Another practice that tends to detract from a sermon's effectiveness is the up-and-down motion of the preacher's head as he or she tries to read and look at the audience intermittently. When done quickly, the practice is even more distracting, making the preacher look like a fowl drinking water.

Even before the preacher mounts the pulpit, he is sized up the audience. In other words, preachers begin to preach long before they begins to preach. People check out the preacher's attire and mannerisms, even trying to key into the preacher's personality. And as the preacher takes to the pulpit, the interest of the audience is heightened. Any idiosyncracies are noted and could easily become a major distraction. It is important, therefore, for the preacher to pay attention to anything that could draw attention away from the message to be preached, with a view to eliminating them.

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Attention should be paid to what is done with the hands and feet. Wringing the hands, burying them in the pocket, or using them to gesticulate wildly, excessively, or inappropriately are all distracting. And the excessive movement and/or animation of the preacher may be distracting. To be sure, in this day and age of the roaming preacher, this is not a distraction in many circles. Today, preachers are prone to traverse the entire length of the rostrum, and to take to the aisles so that they may more readily connect with their audience. In a sense, whether the movement of the preacher becomes a distraction or not depends on the personality of the preacher. For some, movement, even excessive movement, goes with the preacher's personality; for others, it does not, coming across as contrived. It depends on the location and the preacher involved, making the matter of sensitivity to the context a critical one.

Grammatical errors minimize a sermon's effectiveness, as do inaccuracies in the preacher's material. Stories that sound too good to be true also distract. The level and tone of the preacher's voice contribute to a preacher's effectiveness. And because it is so true that preaching is truth through personality, the preacher's personality, which invariably and inevitably shines through the presentation, may be a barrier or catalyst to the sermon's receptivity.

Conclusion/Application

Did the preacher end smoothly? How a sermons ends is as important as how it begins. In fact, some people believe that the conclusion of the sermon is more important than the beginning, if for no other reason than that it is the part of the sermon the hearer is most likely to take away.

What should the preacher put in the conclusion? What should the conclusion seek to achieve? The preacher should repeat or restate the main points or "big idea" of the sermon, telling the audience what he or she has just told them. In the conclusion, preachers should summarize and illustrate the message, and challenge or exhort their listeners. Through it all, Jesus Christ should be lifted up and the grace of Christ made evident.