k. Develop an introduction to the sermon. You generally have sometime in advance to think about the background and context of a pericope. Remember that the congregation has not had this time. So you need to give a brief introduction to prepare them for listening to the message.
l. Early in the sermon, you must communicate what the sermon is about. The congregation must know the theme. It is frustrating to listen for more than a few minutes without understanding what a speaker is talking about. So early in the sermon, introduce the theme.
