I'm Terrified! Help!!!

[mvillarreal]

Hi, everyone. I'm really, really super scared about what might go wrong when I preach my first sermon on Sunday. I'm worried I'll freeze and won't be able to speak or move; that I'll start hyperventilating and have a severe panic attack in front of everybody; or that I'll dry-heave or throw up in front of everyone, which would be really embarrassing! I'm not sure how to cope with this, as my mind keeps thinking about every possible thing that could go wrong, and it makes me feel super sick to my stomach when I'm not even in the situation yet! It's also making me question whether I've chosen the right path. How can I be a preacher when I'm a mess like this?!

[Jeff1943]

Why should you do any of those things that you mention? You know what you want to say. Practice going through your sermon in your mind several times. As Napoleon said: All great battles are won the night before!

Make a few short headings that follow the structure of your sermon if you need a reminder but I doubt it will be needed.

Regardless of how many people you are addressing imagine you are only talking to one person in front of you. The many have become one.

You will enjoy giving this sermon: it's a rare opportunity to tell people what YOU think is important and so influence their lives for the better.

Nobody is expecting you to be Billy Graham or Winston Churchill addressing the nation in wartime. You will gain greater confidence and ability with every sermon you make.

You could give that sermon to one person, yes? All you are doing is the same thing to a number more. All will be well. All manner of things will be well. You have nothing to fear. The sermon will go well and those fears you have will never materialise.

They never do!

[Agora1]

Hi mvillarreal x remember your recent trip to Israel brought on the same anticipation

before you left. What if?? Anxiety loves doing this to us by filling our mind with all kinds

of possibilities that may happen. You went on the trip, had a great time and came back

a better person for it.

Now you have the sermon coming up this Sunday and once again anxiety is filling your

mind with what ifs again. Deep down, you know that you have the power in you to

do what you chose to do with your life. You are human just as those you preach to and

what better way to reach others than to feel the fear others do and teach them hope.

Breathing slow with deep exhales is what will get you through this on Sunday. Speaking

slowly and taking time for pause allows you to relax and those of who are listening to take

in what you are saying. The best of preachers did not start out as super stars. It takes trust in yourself and confidence that you will do what you were meant to do with your life.

Breathe...and know that those of us who care about you will be there with you in spirit..

Holding your hand all the way. I believe in you. Believe in yourself mvillarreal. You will do

great. You will be fine. Please give us an update after the sermon. Peace be with you xx

[sweetiepye]

This is about the word of God. Don't make it about you. Start with a prayer or a familiar verse to ease your way into your sermon. The people in the congregation want you to succeed, God wants you to succeed. You will be received with love. be open and grow in it . You could begin by saying ' this is my first sermon and I am very nervous. I hope to get better as I go and I want to begin by telling you about...….' You will be fine. Let us know how it goes. Pam

[Hidden in reply to sweetiepye]

Perfect advice! I am married to a baptist minister. I remember the early days, it takes awhile to feel confident. Remember “when I am weak, then I am strong”. One of the most powerful sermons Ive ever heard was decades ago, a man named David Ring preached on TV, he had cerebral palsy. His speech was very hard to understand. By the time he finished, it was so powerful, I was in tears. It was so hard for him to communicate, that touched my heart so much. So yes, be honest with your people, tell them you are afraid, you have doubts, etc. Every single person will relate to those feelings and inwardly cheer you on. God uses broken vessels. Let me know how it goes. I will pray for you brother!

[gleason9guy]

First, imagine the worst possible scenario that could happen...something beyond ridiculous. Dwell on that and realize that many of your fears are just like this and simply won't happen. Second, as a preacher, you know that the spirit will move you. Live in the moment and feel the energy the congregation gives you. Send it back to them times ten. They want you to be there for them. They've got your back!

[LovelySnow]

I really like what everyone has said. And I add that you never know who is listening who ALSO has anxiety like you. God chooses not the people who think they can do it on their own, but the ones whose hearts seek Him. Your life, your story - even your current struggles - can touch someone's life as they see they don't have to have it all together to be used by God for good. I will be praying for & with you. So much love to you!

[Fearoffear]

As soon as I read your post this is all I could think of. You will do excellent as if you are too calm you're not going to get it right. Good luck and may god be smiling down on your sermon.

*The New Priest & His First Mass*

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak. After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done. The monsignor replied,

“When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip.”

So next Sunday he took the monsignors advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink. He proceeded to talk up a storm. Upon his return to his office after mass, he found the following note on the door:

Sip the Vodka, don't gulp.

There are 10 commandments, not 12.

There are 12 disciples, not 10.

Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.

Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his a**.

We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.

The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior and the Spook.

David slew Goliath, he did not kick the s*** out of him.

When David was hit by a rock and knocked off his donkey, don't say he was stoned off his a**.

We do not refer to the cross as the "Big T"

When Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper he said, "Take this and eat it for it is my body." He did not say "Eat me."

The Virgin Mary is not called "Mary with the Cherry."

The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A- Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, yeah God.

Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at St. Peter's, not a peter pulling contest at St. Taffy's.

[mvillarreal in reply to Fearoffear]

Maybe, if I get scared I just need to think about this and then do my best not to laugh. LOL.

[mvillarreal in reply to mvillarreal]

Have you ever seen the show, Drunk History on Comedy Central? This reminds me of that!

[Fearoffear in reply to mvillarreal]

Yes and believe it or not I first heard this at a Christian leadership camp. Lol

[kenster1]

hi im sure all will be ok and your sermon speech will be a resounding success.good thing to do I take your time and not to rush.got a little story that might help you I remember being a sales man and our company booked an awards night for the company.all the other guys who knew they where getting an award had a prepared speech.i never as I wasn't expecting anything.it was a buffet breakfast but I decided to eat 12 bread rolls and sausage for breakfast just before the ceremony.i had clapped my friends who got awards and thought that was that.then the guy said and now welcome up the guy with the biggest daily sales in one day and said my name I couldn't believe it and had to go up unprepared in front of hundreds of people to make a speech.thankfully I done ok and managed to rumble up a decent speech.then as I was about to go off stage the boss came up and said to everyone kenster hasn't told you yet how he managed to keep going on that day and he told them I ate 12 bread rolls and sausage every day for breakfast.bit of a funny story but I wasn't prepared for it hopefully you are just do your best to get a decent sleep the night before and just relax before hand.all the best.

[Hidden]

I love every response from your cry for help. God has angels everywhere💜

[NCAQuilter]

In my past life, I did a LOT of public speaking, and I have social anxiety! But, I did it - so can you! I used a technique that proved most helpful, so helpful that I started to look forward to the events. Here are the techniques I learned, and used:

Arrive early. Walk around the venue, stand at the podium, give yourself a little of your sermon, seeing it as YOUR space, where you have invited a number of people who share your beliefs to listen to insights into those beliefs that you are willing to give them. This helps to make the space yours, and the people attending, your invited guests. (You did invite them with the announcement that you'd be their speaker!)

Before people start to arrive, place yourself at the door. Greet arrivals with, " Hello, I am __________, your speaker today. Welcome." Ask the name of a few, answering with: "So glad you came, Mr. Jones. I hope you enjoy tour time with me." This helps make friends, and friendly faces in the congregation. You may already know many of them!

Start your sermon on time, even if others are still arriving. Don't make the mistake of making those who arrived on time wait for late-comers. Those who come late to your first sermon will know you won't wait for them! And, maybe, next time, they'll be on time. In any case, there may always be some who come after you start, no matter how late you start. Give those who arrived on time the courtesy of doing the same - be on time.

Remind yourself, with cue cards if necessary, that these are your friends, neighbors, fellow believers. They want to hear your message. God has given you a message to impart. And a venue has been arranged. You may even start by telling your audience that this is your first time speaking in front of a group, and you are very nervous. They are with you on this. Public speaking is one of the worst fears humans have! Immediately, they will understand and forgive any mistakes you make. I have even had to start over when I read too far ahead - 'Oh, Oh, I started too far ahead. I need to start this part again." i elicited soft laughter, but, they were with me the rest of the way. I sometimes used this when there was a distraction, a jet overhead, a fast car, or a baby crying. It brings my audience back to me.

Afterward, mix with your audience. Many will want to speak with you. Give them some time, but leave within 15 to 30 minutes, pleading another engagement. You have made an engagement with yourself and God to make notes about you sermon, haven't you? You may want to write notes to those who made especially nice comments, and those who gave helpful critiques. This is not necessary, but adds a nice touch. Make notes about the areas of comments, good and bad. It's necessary to do this so you'll do even better next time. It is also a good idea to rewrite your sermon using the comments, to see if you've actually made it better. This helps to recognize future comments that are helpful.

I hope this gives you some practical tools to use. Planning to use only one or two can ease your anxiety a lot.

God is with you, go with God!

[Hidden]

You have anticipatory anxiety. Its like you are so excited and just want to get the sermon done but Sunday is a few days away yet. So your mind is scaring you. I was a lector at my church after being agoraphobic for ten years. You can do it! I believe in you. Remember what Jesus said when he healed the girl with the fever. Fear is useless. What is needed is trust. Trust in Jesus. Don’t rely on your own power to give the sermon. Hand it over to Jesus and trust in him.

[NCAQuilter]

Another bit from me:

I'll bet if you asked almost any preacher how they felt before their first sermon, you'd find most felt just as you feel now. So, you are not alone in your anxiety.

And, I don't believe you chose your profession strictly on your own. Something enticed you to become a preacher. Trust that Grace. It will assist you in all your endeavors.

Public speaking is not something that comes to most of us easily in the beginning. In fact, many of the great speakers even have feelings of anxiety before every speech. Practice and experience are the best way to minimize these feelings. Remember all you'll have with you as you speak.

Prayers are with you.

[LovelySnow]

Checking in 💗

[NeuronerdDoaty]

I pray it all went well. Look at all the imperfections in the people God used in the Bible. God is amazing.

[mvillarreal]

To be honest, it was mixed. I preached at the 8 AM service and the 10 AM service. The first service didn't go so well. I kept stopping mid-sentence because I was afraid I would dry-heave, and my voice was shaky and quiet the whole time. The second service went much better, however, and I think part of it is that I had panicked myself to the point of exhaustion in the first service, so that I was too tired to panic anymore. People said I had very good inflection and a very powerful message. To be honest, though, I'm exhausted after the first service, and part of me worries that something like that will happen if I preach again. On the other hand, I take comfort in knowing that even Paul preached to the Corinthians in "fear and much trembling" so that his gospel would not be about clever arguments and wisdom but about God's power. Maybe this was partially God using a weak vessel to give a strong message in the first service. I'm just nervous, now, that something like that might happen again the next time I preach.

[NeuronerdDoaty in reply to mvillarreal]

It may. If it does God has a reason for it. You may never know why but you did what you were called to do. How many times do we read (paraphrased) ‘but God don’t you have someone better to do this’ or ‘I’m in too much pain God’ or ‘I stutter’! But to relax and rely on the knowledge God knows what he’s doing will be all to His glory. I think you were and will be amazing.

I don’t know why Paul was trembling. Those Corinthians needed strong words and prayer per God. Think about that.