Sermon creation, How to…

Sermon creation, How to… is a list of some helps on the creation of sermons, or sermon crafting.

(1) Center the sermon on a single key thought.

I have mentioned this before, but it is so important that I must mention this again. A good sermon is very focused on a central thought which I refer to as the topic, theme, or thesis. The more narrow and specific this topic is, the better the sermon and the easier it is to develop as a preacher.

Likewise, the central thought must lend itself to at least two sub-thoughts or aspects (your sub-points). A single good point is rare. They almost always are more complex than that (one single point). Meditate on the point and read about it in good books to expand it.

Helpful tip: Use yellow postits. Always have them with you, and anytime that you hear or think of any topic that desires a good sermon, write it down. As an alternative, send yourself an email on your phone.

Helpful tip: Use your devotional time to think and meditate on the problems of life, those that your people and you have. Preach on what would help them. Drugs, alcohol, fornication, rebellious children, etc. are universal problems with all people. Listen to the Holy Spirit as you mull over these issues.

(2) Let the text make the outline.

When creating a sermon outline, the outline should flow from the material, and not visa versa. In other words, the passage or the teaching should decide the points of the sermon outline.




Most important points are complex, and you can take a few or three subpoints or things relating to the central point and make a good sermon out of them.

Good sermons are given by God, and preachers muck them up to make them bad. A good sermon flows from what God is telling you about life.

(3) Make the sermon relevant for your listeners.

The plague of modern preaching is wonderful, exciting sermons that really have very little to do with modern life. They share information, they exhort and challenge, but they really do not challenge sin. The idea that man is good is the basis of these sermons, working off of self-help kind of ideas.

A good sermon should pin sin to the wall and not let people get away unless their repent, abandon, and seek righteousness.

Preach your sermon to your wife first. If she gives it a thumbs down, rework it. The sermon has to be simple, direct, to the point, clear, and obviously coming from Scripture. If it isn’t, scrap it and do a different one.

Microsoft Word software has a “read aloud” option in its revising tab. Once you have your sermon done, let the computer read it aloud. Do this several times until it will read through the entire sermon and you make no tweaks to it in the process.

(4) Don´t Distract talking about something that doesn’t fit in the sermon’s proposition or theme.

Take out all jokes and other material from your sermons. If you use an illustration, only use one that captures the heart of the point you are trying to make. Anything that doesn’t forcefully declare and make clear and support your principle proposition, remove it. If it is good material but doesn’t “fit” with this sermon, use it in another sermon.

Free Bible Software

If you like studying the Bible, you simply have to check out theWord free Bible software program.
Check out our module for John BroadusPreparation and Delivery of Sermons
I
f you have an Android device, check out MySword for Android and read John BroadusPreparation and Delivery of Sermons on any Android device.

More articles for the Pastor