Subscribe Now
Return to Back Issue Index Page
Return to The Preacher's Study
The Preacher's Study Ezine Archive |
||||
* * T H E P R E A C H E R ' S
S T U D Y Third Tuesday of November, 2000 Subscribe free on the web at: Back Issues available at: *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* VISIT THE PREACHER’S STUDY WEBSITE! A wealth of sermons, lessons, and other items pertaining to preaching are available by subscription. An extensive free area is also available. Sermons are full-text and illustration filled. To see what some of our subscribers are saying, click on the link below: http://preacherstudy.com/testimonials.htm To view sample sermons: http://preacherstudy.com/sample.htm Or go to the home page at: *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* IN THIS ISSUE: [1] Greetings from the Editor [2] Featured Article: HOW A MINISTER USES TIME – Part 3 (Final) [3] Preacher's Study Website Updates [4] On Subscribing to Our Website [5] Contact Info [6] Subscribe to this Ezine [7] Copyright Info *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* [1] *=*Greetings from the Editor Greetings to all our subscribers. If this is your first issue, I'm very glad you joined us. Who would have guessed that our U.S. elections could become such a tangled mess! I'm praying, as I hope you are, for a fair and prompt resolution. In this issue I will finish my presentation of how a minister uses time. As stated in two previous issues, these three articles originated when I had an opportunity to account to the congregation for the work involved in being a minister. To view those previous issues, you may use the following URL: http://www.preacherstudy.com/bkissue.htm For those of you who celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you have a blessed reflection on God's goodness to your and yours. God bless. --Dave [2] *=*Featured Article HOW A MINISTER USES TIME – Part 3 By Dave Redick [Author's Note: The following is part of a presentation made to our congregation at an evening service. The occasion will become evident as all three parts are read. It was written to familiarize well meaning, but uninformed people about their minister's time use. Since it is a common issue in churches, I have chosen to reprint it here in hope that it will help someone else facing a similar situation. I did my best in the presentation to be "matter of fact" and not emotional. My aim was to take the high road, welcoming the opportunity to speak on a subject that, normally, there is little opportunity to address. This author claims no special revelation in the wise time use, nor does he hold himself up as any special model. These lessons were presented to deal with a specific situation, but will probably find common ground among other ministers.] (Continued from two previous issues…) HOW A SERMON IS PREPARED Continuing with my presentation of How A Minister Uses Time, the following steps are the ones I typically use to prepare a sermon. The process may differ from minister to minister, but most who preach biblical sermons will probably approximate the steps below. The process begins with in-depth study. 1. Choose the Preaching Portion. This selection of a passage must be relevant to the congregation and also something about which the preacher can sermonize. I often select such preaching portions as much as six months in advance, though room is left for short term needs, too. If I'm doing a series through a book, selection is somewhat easier, though concern must be exercised in the way the material is divided. 2. Read and Study Entire Context of Preaching Portion. This might be a chapter or two or it might be an entire book of the Bible. The aim is to discover the Holy Spirit's purpose and meaning in the passage before the actual sermon preparation begins. This helps prevent misrepresentation of the meaning of the Scripture. 3. Read Repeatedly Through Preaching Portion – Perhaps as Many as a Dozen Times. This not only familiarizes the preacher with the passage, but it also helps to find those points that will ultimately be useful in the sermon. Several different translations are used, but the message will ultimately be anchored in the translation used regularly by the minister and congregation. 4. Outline the Passage. This step may or may not provide the ultimate outline of the sermon. The purpose is to divide the passage into manageable pieces and give a bit of a summary of the main parts of the passage. 5. Check Key Words and Phrases in the Original Language. Some preachers translate entire passages from original texts. Unless one is very proficient in this, time may not afford to opportunity. Thus the emphasis on key words. 6. Discover the Theme of the Passage. What did the original writer intend to convey? What was his key topic? What are any secondary topics? One must be careful not to abuse the passage by superimposing another agenda over the original writer's intent. 7. Consult Commentaries and the Writings of Others. I usually save this step for last in the study section because I like to form my own conclusions before seeing what others have said. Often as many as 8-10 commentaries are used, depending upon the difficulty of the passage. Now it's time to begin writing the sermon. 8. Discover an Angle for the Sermon. The angle or slant is the perspective from which the sermon will be written. It is a homiletic prop that serves to draw attention to the content of the message. For instance, in a sermon I wrote called "Don't Get Bent Out of Shape," based on Luke 13:10-17, I found my angle for the sermon when I noticed the number of persons or things in the passage that were bent out of shape. Thus, The Bent Out of Shape Lady, The Bent Out of Shape Leader, and The Bent Out of Shape Law. This popular "Bent Out of Shape" metaphor provided an interesting twist on which to hang the truths I wanted to emphasize from the passage and gave an attention-grabbing angle. 9. Formulate a Proposition. This is a single statement of what is going to be said in the message. It may or may not be a statement of the angle. It should be clearly stated before the main body of the message. My proposition for the "Don't Get Bent Out of Shape" sermon above was "Three things that are bent out of shape in this passage." 10. Write the Sermon Outline. I prefer to group the parts of my sermon under major points or divisions. It provides mile posts as the sermon progresses. These may or may not be the same as the study outline mentioned earlier. Effort is made to word them in an interesting, attention-grabbing manner. 11. Write the Sermon Draft. I manuscript all my sermons, so for me this means typing out what I am actually going to say. 12. Choose a Title. For me this is usually one of the last steps, though a good title may be discovered at any point of the sermon preparation process. 13. Revise, Tighten, and Reword Where Necessary. The aim of this is to word things more concisely where possible and also to remove typos and poorly worded points. I "step back" from the message at this point and check to be sure that my main points answer my proposition and that the entire message clearly reflect what is promised. This step is preferably done on a different day than the earlier steps. Setting the sermon aside for a day allows a fresher perspective when it is picked up again. I continue this process right up until my deadline on Sunday morning. 14. Get the Final, Printed Copy to the Church Secretary for Distribution to Absentees, Deaf Ministry, Shut-ins, etc. 15. Preach Message. Distribute Tapes and Printed Copies. 16. Repeat This Process, at Least in Part, for the Evening Service. Start Over Again on Monday.
[3] *=*Preacher's Study Website Updates Two new messages were added to the Premium section of our website since the last issue. If you have premium access you may view them at: "Learning from Their Laughter" based on Genesis 17:1-18:15; 21:1-7. "Thinking that Produces Thanking" based on Hebrews 13:5-15.
[4] *=*On Subscribing to Our Website This ezine, The Preacher's Study Ezine, is actually an extension of my website, The Preacher's Study. The two entities work hand-in-hand to promote what is unashamedly my greatest passion: promoting accurate, interesting, relevant preaching of God's Word. If you enjoy these articles, please do visit the website. You'll find the same quality of material there. Yes, there is a modest subscription fee for access to part of it, namely the Premium area, but I believe that, as our current subscribers testify again and again, you'll find good value there. All of us purchase books and commentaries to enhance our understanding of the Bible and improve our preaching. Some of these simply become inert additions to already crowded bookshelves. A subscription to The Preacher's Study will not likely become shelfware. Come see for yourself at:
[5] *=*Contact Info The Preacher's Study Website & Ezine
[6] *=*Easy Subscribe/Unsubscribe Instructions To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the following web page and follow the simple instructions: http://preacherstudy.com/maillist.htm [Your email address will be kept fully confidential and will never be sold or given to anyone.]
[7] *=*Copyright Info The material in this Ezine is copyrighted (c) 2000 by The Preacher's Study. Reprint articles by permission only. Please do not cut and paste this material into any other documents. You may, however, forward the email version to friends and associates.
|
||||
Subscribe Now
Return to Back Issue Index Page
Return to The Preacher's Study