God …“never gives His
servants a work to do
without also giving them
all needed help.”
-F.B. Meyer
Much like teaching,
preaching is a discipline
and process that
requires:
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Planning
Preparation
Practice
Perspiration
The proclamation of the Word of God
(The Holy Bible), by a human
messenger, in the power of the Holy
Spirit, for the purpose of declaring
the life transforming truth of the
Gospel (Good News).
God
Biblical
Writer
Preacher
Audience
• “I am eager to preach the gospel to you
…who are in Rome,” Romans 1:15
• “… been born anew, not of perishable
seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God.”
1
Peter 1:23
• “is the good news which was preached to
you,” 1 Peter 1:25
The communication of a
biblical concept derived
from and transmitted
through a historical,
grammatical and literary
study of a passage(s) in
its context, which the
Holy Spirit first applies
to the personality and
experience of the
preacher, then through
him to his hearers.
“Ultimately God is more
interested in developing
messengers than
messages, and since the
Holy Spirit confronts men
primarily through the
Bible, a preacher must
learn to listen to God
before he speaks for Him.”
--Haddon Robinson
• As an exegete (one who explains and/or
interprets a text) he struggles with the
meanings of the biblical writer.
• As a man (or woman) of God he wrestles with
how God wants to change him personally.
• As a preacher he ponders what God wants to
say to his congregation.
• Answer the questions on the questionnaire.
• You will have five minutes to complete this
before we share our answers to question 4.
• Which element—the sermon or the
presentation—had the greatest impact?
• ‘Ideally each sermon is the
explanation, interpretation, or
application of a single dominant
idea supported by other ideas’
--Haddon Robinson
• An idea has two parts: a subject
and a complement. Both are
necessary for an idea to be
complete.
• Subject:
– What am I talking about?
• Complement:
– What am I saying about what I am talking about?
• Example:
– Subject: What is the test of holiness?
– Complement(s):
• The test of holiness is to love what God loves.
• The test of holiness is to hate what God hates.
• The test of holiness is to be like Jesus.
Praise the Lord, all nations;
Extol Him, all you people!
For His love is strong,
His faithfulness eternal
• Subject: Why everyone should praise the Lord
• Complements:
– because His love is strong
– because His faithfulness is eternal
• Divide into groups of 4
• Some groups will be working on
the same texts and can share their
results later.
• Use the text assigned and write a
subject and complement for the
big idea!
• Groups A
Proverbs 22:1
Groups B
1 Timothy 5:1-2
• Textual:
– main divisions [parts] are derived from a
text consisting of a brief portion of
Scripture.
– Each division is used as a line of suggestion
– Text provides the theme of the sermon
– Supporting texts
• Topical:
– Derived from the topic
– Independently of a text
• Expository:
– Extended portion of Scripture is interpreted
– Material drawn directly from the passage
– Series of progressive ideas centered on that
one main idea.
– Single passage being studied alone supports
what is being preached.
• Activity:
– Research and find some
biblical texts that talk
about God’s love. How are
these texts related? How
are they different? Do
some support others?
How?
– Using one of the texts, try
and state the big idea
including a subject and
complement.
• The main objectives of study are:
– To discover and analyze the biblical idea
– To formulate the sermon idea and main divisions
– To determine the sermon’s purpose and how to
accomplish it
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•
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Source = Bible
•Secondary
Context
resources:
–Concordance,
Other Translations
English Dictionary,
“living with” the text
Thesaurus,
Cross references in Scripture Commentaries, Word
Studies, Salvation
Army Resources
• Subject
– I had six faithful friends,
They taught me all I knew,
Their names are How
and What and Why,
When and Where and Who.
• Activity
– Individually form a subject
statement for John 3:16. Write this
statement on the bottom of the
‘Aids to thinking’ sheet.
• Example:
– Subject: The distinct qualities of God’s gift in Jesus are…
– Complements:
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•
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I. It is a love gift (God so loved…)
II. It is a sacrificial gift (that He gave His one and only)
III. It is a universal gift (whoever)
IV. It is a conditional gift (believes)
V. It is an eternal gift (shall not perish but have eternal life)
• Biblical Idea:
– The distinct qualities of God’s gift in Jesus are
loving, sacrificial, universal, conditional and
eternal.
• Activity:
– Formulate your own complements to the subject
based on John 3:16.
– In three minutes you will share your subject and
complements with your neighbor.
– Write your Biblical idea in the last section of the
‘Aids to Thinking’ sheet.
• The proposition [sermon idea] is a simple
declaration of the subject, which the preacher
proposes to discuss, develop, prove or explain
in the discourse [sermon]. In other words, it is
a statement of the main spiritual lesson [idea]
or timeless truth in the sermon reduced to
one declarative sentence.
• The sermon idea
[proposition] is the
statement of a biblical
concept in such a way that it
accurately reflects the Bible
and meaningfully relates to
the congregation.
Three worlds for the Preacher
– The ancient world of the Bible
– The Modern World
– The preacher’s own particular
world
• Questions:
– What does this mean?
– Is it true?
– What difference does it make?
• Activity:
– Write a sermon idea for John 3:16 on your ‘Basic
Outline for Sermons’ handout in the space
provided.
• “…No man is better for
knowing that God so loved
the world of men that He
gave His only Son to die for
their redemption. In hell
there are millions who
know that. Theological
truth is useless until it is
obeyed. The purpose
behind all doctrine is to
secure moral action.”
—A.W. Tozer
• “Why are you preaching this sermon?”
• “What does God want to accomplish through
this sermon?”
• Example purpose statement:
– The listener should understand how God loves them
and explain at least one way in which that love makes
them secure.
• Activity:
– On your ‘Basic Outline for Sermons’ write a purpose
statement in the place provided.
• What do we do with our sermon idea to carry out
our purpose?
• Serves four purposes:
– Clarifies the relationships between the parts of the
sermon
– The sermon has a sense of unity
– Crystallizes the order of ideas
– Helps the preacher see where additional supporting
material is required
• Components
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Introduction
Body – Main Points
Conclusion
Transitions
Illustrations
• Activity:
– Complete as much of
the ‘Basic Outline for
Sermons’ form as
possible based on John
3:16.
• Conclusion
– Summary / Recapitulation
– Illustration
– Quotation
– Application / Specific Directions
– Motivation
• Illustrations
– Understandable and not
require explanation
– Convincing
– Appropriate to the sermon
theme and the audience
– Told dramatically
– Credible
– Fairly brief
– Chosen with great care and
discretion
– Caution on personal
illustrations!
• Introduction
– A good introduction is interesting, commands
attention, surface needs; and introduces the body
of the sermon, its development and the main idea
(proposition). It should be short and not promise
more than it can deliver.
• Title
– Brief, pithy, pertinent to the message, interesting and
discreet
• Activity
– Create a sermon title based on your outline and write it in
the space provided on the ‘Sermon Outline’ sheet.
– Create or think about one illustration you could use to
support one of your main points.
• Key ingredient is believability
– UCLA Professor Albert Mehrabian
– Verbal, Vocal, Visual
• Activity
– VERBAL _______________%
– VOCAL _______________%
– VISUAL _______________%
“There are three types of preachers: those to
whom you cannot listen; those to whom
you can listen; and those to whom you
must listen. During the introduction the
congregation usually decides the kind of
speaker addressing them that morning.”
--Haddon Robinson
• Eye Contact
– Objective:To look sincerely
and steadily at another
person.
– Key skills to work on:
• Looking at people 5-10
seconds before looking away.
• Avoid eye dart—looking
everywhere but at the people
you’re speaking to.
• Avoid slow-blink—closing
your eyelids for up to 2-3
seconds.
• Posture / Movement
– Objective: to learn to
stand tall and move
naturally and easily.
– Key skills to work on:
• Stand tall
• Watch your lower body
posture.
• Practice moving naturally,
keeping your energy
forward.
• Gestures / Facial Expressions
– Objective: to learn to be relaxed
and natural when you speak.
– Key Skills to work on
• Find out your habits
• Find your nervous gestures
• Try to exaggerate your positive
gestures or facial expressions
• Learn to smile naturally more.
• Dress / Appearance
– Objective: to dress, groom and
appear appropriate to the
environment (worship) that you
are in, as well as to yourself.
– Key skills to work on:
• Be appropriate.
• Dress at a conscious level. Take a
careful look at how you dress and
groom yourself.
• Ask for feedback about how you
look.
• Voice / Vocal Variety
– Objective: to learn to use your voice as
a rich, resonant instrument, and to
command attention and not allow your
voice to be a barrier to action.
– Key skills to work on:
• Conveying excitement, enthusiasm
and conviction with your voice.
• Vocal expression through relaxation,
breathing, projection and
resonance.
• Vocal variety.
• Language / Non-words
– Objective: to use appropriate and clear language for
your listeners, with planned pauses and no “nonwords.”
– Key skills to work on:
• Use direct and concise language.
• Actively expand your vocabulary by regularly learning new
words.
• Use common language. Avoid jargon.
• Learn the effective uses of pauses (up to 3-4 seconds).
• Replace non-words with pauses. Avoid umm’s, ahh’s, er’s,
and’s, well’s, OK’s, like’s, ya know’s and any other “pause
fillers.”
• Listener Involvement
– Objective: to maintain active interest
and involvement of each person with
whom you are communicating, every
time you talk.
– Key skills to work on:
• Use drama in your communication
• Use visuals like video clips, overhead
transparencies, recordings, etc.
• Congregation Participation
• Give your listeners an outline of your
sermon beforehand and/or ask them
to take notes.
• Humor
– Objective: to create a bond between
yourself and your listeners by using
humor to enable them to enjoy
listening to you more and: to use
humor as a conscious tool to make
yourself more human.
– Key skills to work on:
• Learn to tell stories and
anecdotes, not jokes.
• Learn to be likeable by being
human.
• Use humor to teach.
• The Natural Self
– Objective: to be authentic, to be yourself in all
communication circumstances, understanding and
using your natural strengths and building
communication weaknesses into strengths.
– Key skills to work on:
• Acknowledge your strengths, and then work on your
weaknesses.
• Remember that communicating well is a lifetime
process.
• Activities
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In groups of 4 – 5 individuals
“How not too”
“How to”
One minute talks based on an illustration you created in
session 3 or the object provided by the instructor.
– Have groups members highlight the positives and areas
requiring attention!
– Be helpful and nice!