The purpose of religion or any philosophy is to teach people the correct way of living their lives. But nobody really wants someone to teach them such things. And if they are forced to listen then they tend to lose interest very soon. Maybe this is why we see that a lot of people now use funny sermon illustrations.
When you are giving a sermon, you need to do two things. You need to drive your point home and ensure that people remember what you said when they get back home. And you also have to keep them attentively listening to you throughout the length of your message. If you simply keep talking about the Bible or about some complex philosophy, this might prove to be very difficult.
The listeners also find it difficult to concentrate for long on the speaker. They sit there hoping to find solutions to their problems, to ease their conscience or to just find some peace, but when they stop listening, all the efforts that you have put in choosing the topic and preparing the sermon who come to a null.
This is what actually brought about a change in the way sermons were given. Now, along with complex ideas and theological jargon, sermon givers make it a point to include a good and humorous anecdote or a good story related to the topic under discussion. I have read about such stories being shared on various topics such as marriage, love, friendship, prayer etc.
The topics for sermons are taken from our life. We do not talk about fictional beings or literature or Hollywood gossips. We discuss what is right and what is wrong, and how we should behave with our neighbors, family and friends. So basically it is something that we should hear carefully because we will benefit from it. And when we hear something humorous in the middle of all this talk, about right and wrong, it becomes a little easier to follow the meaning.
Suppose you have a fight with your husband and you decide to take up marriage counseling. If you are repeatedly told about different researches done in the field of psychology or some new study on behavior analysis, then you might feel enlightened but your problem will remain unresolved. Instead if you are asked to talk openly and the counselor shares a similar incident that had a funny outcome, the problem would vanish.
One point where some people falter is using an anecdote simply to make a funny statement. It should be kept in mind that these funny stories are used to make a point and drive that point home. But if you start being funny just for the sake of making laugh, then that would be less of a sermon and more of a comic act.
It also should be ensured that nobody is targeted in the stories. Funny sermon illustrations help ministers teach people something new in every preaching without making things overly complex. And I think it works like a charm.
When you are giving a sermon, you need to do two things. You need to drive your point home and ensure that people remember what you said when they get back home. And you also have to keep them attentively listening to you throughout the length of your message. If you simply keep talking about the Bible or about some complex philosophy, this might prove to be very difficult.
The listeners also find it difficult to concentrate for long on the speaker. They sit there hoping to find solutions to their problems, to ease their conscience or to just find some peace, but when they stop listening, all the efforts that you have put in choosing the topic and preparing the sermon who come to a null.
This is what actually brought about a change in the way sermons were given. Now, along with complex ideas and theological jargon, sermon givers make it a point to include a good and humorous anecdote or a good story related to the topic under discussion. I have read about such stories being shared on various topics such as marriage, love, friendship, prayer etc.
The topics for sermons are taken from our life. We do not talk about fictional beings or literature or Hollywood gossips. We discuss what is right and what is wrong, and how we should behave with our neighbors, family and friends. So basically it is something that we should hear carefully because we will benefit from it. And when we hear something humorous in the middle of all this talk, about right and wrong, it becomes a little easier to follow the meaning.
Suppose you have a fight with your husband and you decide to take up marriage counseling. If you are repeatedly told about different researches done in the field of psychology or some new study on behavior analysis, then you might feel enlightened but your problem will remain unresolved. Instead if you are asked to talk openly and the counselor shares a similar incident that had a funny outcome, the problem would vanish.
One point where some people falter is using an anecdote simply to make a funny statement. It should be kept in mind that these funny stories are used to make a point and drive that point home. But if you start being funny just for the sake of making laugh, then that would be less of a sermon and more of a comic act.
It also should be ensured that nobody is targeted in the stories. Funny sermon illustrations help ministers teach people something new in every preaching without making things overly complex. And I think it works like a charm.
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