Day 166- A Sermon Introduction First

My family helped me with my sermon introduction as my "first" today.

I've been preaching a series of sermons on the question, "What is the wise thing to do?"  At the beginning of each sermon, I've asked several questions to just sort of get people thinking and involved with the message.  Since this was the last message in the series (about 6 weeks) I decided to ask them to help me with some opening questions.  They readily agreed. It's been encouraging how helpful they have been to me in my year of "firsts."

Here are some of the questions they gave me to use in my sermon.
Would you rather go to Paris or Hawaii? - Hannah Grace
Would you rather walk a tightrope or be shot out of a cannon?- Laura
Would you rather go to Uganda or Haiti? - Joel

They had more but that gives you an idea.  So, I used some of their questions in my sermon introduction this morning.  Hopefully, this helped the interest level at the beginning of the message. I usually try to use a question, story, joke, or something like that to get people's attention and get them involved in the message at the very first.

Laura weighs her options and chooses tightrope

Joel says he would choose Uganda

Hannah Grace chooses Paris over Hawaii

The cat did not help with the sermon introduction but seems to choose Joel tonight

The cat also likes her play mouse

Part of my sermon introduction is designed to get people's attention and introduce the subject.  Are you trying to get people's attention directed toward Jesus?  That's a challenge for those of us who are followers of Jesus every day.  I want people to think about Jesus. I hate it when Jesus seems to be ignored. He is too important and too valuable to ignore.  What can I do or say that will help people think of Jesus?  I can tell them what Jesus has done for me in a humble way.  I can talk freely about what I'm learning about Jesus.  I can share answered prayers.  When people ask me how I'm doing, I can answer in a way that might turn their thoughts to Jesus.  For example, when someone asks me how I'm doing, I could say something like:

• Blessed and then some
• Grateful
• Better than I deserve
• Happy because Jesus loves me
• Getting better every day- I have a friend who says this because every day is one day closer to seeing Jesus.

Let's brag on Jesus.  Paul, a man whose life was radically changed by Jesus, wrote in Galatians 6:14, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Bragging on Jesus in the abundant life
Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1. The kindness my family has shown me on Father's Day
2. God is my Father
3. God's wisdom