Video Transcript: Using Your Hands in Messages

Video Transcript: Using Your Hands in Messages

Today, we have so much technology that aids people as they're speaking in the preachers as they're preaching. And if you think about it, we have PowerPoints, we have mics, we have amplifying systems, we have television, we have radio, we have cameras, we have all of these things that help in communication. But, God created the thing that helps in communication. There your hands, your hands, and how they operate with your speaking is a very important piece of the communication system, the amplifying system that God has given you as a preacher, the use of your hand, are very important. Body language in general, is very important in communication. experts tell us that body language accounts for between 55 and 65% of our communication. So how our body language operates with our words, is a powerful force in communication. So today, we are going to focus specifically on body language, more specifically on the use of our hands. Now, I want to talk about Billy Graham and we are going to see a message from Billy Graham in this topic of study. Here's a guy who from the 1950s, really all the way until the decade of the 2000s would communicate and preach. And he started preaching. 

He Yes, he had the venue of television and some of that, but he would have large crowds that would watch him a stadium filled with people. If you watch Billy Graham, you'll see that his hands are a pivotal part of that body language to communicate his message. So we're going to talk about the use of hands, some gesture tips. So what are gestures? Well, you use hands, arms, shoulders, torso, legs, feet, or combination of these, these are that's the basic body language operation that God has given you. But hands are the most common. As you use your hands, you can do many, many things to help communicate your message as you're using your hands in communication. So let's talk about hand gesture tips. Well, appropriate hand gesture aids more. First of all understand this, it aids people to understand what you're saying. retention rates have been studied and known to be higher when the speaker uses their hands. Hands communicate emotion. Tension, you can just feel it when somebody says tension and their hands are tense up, there's emotion there in depth. 

You know, as you're communicating using your hands, God will use your body language specifically are hands on a powerful way in preaching. correctly used hand gestures can help you say more in less time, and show what you mean without having to resort to visuals again, you don't you can be a really organic, that's kind of a phrase in America right now is just kind of go back before technology, hands are that way for you to just kind of communicate and not need a bunch of technology. And even if you do have the technology and you are speaking before cameras or or you have sound systems is great, but hands still function is a very important piece of your communication repertoire. Well, let's talk about a few things to avoid when you're using your hands. First of all, holding your notes. If you just want to kind of take away from your communication be like this. Essentially what you do by having your notes in your hands. You pretty much sideline your hands away from your communication. Another things to watch out is anxious hands (playing with your fingers, some people uses this for the reason of concentrating their nervousness in one area). 

You know nothing makes a congregation or your listeners more nervous when you say today, we're going to talk about this and they see that you're pulling your hands because they're anxious and or you're gripping the pulpit in such a way that that makes people realize that something is wrong. Clenching your hands and or fiddling with clothing and you know your hair or whatever all of those things are things to avoid with your hands. Let's talk about the use of your hands and your message your sermon. Well, when you start preaching, your hands can show enthusiasm you want to be there. So when you begin a message right away begin with your hands, or you know you can begin a message like this.

Hello, I'm Pastor Reyenga (here he demonstrated being stiff and straight face and hands down the body doing nothing). Or you can say, I'm Pastor Reyenga, and today (here he demonstrated how to move your head, hands and body so people can feel his emotions), see right away, you see the difference that the body language and the hands can do. A lot of times in a sermon, your hands can introduce a new topic. And maybe you've seen speakers do that. Secondly, today, I want to talk about, see, the hands really help the congregation with your organizational structure. The hands allow you to act out a topic, you know, I went golfing. There, you're holding a golf club, there are various things that can be done with the hand, there amazing creation of God for speaking. And also, hands can help end your message. So the use of hands in your message is really, really important. So here's the checklist of hand use. 

First of all, add to your sermon notes. In other words, if you know that you need to use your hands, you're not used to using your hands. And this will be second nature after a while, put in the margin in your notes. Or if you're you have a PowerPoint that's on a computer, you have the ability to put in your notes, use of hands this way and just tip yourself to help you remember. At the same time, avoid the same hand gestures over and over again, if the same hand gestures, comment, and sometimes the best way to do is have your spouse or have someone you know, you know, in my family, when I preach my kids, they are relentless when I get into our redundant or habitual hand gesture that goes over and over and over again, and they said, Dad, you keep doing this, I do, I didn't even notice it. So then I can correct that. Another thing is, don't overdo it, you know. And what I mean by that is when you first started, you can maybe say okay, I'm using my hands and then you overdo it? Well you really want is what's unique to you and how you can communicate with your hands the best. Some people can use their hands more, and some people less. That is something you have to work out in your communication style. Practice, practice, practice, practice new hand gestures. And really remember, they're a physical activity that you just can't learn in one session today, or by reading a book about it is something you must work on, in practice, in practice, and more practice. 

Where do you practice, I would say, in the mirror, or on a video, you should have access to it, you will see how your hand motions. You know, in this picture right here we see Billy Graham, and when you're going to see this very message, this in this topic, it just watch how in front of a whole stadium. He uses his hands, how much emotion and how much impact God uses his hands to make for people throughout the congregation. You know, I think this is a very important topic. And I'm glad that you're going to focus on this. And this is going to take you years to keep in perfecting and improving. And when you start out understand this, it will feel weird. You'll sort of feel like wow, my eases my hands. You're sort of just want to keep your hands on the pulpit that you just want to keep them there. And but when you release those hands, you'll start finding is that you can communicate sometimes when I'm stuck, and I don't know what to say. I know that I got a goal like this. If I go like this, it actually helps me get my thoughts together. So very important topic, how to use your body language, specifically, your hands and I want to encourage you to see where God can take you as you develop these skills for preaching.