Sermons for Teens: Try This Attention-Grabbing Opener

Sermons for teens require openings that draw in listeners. Check out these helpful preaching ideas from a veteran youth minister!

A friend asked if I had any good openers for a youth sermon he’d be giving at the local Lutheran High School chapel. After some thought, I shared an idea I’ve used many times. It pulls teens right in, without fail.

When you use this opener with sermons for teens, you can speak on just about any topic. This activity grabs attention by getting kids to interact with you. Plus, they think you’re funny. And they’re ready to hear whatever you say next.

Here’s the illustration I recommended to my friend. Adapt it for your next youth sermon or presentation.

Opening Idea: Sermons for Teens

Start by saying, “It is great to be here! First up, I want to see if you’re ready to be honest. So everyone stand up!

“The only rule is you have to be absolutely honest. How you play is simple. I’ll read 10 statements or so. If the statement I read is true about you, then you need to sit down or stand up.

“For this first one, you’re all standing. So if it’s true about you, sit down. Then as I read the following statements, if they’re true about you, do the opposite of what you’re doing, standing or sitting. Got it?! You’ll get it… Let’s go!”

1. Sit down if you didn’t brush your teeth this morning.
2. Stand up or sit down if you’ve ever cheated on a test.
3. Stand up or sit down if you’ve peed in a pool in the last 2 years.
4. Stand up or sit down if you like someone here and they don’t know it yet.
5. Stand up or sit down if you’re scared of the dark.
6. Stand up or sit down if you’ve told your parents you were going somewhere but actually went somewhere else.
7. Stand up or sit down if you’ve practiced kissing on something other than a person. (I tell a story about once catching my sister kissing a pillow.)
8. Stand up or sit down … (something specific to the crowd, i.e. something only Christian students would know or do) This shows you’ve explored their culture. Add more if you have ’em.
9. Stand up or sit down if you think you’re good-looking.
10. Stand up or sit down if the person next to you just answered “yes” to the last statement and you disagree.

Sermons for Teens: More Helpful Tips

• I always pause a bit and laugh with kids. I throw in short stories to make them laugh. (Like the one about my sister, or how I’m still scared of the dark.)