Preparation for preaching should include careful study of the text and discernment from the Holy Spirit. And delivery of your sermon should never overshadow the biblical truth you’re presenting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to capture the imagination and attention of your audience. You need a hook.

A hook is something in your sermon that lures in your audience for a closer listen. A phrase you say, an illustration you use, or even just the dressing you put on your presentation can compel your listeners to pay attention. You can hook your audience even before they walk through the door, with graphic art and advertising. Or you can hook them via the introduction of your sermon.

1. Pop Culture
Riding a trend may be the simplest way to hook an audience. But it can also be the least effective. By using the title “The Voice” for a sermon on Genesis 1:3, or calling a marriage series “Fixer Upper,” you might show your audience you're aware of what TV shows are hot right now. But will someone choose to attend based solely on a sermon title?

Effective sermons shouldn’t just reference pop culture; sometimes, they should challenge it. Whenever the apostle Paul quoted the pop culture of his day, such as his “Bad company corrupts good character” quote in 1 Corinthians 15:33, he wasn’t supporting prevailing philosophy, but challenging the worldview.

We should use pop culture the same way. Leverage the obvious to proclaim the important. Bridge the gap between the temporary nature of pop culture fads and the eternal truths of God’s Word.

2. Attractive Graphics
The look can be a hook. That’s why companies spend huge amounts of money on slick logos and artistic ad campaigns. Churchgoers are not immune to this kind of enticement. By using great-looking graphics and artistic flair, you not only make your message more visually interesting, but you provide a way for your regular attenders to invite new people.

That doesn’t mean you must go all in on budget allocation for this. For some churches, resources are just not available to devote to creating graphic arts. But churches in those situations should still devote time and care to excellence in this area. Misspelled words or cluttered graphics give the impression that you don’t truly care about your message. While graphic design may or may not attract people, a lack of excellence will repel them.

3. Practical Solutions
Message topics — like managing personal finances, balancing work and family, handling relationship problems, and dealing with loss, to name a few — address issues most of us face in everyday life. By applying the Bible to these situations, you give the unchurched a reason to show up and listen.

Whatever hook you use to reel in your audience, the end goal should be the same as Christ's: belief and transformation.

Your message should always be doctrinally sound and theologically accurate, but that doesn’t mean it must be irrelevant. You’re not reducing the gospel to self-help by addressing real-life situations. Eternal truth is always immediately relevant. Find ways to connect these truths to people’s situations Monday through Friday.

4. Compelling Needs
Scenes of great need stir people’s hearts. Secular charities know this. That’s why ad agencies run television appeals displaying children in dire need, facing tragic circumstances. When people see the stark reality of the great needs around them, it compels individuals to act.

Churches can learn from these types of campaigns. But there is one major difference. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we have available to us the resources of heaven. Whenever you use compelling needs as a hook, make sure you also advertise the response.

When the Lord commanded us to love one another, He was highlighting the uniqueness of the gospel message. That love is best reflected in our response to disaster and tragedy. Hook your audience with a call to action that involves the supernatural move of the Holy Spirit in the world through the Church.

5. Striking Statements
Use statements that get attention. Choose your words in a way that make people think and feel. It may take them off guard or even cause a bit of controversy. But the goal is to get them to listen.

Jesus was the Master Storyteller when it came to hooks. He found a way to say things in just the right way to attract attention and gather a crowd. Whether it was a challenge to the leading religious class of His day or a statement that cut to the heart of the sinful human condition, Jesus used words to hook His listeners.

Making striking statements doesn’t mean being controversial for controversy’s sake. It means telling the truth in a way that gets people’s attention, holds their attention, and then leads them to a point of decision or action. That’s what Jesus did, whether it was in the Sermon on the Mount or His prophetic utterances during that final week in Jerusalem. He said things that got attention, but it was always for a good reason — so that people would believe in Him and become transformed.

Whatever hook you use to reel in your audience, the end goal should be the same as Christ’s: belief and transformation. When we shape our messages with the end in mind, we are more focused along the way.

By beginning with a hook, we have one more way to move our audience toward what we want them to know and do. The hook shouldn’t be the most important part of your message, but it’s a major tool to use to get your audience there.