STUDY 14

Main Points Made to Stand Out

Hebrews 8:1

SUMMARY: Help your audience to follow along with your talk, and make clear how each main point relates to your objective and theme.

Have an objective. Consider whether your talk is intended to inform, convince, or motivate your audience, and then develop it accordingly. Make sure all main points help you to achieve your objective.

Ask yourself: ‘What questions or objections might my audience have about this topic? In what logical order would they raise those questions or objections?’ Then arrange your points in the same order so that your audience can follow along with, understand, and accept the information.
Emphasize the theme of your talk. Refer to the theme throughout your discourse by repeating the key words of the theme or by using synonyms.
Make your main points clear and simple. Select only main points that relate to your theme and that you can teach effectively in the allotted time. Limit the number of main points, clearly state each main point, pause between them, and lead smoothly from one main point to the next.

You might state the main points in your introduction to help the audience follow along or restate them in your conclusion to help the audience remember them.