Media Outreach

Another aspect of the substance of a sermon is the idea of verbal persuasion. Dr. James O. Davis expands on this idea:

The verbal persuasion of the sermonizer will be greatly determined by the choice of words and phrases.

• Emotive words drive the theme of the message home.
• The communicator must be enthusiastic about the message.
• Since only 7 percent of the impact in the decision-making process is made up of actual words, every word and phrase of the itinerant should be chosen carefully for maximum impact.
• We must always remember we are not called merely to impress people but to influence their decision making for Christ.
• If an evangelist or a pastor is saying one thing but the voice is saying another, confusion will be the result in the minds of the audience.
• Just like there are unique styles of clothing to cover our physical bodies, there are unique styles of communication to clothe our thoughts.

As you examine the idea of verbal persuasion, another key element comes into consideration: you need to know your audience. Join with us tomorrow as we see what Dr. Davis has to say on this.