Yesterday I shared my Sermon Prep Checklist [Find it here]. Since many new expositors struggle with how to begin a sermon properly, I thought that these 10 Do’s and Dont’s of Sermon Introductions might be helpful to some. Please make sure to post any questions you might have in the comments below.

Do:

1. Be clear, and concise. Make an impact that will leave your listener wanting more.
2. Be creative. Introducing every sermon in the same manner gets as tedious as a bologna sandwich every day for lunch. Mix it up.
3. Be careful in your use of sensational or shocking introductions. They may distract from the message itself, and if over-done will desensitize your listeners over time.
4. Be brief. Don’t repeat yourself or use multiple illustrations. Get to the main idea and transition into your proposition as quickly as possible. Your job is to exposit the text—so move on to it!
5. Be energetic. Nothing invites a wandering mind and a good nap than a boring preacher.

Do not:

1. Make your introduction disproportionate to the sermon. Your intro is like a porch to your sermon (the house). Make the porch fit the house.
2. Cram details into the introduction that should more properly be placed into the sermon under a main or sub-point.
3. Avoid eye contact or read your intro. Eye contact is important to engage your listeners. Know your intro so well that you will not need to read it. With that said, lengthy quotes are seldom appropriate in an introduction.
4. Introduce your first point, or a sub-point or idea in your sermon. This is confusing. Introduce the main idea of the sermon, which should cover your proposition and outline.
5. Introduce the book, genre, author or audience. This material is background, but not the main idea of the text.