Ever caught yourself slipping into someone else's preaching style? That moment when you realize you're channeling T.D. Jakes or Andy Stanley instead of being yourself can be both embarrassing and eye-opening.
As musician John Mayer wisely observed, "You find your voice when you try to be like other people and fail." This podcast explores that journey toward authentic preaching—the liberating realization that God doesn't need you to be a carbon copy of your ministry heroes. He needs your unique voice.
I share my own humiliating experience of trying to imitate a passionate televangelist while teaching a college Sunday school class, watching terror spread across students' faces as I performed someone else's style. That painful lesson taught me something profound: God doesn't anoint impersonation; He anoints authenticity.
Ready to break free from imitation and find your authentic voice? Download our free preaching resources at speakonpurposepodcast.com and join our community of pastors committed to delivering better sermons.
Episode Transcript
The best preachers and teachers that I have known have
their own voice.
They're not great impersonatorsof other great preachers.
They have a voice that theyalone were gifted with.
But let's be honest, most of usas preachers, especially in the
(00:22):
early days of ministry, haddreams of who we wanted to sound
like Maybe Billy Graham, tdJakes, andy Stanley or someone
you really admired in yourministry.
Here's the good news you don'thave to sound like your favorite
preacher.
God called you with your storyand your style and your voice.
(00:45):
In today's episode, we'relooking at three simple ways to
preach with your own voice.
Hey, it's great to have youback for another episode of the
(01:06):
Speak On Purpose podcast, whereour mission is to help pastors
deliver better sermons.
If you're new to our community,be sure to check out our
website at speakonpurposepodcast.
com.
One of my favorite quotes onthis actually comes from
(01:28):
musician John Mayer.
He said you find your voicewhen you try to be like other
people and fail, and I thought,wow, that's true, because the
more we imitate others, the morewe lose the very thing that
makes us unique.
(01:49):
Well, I learned this the hardway.
Years ago, I was teaching aSunday school class, one of the
first times I had ever talkedand I had been watching an
evangelist on TV that week andhe was so passionate and so loud
(02:10):
.
I'm thinking that's what I'vegot to do, I've got to be
excited.
And so, as I'm teaching andthis is a class of college and
career okay, students, I juststart preaching.
You know, god said this, youneed to do this.
And I'm just in their face andI could see that they were
(02:32):
terrified and I became soembarrassed because it was not
who I was.
That's not me at all.
And I learned really quick thatGod doesn't anoint
impersonation, he anointsauthenticity.
Think about it Paul didn'tpreach like Peter, james didn't
(02:59):
sound like John, and God usedevery single one of them in
powerful ways.
So here are three quick ways topreach with your own voice.
Number one preach from your ownlife.
Tell your story.
Don't borrow someone else'spassion.
(03:20):
Preach what you believe andwhat you have lived is passion.
Preach what you believe andwhat you have lived.
I promise your story iscompelling when you tell it.
Number two use your natural tone.
If you're conversational, beconversational.
If you're intense, be intense,but be honest about it.
No preacher voice.
(03:41):
If necessary, okay, keep it you.
Number three be faithful, notflashy.
You don't have to be loud to bepowerful.
You don't have to be funny tobe effective, but I do believe
humor can be very powerful if welearn how to use it.
(04:04):
The bottom line is this Goddidn't call you to be a copy of
someone else.
He called you to be aone-of-a-kind voice for his
truth, and when you lean intothat, you'll preach with more
power.
I promise more connection, morefreedom than you ever thought
(04:25):
possible.
It can be liberating when youunderstand who God called you to
be.
Thank you so much for listeningtoday.
Be sure to visit our website,speakonpurposepodcastcom, join
the email list and there's somefree preaching resources you can
download today.
(04:45):
Make sure you do that and we'llsee you next time on the Speak
On Purpose podcast, where webelieve we can help pastors
deliver better sermons.
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