What do you think is the most common mistake when it comes to public speaking? If you think back on some cringe-worthy talks or presentations, even in the church, what was the biggest problem?
I’ll tell you what I think. It’s this: the talks lack focus; they lack a single key point, a ‘big idea.’
Every talk, no matter how short or how long, needs one key message. It’s the one thing you want people to remember when they go home, the one thing you feel is more important than anything else.
In his book Communicating for a Change (a great book for those wanting to grow their teaching skills by the way), Andy Stanley hammers this crucial approach home. Many of us have grown up listening to three point or even five point sermons. He did too, his own dad used that method. But as he states: people cannot remember five points, no matter how nicely alliterated. They can’t remember three points. But they can and will remember one point, one key message.
Focus
Helping people remember your message, then, is a first reason to structure your talk around a big idea, a key message. Another reason is that it will bring focus and help you cut out the unnecessary.
Once you’ve found your key point (and we’ll discuss how to get there in an upcoming post), you can structure your talk around it. That means ruthlessly cutting anything and everything that does not reinforce that key message. See what I mean about focus?
This is where so many speakers sabotage themselves. They have great Biblical content, true nuggets of wisdom, they have awesome inspiring stories and funny anecdotes, but they want to cram them all into one talk. As a result, the talk becomes unfocused and afterwards, no one can remember what it was about.
Transformation
There’s one last reason to have one single point to your talk and it has everything to do with the title of Andy Stanley’s book. You see, in the church, we usually don’t talk to convey information (unless it’s the announcements, but even then we have a higher purpose). We don’t teach so people can pass a test or reproduce exactly what we said. We teach so people may change.
Our deepest purpose is not information, but transformation. We long to see people transform through the power of the Holy Spirit. But a dose of information alone will not do that. Information does not produce change. If we give people a seven point-list on how to become more godly for instance, what will that change? Very little.
However, if we choose one single message, one actionable point and we share this in a compelling, attractive way…that will inspire people (through the work of the Holy Spirit, obviously) to try and apply this one message to their lives.
In the next post we’ll talk about how to find your key message, so stay tuned for more!
What do you remember from sermons or talks you’ve listened to in the last few weeks?
Do you agree with the focus on a single big idea?
[Camera lens image via marielinden4 via Compfight cc]
Tony Perez says
Thank you so much for this series. I have to share a message at a Men’s breakfast next month and am looking forward to applying what I learn in this series. I will be praying through this and look forward to finding the “key message” next time.
Rachel Blom says
Glad to be of help Tony! I pray God will bless you as you prepare this message. Never forget that of all the preaching and teaching ‘skills’, the most important aspect is a heart fully surrendered to God. Everything else flows from that!
John Finkelde says
Hey Rachel I’ve used Stanley’s entire framework for various messages and I’ve find it tends to suit personal, heart related messages e.g forgiveness, jealousyand so on.
While I’m a fan of the one big idea it can be restrictive at times and doesn’t suit all messages. Preaching thru a non-narrative passage of scripture is probably one of those times.
Interestingly, people read multiple point blog posts with little problem but maybe it’s a didn’t medium so different rules apply.
Ok I’ll stop rambling!
Rachel Blom says
I agree that with certain passages it can be hard to find the one key message. However, at the same time I find that when speakers don’t have a clear point to make, their messages become unfocused and I remember nothing afterwards…In non-narrative passages especially the information in the passage is often dense, so all the more reason to either limit the number of verses we speak on, or somehow frame them in a clear overall key point.
As for your last point: yes, people do read multiple point blog posts but there’s a difference. They read them, not hear them. That means they’re able to read, go back, review, and also see the outline the writer/blogger has put in the post. That makes is way easier to read and take in. That being said, I highly doubt that people remember and apply 6-point blog posts! 🙂
John Finkelde says
Yes good point about multiple point posts … I like them but forget them fairly quickly too.
Interestingly one of my favorite podcast preachers at the moment is Tim Keller and he is a classic three point man. However his content is engaging, informative and usually includes at least one ultra superb insight.
Sorry to be contrarian because I totally agree on your key point … focus is a problem in preaching today.
Thanks for engaging with my ramblings!
Eric Dye says
I wish more would follow this model. Most often than not, you’ve sat through an hour of mashed up ideas and are left without even knowing what the point was.
Rachel Blom says
Yup, been there. I remember one sermon in particular on John 3:16 where the guy held a 10-minute in depth analysis of each WORD of the verse. By the time we were at ‘so’ I was ready to fake an emergency call and leave…He talked for over an hour and at no point was there any line of reasoning, except for the word order in the English translation of the verse.
Trevor says
Some great ideas – thanks!
I remember some really rambling services as a child – especially when the service was supposedly a youth one and the vicar was trying to prove that (50 or 60 years older than most of us) they still related to us.
Mostly it didn’t work 🙁
Rachel Blom says
Oh yeah, I have many similar cringe-worthy memories 🙂