How we Learn

On Sunday afternoon I read a small book by Les Giblin, Skill with People.

In the introduction Giblin outlines three interesting human insights:
Insight #1 - How We Learn (and Buy)
83% through SIGHT
11% through HEARING
3.5% through SMELL
1.5% through TOUCH
1% through TASTE

Insight #2 - How We Retain Information
10% of what we READ
20% of what we HEAR
30% of what we SEE
50% of what we SEE & HEAR
70% of what we SAY AS WE TALK
90% of what we SAY AS WE DO A THING

Insight #3 - Methods of Instruction

Telling when Used Alone
70% recalled 3 hours later
10% recalled 3 days later

Showing When Used Alone
72% recalled 3 hours later
20% recalled 3 days later

Blend of Telling and Showing Used
85% recalled 3 hours later
65% recalled 3 days later

In terms of communication, the conclusion is that effective public speaking and preaching should be visually stimulating, including multi-media in such a way that it adds to, not detracts from from the message delivered.

Also, people need to in some way participate in the message via speech or action if they are to have a greater chance of retention. If there is no retention, both audience and orator have wasted their time.

"Pastor," said the worshipper, "what a wonderful sermon!" "That," replied the preacher, "remains to be seen."

Preaching and Preparation

Martin Niemoller, heroic Christian leader and war prisoner in Nazi Germany, told of a young German minister who said that instead of study, he trusted the Spirit for his sermons.

An older colleague commented: "As for me, the Holy Ghost never spoke to me in the pulpit. Yes, I remember, he did speak to me once. When I was going down the pulpit steps after a poor sort of sermon, the Holy Ghost spoke to me. He said only three words, and what he said was, 'Heinrich, you are lazy!'" In other words, "the Holy Spirit has much more important work to do than to substitute for human indolence."

The Wisdom of Winning

Charles Spurgeon at his brilliant best, commenting on Proverbs 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."

Sir Astley Cooper, on visiting Paris, was asked by the chief surgeon how many times he had performed a certain wonderful feat of surgery. He replied that he had performed the operation thirteen times.
“Ah, but, monsieur, I have done it one hundred and sixty times. How many times did you save the life?” continued the curious Frenchman, after he had looked into the blank amazement of Sir Astley’s face.
“I,” said the Englishman, “saved eleven out of the thirteen. How many did you save out of one hundred and sixty?”
“Ah, monsieur, I lost them all, but the operation was very brilliant!”
Of how many popular ministries might the same verdict be given! Souls are not saved, but the preaching is very brilliant. Thousands are attracted and operated on by the rhetorician’s art, but what if he should have to say of his admirers, “I lost them all, but the sermons were very brilliant!”

Four Rules of Preaching

I'm looking forward to i61 Conference in January 09, the youth conference hosted by Empire Youth of Kings.  The keynote speaker for the conference has just been confirmed - Kevin Caldwell, Youth Pastor at The Potters House in Dallas with Bishop TD Jakes. 

About two years ago I heard Chris Hill share TD Jakes' four rules of preaching - here's an excerpt...

1. Study Yourself Full

> Know absolutely everything you can about the text you’re speaking on

- when was this text written

  - why was it written

  - who wrote it

  - who was it written to

> Look at the text from the perspective of every person and object.  For example: If preaching on Job, don’t just be Job, be his wife, be his friends, be the boil!

> When approaching a text, don’t speak from what you’ve heard others say about that text.

> Know the text so well that you can live it

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

> It only takes one person to stand up and ask a question at the end of your sermon; if you don’t know the answer your credibility is gone. 

> Study one hour for every five minutes you plan to speak

  - i.e. 30 minute sermon, 6 hours study text

2. Think Yourself Clear

> Once you have gathered your information/revelation of the text, you must think your way through it logically

> Points are the skeleton of your sermon upon which you layer the muscle (revelation)

> A sermon with no points is pointless; a sermon with too many points is a porcupine and nobody can handle it

> It’s often difficult to communicate with your mouth what you hear in your heart, therefore say your sermon out loud before you come to preach it

 

3. Pray Yourself Hot

> Prayer burns you hot with passion

> Prayer gets the sermon from your head to your heart

> Prayer gives you a burden for the people

> If I’m not red hot about it before I speak, I have not prayed enough

> Pray for one hour for every five minutes you plan to speak

 

4. Let Yourself Go 

> We have a generation that is looking for people to keep it real.  One of the characteristics of a postmodern generation is that they want things real.  

> "Preacher, don’t cover up, smile, and pretend that your life is perfect.  If you’re perfect, I don’t want to listen to you because my life is not perfect and I cannot relate to you." 

> Any speaker you enjoy shows you that they are a real person

> Only when you’re transparent will the light of Jesus shine through you.

> Preaching is the process of unzipping yourself and letting people see your guts.  Let people see your raw emotions, let them see that you have highs and lows.

> When you get up to speak, let everything that’s burning inside of you come out and don’t worry about how you look or what people are thinking.

> When you have diligently studied your text, given your sermon structure, and prayed yourself hot, only then can you let yourself go

Spurgeon on Communication

I have been fortunate enough lately to observe some excellent communicators in action. Last Sunday night Brian Houston spoke at The Event at Kings, and I have made it to some sessions of the Planetshakers, notably Judah Smith's. This 'feast' of master communicators has got me thinking about this powerful art. What is it that makes a communicator particularly effective?

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) is dubbed as the undisputed Prince of Preachers. Spurgeon pastored the first 'megachurch', the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in London in the late 1800's.

The following are four directives on effective communication from the Prince of Preachers:

1. Cultivate a Clear Style
"When a man does not make me understand what he means, it is because he does not himself know what he means...I believe that many 'deep' preachers are simply so because they are like dry wells with nothing whatever in them, except decaying leaves, a few stones, and perhaps a dead cat or two... It is not enough to be so plain that you can be understood, you must speak so that you cannot be misunderstood."

2. Cultivate a Cogent Style
"Our speech must be forceful. Some imagine that this consists in speaking loudly, but I can assure them they are in error. Nonsense does not improve by being bellowed...Let us be forcible by reason of the excellence of our matter, and the energy of spirit which we throw into the delivery of it."

3. Cultivate Naturalness
"...may a living, natural, simple way of talking out the gospel be learned by us all."

4. Cultivate Persuasiveness
Spurgeon admired speakers who could connect personally with each hearer, "preachers who in their sermons seem to take their hearers one by one by the button-hole, and drive the truth right into their souls." He encouraged preachers to adapt themselves to their different situations - "Suit yourselves to your audiences...The greatest master of oratory...is able to address any class of people in a manner suitable to their condition, and likely to touch their hearts."