For example, if you teach on a topic that you use to witness, you will have practice and passion. I can speak for hours on getting good grades (John 14:26, Psalms 119:99-100, I John 2:27, James 1:5, Daniel 1:17-20), evangelism technique, overcoming temptation, how to intercede for others, because these are topics that I have extensive practice in. If I select some topic that is new, it might be flat. I avoid flat sermons, so 99% of the time, I teach a sermon that I taught before. Also If I preach, I teach 3 topics about 10 minutes each with a fiery ending. You need a fiery ending if you are going to do an alter call. I do not prepare too much the first topic or introduction, but rather warm up my voice the first 10 minutes teaching. People remember how you finish, not how you start. I know that this is contrary to what is taught, but you cannot preach 20 minutes, blow out your voice and finish weak, they will never invite you back. And I hear people say about these beginners, "He doesn't know how to preach!"
This is very helpful. I write the same about of words for my sermons. 2500 to 3000. But I have 6-7 pages. What font do you use? Maybe I have it so big because I preach from it.
I've been regularly preaching through books of the Bible for 10 years now. Probably 20% was fully written manuscripts (earlier) and I've mostly done 3-4 pages in a small moleskinne over the last 7-8 years. But I'm thinking of using no notes (trying on a Wednesday night with smaller crowd of 30-40) and we'll see how it goes. This was very helpful - particularly about writing out key blocks of thoughts. That last part about quotes and for me the cross referencing makes it tough to go completely noteless. Thanks brother!
Thank you, Pastor Matt! Great stuff! I’ve always memorized my stuff (a large majority of the time) and you perfectly communicated the WHY behind it! Thank you for your faithfulness and content!
Good video Pastor Matt. I minister in the local jail and I have found that I write out my sermon in my prep but commit most to memory. I generally take only a Post-It note with shorthand points and a few scripture references. There is no pulpit in the jail.
Great advice Pastor. Funny I stumbled on your vid here. Ive been going through the same experience the last couple of years. I used to be a read it from the notes preacher and I found my listeners losing interest. Plus I just felt uncomfortable. Then I decided to step out in front of the pulpit and engage the audience eye to eye. And yep, just like you said, it got much more easier each time. Now my note taking has been totally re-formatted. Look forward to seeing you in action. GOD Bless!
I did like and subscribe. I appreciate you for sharing. Having been called to ministry, and headed to seminary to start this Fall; I am excited and faithful that God will continue to provide me valuable resources like the content you share on your channel. Love you, too. May God richly bless you for giving freely and plainly so that others may learn to serve competently and with the greatest care.❤️ Those starting out in ministry need mentors; not every seminarian comes from a long line of preachers, has deep pockets, or strong foundation of support in family or a church home. This aside, where’er he leads me, I shall follow. I have faith and therefore, I know God will do the rest. In Loving KINDNESS, -DD
I very much enjoyed this series. I wish our AG pastors were better trained in their preaching skills. The AG have inherited much from our Presbyterian influences but desperately need to go back and reexamine some things. God bless you.
I took a course in public speaking when I was in my sophomore year at college. It was a required couse of all students. (Rhetoric still was taken seriously in education back then, in the early to middle of the 1960s.) It was a life-long great experience, though a lot of work. The technic that I used in all of my public speaking through my professional life (as librarian), which I did rather frequently, was to indicate ONLY key words or concepts briefly stated, to guide the sequence of what I would say. There was nothing before me to read, per se. I would extemporise from my noted train of thought to express. This worked well for me and enabled me very seldom to lose eye contact with my listeners.
My first sermon was a detailed manuscript. After that produced a 55 minute sermon, I moved on to very detailed outlines. Now I only use a “bare bones” outline to keep me on track. I used to follow “rabbit trails” and end up lost in my sermons, or preaching myself into a corner. Now I normally only glance at my notes or use them like you do- for quotes. I appreciate you brother!
This is excellent! I have found that I could preach a sermon without notes a few months ago, and how I preach is with an outline with my quotes or illustration numbered to points in the outline to numbered pages that way if I can't recall them precisely I have them handy.
The easiest way to teach or preach without notes is to select a topic that you have extensive experience or education in. For example, if you teach on a topic that you use to witness, you will have practice and passion. I can speak for hours on getting good grades (John 14:26, Psalms 119:99-100, I John 2:27, James 1:5, Daniel 1:17-20), evangelism technique, overcoming temptation, how to intercede for others, because these are topics that I have extensive practice in. If I select some topic that is new, it might be flat. I avoid flat sermons, so 99% of the time, I teach a sermon that I taught before.
Also If I preach, I teach 3 topics about 10 minutes each with a fiery ending. You need a fiery ending if you are going to do an alter call. I do not prepare too much the first topic or introduction, but rather warm up my voice the first 10 minutes teaching. People remember how you finish, not how you start. I know that this is contrary to what is taught, but you cannot preach 20 minutes, blow out your voice and finish weak, they will never invite you back. And I hear people say about these beginners, "He doesn't know how to preach!"
As a street preacher I don't have time to go through notes so memorizing a lot of what I'm going to say is important. God bless you brother.
Do you type or write out your manuscript? Thank you Pastor Matthew!
Just allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in ministering to the people and you will speak and preach extemporaneous message.
Sorry, I'm late to the show. Do you, or do you know of anyone who has used mind maps to prepare sermons? Love the channel!
Do you preach like pastor TD Jakes?
This is very helpful. I write the same about of words for my sermons. 2500 to 3000. But I have 6-7 pages. What font do you use? Maybe I have it so big because I preach from it.
I've been regularly preaching through books of the Bible for 10 years now. Probably 20% was fully written manuscripts (earlier) and I've mostly done 3-4 pages in a small moleskinne over the last 7-8 years. But I'm thinking of using no notes (trying on a Wednesday night with smaller crowd of 30-40) and we'll see how it goes. This was very helpful - particularly about writing out key blocks of thoughts. That last part about quotes and for me the cross referencing makes it tough to go completely noteless. Thanks brother!
where is the link to watch you brother
Thank you, Pastor Matt! Great stuff! I’ve always memorized my stuff (a large majority of the time) and you perfectly communicated the WHY behind it! Thank you for your faithfulness and content!
How much time to you put into memorization? I may have missed it if said in the video sorry.
as a preacher,i dont remember using notes all these year.....john.14:26
Good video Pastor Matt. I minister in the local jail and I have found that I write out my sermon in my prep but commit most to memory. I generally take only a Post-It note with shorthand points and a few scripture references. There is no pulpit in the jail.
Thank you so much for this, you explained it so clearly. I wanted to start giving my devotionals without looking at notes and I'm excited to start.
Great advice Pastor. Funny I stumbled on your vid here. Ive been going through the same experience the last couple of years. I used to be a read it from the notes preacher and I found my listeners losing interest. Plus I just felt uncomfortable. Then I decided to step out in front of the pulpit and engage the audience eye to eye. And yep, just like you said, it got much more easier each time. Now my note taking has been totally re-formatted. Look forward to seeing you in action. GOD Bless!
I would love to see a copy of your notes
I did like and subscribe. I appreciate you for sharing. Having been called to ministry, and headed to seminary to start this Fall; I am excited and faithful that God will continue to provide me valuable resources like the content you share on your channel. Love you, too. May God richly bless you for giving freely and plainly so that others may learn to serve competently and with the greatest care.❤️ Those starting out in ministry need mentors; not every seminarian comes from a long line of preachers, has deep pockets, or strong foundation of support in family or a church home. This aside, where’er he leads me, I shall follow. I have faith and therefore, I know God will do the rest. In Loving KINDNESS, -DD
I very much enjoyed this series. I wish our AG pastors were better trained in their preaching skills. The AG have inherited much from our Presbyterian influences but desperately need to go back and reexamine some things. God bless you.
I took a course in public speaking when I was in my sophomore year at college. It was a required couse of all students. (Rhetoric still was taken seriously in education back then, in the early to middle of the 1960s.) It was a life-long great experience, though a lot of work. The technic that I used in all of my public speaking through my professional life (as librarian), which I did rather frequently, was to indicate ONLY key words or concepts briefly stated, to guide the sequence of what I would say. There was nothing before me to read, per se. I would extemporise from my noted train of thought to express. This worked well for me and enabled me very seldom to lose eye contact with my listeners.
My first sermon was a detailed manuscript. After that produced a 55 minute sermon, I moved on to very detailed outlines. Now I only use a “bare bones” outline to keep me on track. I used to follow “rabbit trails” and end up lost in my sermons, or preaching myself into a corner. Now I normally only glance at my notes or use them like you do- for quotes.
I appreciate you brother!
Thanks for this series. Came for the Bible reviews, stayed for the preaching advice.
Excellent class. A Pastor and a Professor!
Love your videos bro
This is excellent! I have found that I could preach a sermon without notes a few months ago, and how I preach is with an outline with my quotes or illustration numbered to points in the outline to numbered pages that way if I can't recall them precisely I have them handy.
Thank you very much Pastor,,I learned so much from your teachings..very big help for me.
Yes! Visualisation is key, and these are EXCELLENT techniques. Experimentation pays! Thanks, Pastor Matt, for another fine installment in the series!
I can’t tell you how important it can be to NOt be note-bound in preaching!
Brother, thank you, so much
Thank you Mathew; very helpful
Love this. Thank you
Interestingly, the Lord's day is not the first day of the week but the seventh-day.