Do you love me?
It’s not just the just-below-the-surface question that we ask when we are wounded or afraid.
It’s not just for Valentine’s Day.
It’s not just Jesus’ question to Peter after the resurrection.
It’s the question your hearers are asking each and every time you preach.
In the first 30 seconds of a sermon, those listening are implicitly forming an answer to this important question: Does the one up there preaching love me?
In other words: the pressure is on. You have a minute to win it. In the first minute of your sermon (if you’re lucky), you must do two things:
- grab their attention and
- communicate that you care.
I know, I know. It sounds cheesy. But it boils down to this: If you care if they are listening at the middle and the end, it pays to do this important work at the beginning.
Call to action: Craft your beginning carefully this week with this question in mind.