Speaking God’s Word

1. Speaking God’s Word Delivering a Talk and Giving a Testimony

2. A. Preparing for a talk 1. Begin with the end in mind.

3. 2. Internalize the talk---understand it.

4. 3. Prepare your outline.

5. 4. Prayer

6. B. Presenting the Outline 1. Prayers 2. Speaking to the Audience 3. Clarity 4. Tailor-fitting Your Talk (Speak in a way that fits your audience). 5. Posture 6. Dressing Decently 7. Time 8. Ending With a High Note

7. Attitudes • Good speakers are made not born. • Stage fright is natural, you can even use it to your advantage. Trust in the Lord. God often allows us to experience this so that it will allow us to pray.

8. It is the Lord’s work to save, not yours. • Don’t impress. Speak only what the Lord wants you to say. if you have prepared, you’ve done your part. The Lord does the rest. • Your goal is not to make the participants cry or to convince them, but to tell the truth.

9. Love the people you are speaking to. As Christ allowed you to experience this love, He wants the people you are speaking to, to experience it as well. • Remember that they need the Lord, and that’s why you are speaking to them. • Availability • Accept assignments to speak or share. • Not accepting would be tantamount to saying that God has not been able to do anything in your life.

10. Additional Points a. Tips in creating an effective Powerpoint Presentation: • Minimize the number of slides 2. Choose a font style and size that your audience can read from a distance

11. 3. Keep your text simple 4. The slides should be readable. Never use red on blue, green on yellow 5. Be prepared to give the talk even without the Powerpoint.

12. b. Strive for a conversational tone c. Envision the audience's response.

13. d. Practice: Mirrored draft – try giving your talk in front of a mirror Recorded draft – try hearing yourself giving a talk Live draft – try it out with a small audience, possibly your wife.

14. e. Non-verbal delivery • Pan, left to right. Don’t get glued. • Smile increases trust. • Use gestures. • Watch out for mannerisms.

15. Sharing your personal testimony

16. Personal Testimonies given after a talk is used to show that what is said in the talk can actually happen. These are stories of “bad to good” or “good to better” situations in our lives.

17. The ABC’s of Sharing: A – Authentic B - Brief C - Christ-centered

18. Prepare your personal testimony/ sharing. • Choose one aspect in your life that the Lord is working in, one that is related to the talk being given. (e.g. resentment)

19. Divide your sharing into 3 parts: • Before: share what you were experiencing in that area of your life before the Lord began to work. (E.g. I was resentful of my parents...) • During: show what the turning point was. What did the Lord do? (E.g. I found out the Lord forgave me so I should forgive...) • After: How has that area in your life improved so far. (E.g. Slowly my relationship with my parents is healing. We can now talk to each other more...)

20. The ideal time for sharing your personal testimony is 3 to 5 minutes. • Make your sharing personal, concrete. This makes it real. • Stick only to what is true. Don’t exaggerate your sharing.

21. Attitudes • Be confident. It is good to note that nobody will disagree with your sharing because it’s subjective. • Whatever your sharing is, somebody out there needs to hear your story. Somebody will be able to relate with your experience. • As the Lord continues to work in new areas of your life, so will your sharing evolve as well. Update your sharing.

22. Instructions: • Group yourselves into three. • Spend 10 minutes to outline your testimony. Remember the three parts, before, during, and (after) present • Give a 2-minute sharing to your group. Be open for advice.