(as, for example, the analogy of the ambassador cited earlier). Every congregation or audience needs to know that the preacher or speaker is (1) a person of competence, a person “who knows what he is talking about”; (2) a person of integrity, a person who can be trusted, not a manipulator or exploiter; and (3) a person of vitality, a preacher who communicates a deep sense of belief in all that is said. The messenger’s credibility with the congregation is critical in preaching. When credibility is
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