“Practice variety. Don’t start every sermon the same way. Be creative. Use different doors to get into the house. Tell a story. Raise a question. State a problem. Use a strong quote. Describe the background of the text. Do an object lesson. Try multimedia. Mix it up. Practice diversity. Change the way you come at them, especially if you preach to the same congregation each week. Practicing variety in the introduction is a simple but effective way to stay fresh in the pulpit.”

Very true, and very sensitive to the needs of a congregation. It is so wearisome when a pastor’s sermons always begin in a very similar way.

Thanks David for bringing this to my attention.