Consider that assignment to give a talk. The material that you have been asked to cover may seem quite general. How can you apply it locally? Enrich it by doing research. When supported with a statistic or two or with an example that fits your material and that touches the lives of those in your audience, a point that may have seemed obvious becomes informative, even motivating. The published material with which you are working may have been prepared for readers worldwide, but you need to amplify, illustrate, and apply the points to one congregation or to one person.

Motivating involves reaching the heart. It means giving your audience incentive and building up their desire to act on what is being discussed. Real-life examples of those who have taken such action, even in the face of difficulty, can help to reach the heart.