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Sermon Secret

August 2, 2010    by Walton Marsh
In the modern age of computer technology, handheld PDAs, blackberries and iPhone's, we can become too reliant upon technology. Don't get me wrong, technology can be a very good thing and can be very helpful but he cannot take the place of good study habits and brainpower.

I use a computerized Bible program called Quick Verse to help me search the Scriptures. It's a real timesaver. There are electronic versions of commentaries and other Bible reference works that are very helpful. Mainly because you can search with your computer for any particular word or phrase. But I must warn you, these electronic study helps do not help you with the creative aspects of sermon preparation. The best thing you can do to speed up your sermon preparation is to fill your mind with the word of God. Nothing can take the place of the computer that God has given you inside your skull. Our problem is not that our brains are not strong enough or powerful enough but that you fill them with garbage and then expect them to produce beautiful, profound sermons.

Let me suggest the Bible study program to you that will fill your mind with God's word in a way to make it available to you during your sermon preparation process. This simple program has two parts. First, read the Bible every day. That's simple. May I suggest to you that you set aside every morning at least 30 minutes per just Bible reading. During this 30 minutes you should be able to read 3 to 5 chapters of the Bible. It doesn't matter in what order you read them just that you read them. And when I say we them I don't mean just move your eyes open the words, but try to understand what's being said. If you eat 3 to 5 chapters of the Bible every day you will read through the entire Bible in less than one year. By doing this you are familiarizing yourself with what the Bible says. You are becoming intimately acquainted with God's word. So that, when you're preparing your sermons your computer brain will have access to this data that you absorbed during your daily Bible reading. Make this a daily habit year in and year out and your brain will be overflowing with sermons and biblical illustrations each time you set down to write a sermon.

The second part of this program of Bible study is to spend several hours each week studying a particular chapter of the Bible and keeping a notebook on what you studied. When I first went into the ministry I tried to study at least one hour per day on one chapter of the Bible. What this meant was that I read the chapter again and again and then answer some pertinent questions. I would ask myself: What is the subject of this chapter? Who is this chapter about? Where do the events take place? Why is the writer speaking on this subject to these people? What is God saying to me in this chapter? Then after answering these questions I would write down three or four sermon ideas that I would have about this chapter. As you do this week in and week out you will be developing your own homiletic commentary that will be useful to you in years to come. In addition, once again, you're filling your mental computer with biblical data that will be available to you sit down to write your sermon.

Remember, the root of the word disciple is the word discipline. You must discipline yourself to study God's Word. This is the most important discipline that you can develop as a preacher so as to help you with your sermon preparation.

Sermons are Work

July 28, 2001
Preaching and sermon writing, like many other endeavors is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.  Yes, God does inspire the preacher to preach a particular sermon. But then inspiration seldom comes with the particular details of one needs to present and understandable interesting powerful sermon. The inspiration that God gives it usually comes in the form of an idea, a feeling, an impression or perhaps a suggestion from another person that you feel was providential. After the inspiration it's time for the preacher to get to work.

So what is the first work the preacher must do? He must be sure that the inspiration is biblical. He must seek the Scripture and see to find out if what he wants to preach, what he feels led to preach is supported by Scripture. If he finds it is supported by Scripture he can determine the purpose of the sermon. This is usually obvious from the inspiration. Is it to be an evangelistic sermon leading men to Christ or a discipleship type sermon teaching or admonishing the congregation. In addition, he needs to find the text on which to base the sermon. Sermons should not be preached unless there is a direct biblical textual support. This means that the preacher is not free to preach a high rise sermon. A high-rise sermon, is a sermon that consists of one story after another. An entertaining treatise from the mind of man instead of an inspirational message based on the word of God. It is the preacher solemn duty to be faithful to God's word and be true to his congregation by preaching to them the truth from God's word.

So from inspiration to Scripture text is step one. Once you have established the text you must accurately exegete this text. And then explore a multitude of ideas and phrases that will help you present the text and interesting and powerful way to your congregation. This involves brainstorming, research and note taking. From your brainstorming research and notes you will sift out three or four descriptive points from which to create your sermon. These points will form the backbone of your sermon. Each of these points will reflect the purpose of the sermon, and lead to accomplishing the purpose of the sermon.

So you see sermon is inspired. And it is all so the creative work of the preacher. With the emphasis on the word work. If the sermon is to be useful and to be powerful and be effective requires that the preacher actually work. So, my dear preacher friend, or say laziness and determined that you will work for the sermons that God inspires in your heart.

How Many Points
Should a Sermon Have?

July 27, 2010
How many points should a good sermon have? The best answer is, as many as it needs. However, this is not the best practical answer. In the 21st century there are very few congregations that will sit through a sermon that lasts more than 30-40 minutes. In addition, there are not many minds that can hang on to more than 2-4 points. So I think the most practical answer to the question is that a decent sermon should have 2 to 3 points. Of course you can have more, and you can have less.

Three points seems to be the best number. The human mind tends to want to organize things in groups of three. I believe this is because nature tends to organize things in groups of three. Three dimensions, height width in depth. Past present and future. Father son and Holy Ghost. Three seems to be the natural organizational number. When you organize things in groups of three it makes it easier for the congregation to remember them.

A simple sermon consisting of three points that the congregation can easily grasp is much better than a complicated sermon of multiple points which the congregation cannot understand. One of the biggest problems I see among preachers is the tendency to want to preach on everything at the same time. Instead of sticking with three points and one major theme, the tendency is to preach with a change of consciousness type of organization where the preacher talks about whatever comes to mind. This is not good, even if the preacher is interested, and the subject matter is well presented, there is just too much information given during this type of sermon.

Stick with three points, with two or three sub points under each major heading and your congregation will appreciate, and understand, the message much better.

Making Your Sermon Points

Walton Marsh July 26, 2010
One of the biggest problems students have been developing sermons is being creative in finding their points. Each week I answered dozens of telephone calls from preachers who are studying a Scripture and cannot see, or find memorable points to preach upon.

One of biggest problems is that they forget to begin your sermon preparation with the purpose of the sermon. It is of the utmost importance that you write down the purpose statement. Write it in big letters across the top of your study notes. It will help you stay on track. It will help you to determine points for your sermon. So please don't neglect this.

The next step in selecting points for your sermon is to properly exegete the Scripture. You need to know what the Scripture is actually saying because it is improper to preach about the Scripture instead of preaching from the Scripture. So this next step is to carefully read the Scripture and to write down in your own words exactly what the Scripture is saying. Try to paraphrase it. Once you have taken this step and you understand the message the Scripture is trying to teach then you can begin to select some points.

The best way to find points for your Scripture is to brainstorm with a blank sheet of paper in front of you with the purpose statement written along top. Re-read the Scripture and jot down any points that may come to mind rather they look, good sound good or look bad.  Brainstorming is not editing, so write down everything, you will edit later. After you have 10 to 15 ideas jotted down on the paper, looked them over and select three or four that seem best. At this point you may re-word them, or rephrase them to sound better as points for the sermon.

Using this method all point you create will all point toward the purpose statement of the Scripture and reflect the meaning of Scripture. Please understand, but this takes practice to become fast and easy. You will not learn to be created overnight, but in the course of several weeks of practice you will improve dramatically. So don't give up. Follow the perceived your exactly and you will master sermon development process as taught in the Preaching with Power Course.

How to Study for Sermons

Walton Marsh,  July 23, 2010

By necessity most preachers are generalists. This is not a bad thing, in fact is necessary to be able to communicate effectively with various people in your congregation. To be a generalist means that you know a little bit about most subjects but you are not really a specialist in any one subject. Because of this we tend to study superficially and broadly.

But when it comes to sermon creation we need to become specialists. We need to learn the methods and the techniques in detail.  During the past four years of working with students as they study to master The Preaching with Power Course, I find that most students just give a superficial reading to the material. When it comes to learning a method reading is not enough. Especially when the reading is superficial. The student who masters the process of sermon development is the one who studies the details of the method and practices the techniques. Writing a sermon is not magic. There is no mystery to be discovered. It is a simple process of doing the right things in the right order.

The same is true for preaching a sermon. When you stand in the pulpit to preach there are certain things that should be done in certain things that should not be done. Were some, the fortunate few, these may come naturally. But for most of us they must be learned. In the process of learning these techniques and methods involve practice. I encourage each student of the Preaching with Power Course to study in detail each and every paragraph of each lesson and then do the exercises. Practice these exercises until they become second nature.

In the book of Ecclesiastes Bible says," There is nothing new under the sun."  This is true also of preaching. There are not secrets to preaching, there is no mysterious hidden process that makes a powerful sermon. But there are things that you do not yet know. And there are things that you know but cannot do in practice.  Practice makes perfect. Let me rephrase that, perfect practice makes perfect. Imperfect practice makes imperfect. So practice, a practice correctly. Study, not in general, but in detail so you can learn the methods and practice them perfectly.


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How to Preach and How to Write Sermons