Giving Great club Talks

Jim Rayburn

1)Get the attention of the audience

2)Tell a bible story

3)Help them see the main point of the story

4)Apply it to their lives

What do you want them to know? What do you want them to do?

I.Preparing Your Heart

  1. Know Jesus not just about him. All your talks should come out of a love for Jesus. We are not travel agents sending kids places we have never been.
  2. Hide Scripture in your heart, especially concerning the gospel, it will bleed out of you when you speak.
  3. Always be reading the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) as part of you QT
  4. Do hours of Contact work. If you don’t know kids, why would they listen “Earn the right to be heard”
  5. It is a sin to bore a kid! Know the gospel and be moved by it.
  6. Pray and ask for prayer. Ephesians 1:17-19-For Hearts to be open

Ephesians 6:19-20-For You to fearlessly proclaim the Gospel

II.Preparing Your Talk

“ Luck is where preparing meets opportunity”-Tony Larussa

A. Always prepare and study for way more than you plan to use (brainstorming page)

B. Season each talk with each element of the gospel (Person/need/work/Appropriation)

C. Use a couple of different translations of the bible to get flavor of words.

D. The gospel, not the illustration, is the point. Build your talk around scripture…not a great illustration.

E. Memorize your transitions and last sentence.

F. Use small bible, paper clips, red pen, highlighter, and sticky notes

G. Use the talk worksheet, have one controlling thought to keep you on track. Start with the conclusion

H. Thread your opening illustration through the whole talk

I. Plan to spend 10 to 20 xs longer in preparation than you actually speak. The longer you have been speaking, the less time it will take on the talk, but the same amount for your heart.

J. Practice in the car while driving. Practice in front of mirror, practice with a friend. Especially take note of your conclusion and transition sentences. Memorize them cold!

K. Make sure you have an application. Give them something to take home they can apply to their lives Leave them with a question so they need to respond. “When you lay your head on your pillow tonight….”

  1. Keep a folder of old talks.
  2. Know whom you are speaking to, the furthest out kid at the high school. Put the cookies on the bottom shelf.
  3. Use 1 good illustration instead of 2 to 3 mediocre ones.
  4. You can’t say everything so what you say, say clearly and concisely.

IIIDelivering You Talk

“You will only succumb to stress if you are ill prepared” Lou Holtz

  1. Prepare the room and bible for the talk. Remove potential distractions.
  2. Use Visual aides
  3. Roll with disruptions in the audience. Control them with: eye contact, pause, inflection and at last resort a request.
  4. Speak to them not at them in a conversational tone.
  5. Don’t use extra words like and, um ahhh, etc..
  6. Recap where you have been for new kids
  7. Communicate yours and God’s love for them.
  8. Use your hands but be aware of them as a distraction.
  9. Practice not using notes, only a note card if you must.
  10. Don’t use a Big Black King James bible, but hold and read from one..It is our authority!
  11. Use kids names in the talk to draw them in.
  12. Make the scripture come alive-don’t deliver a talk.
  13. Lowering your voice can be more effective than raising it.
  14. Don’t apologize for telling them the truth.
  15. Smile.
  16. Remember to say it like the bible says it, and like you really believe it. Avoid saying stuff you don’t really believe, or that mis-communicates truth. ) ie,”All you got to do is believe” or “He’ll always be there for you” Think hard about the content of your message.
  17. Be prepared and you will be relaxed.

Essentials in the Young Life talk sequence. What we have to say in each talk.

  1. God/ Intro TalkWe have a grand designer the God of the bible. Jesus is God
  2. Person of ChristHe is fully God and fully man ( Knowable, powerful, personal)
  3. Need/SinWe live in a broken world caused by sin. We stand separated from Jesus in need of a rescue.
  4. The CrossWhat God did, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness? Hebrews 9:22
  5. AppropriationWhat does it mean to walk with Christ?