* * * T H E P R E A C H E R ' S S T U D Y * * *
U P D A T E & E Z I N E
"Energize Your Preaching!"
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http://preacherstudy.com
Third Tuesday of November, 1999
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Published on the first and third Tuesday of the month.
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(The material in this Ezine is copyrighted, however, you may forward it in
its entirety to friends and associates)
In This Issue:
[1] Greetings!
[2] Featured Article: "WHAT'S IN A NAME? The Art of Creatively Naming Your
Sermons" Part 2
[3] Preacher's Study Website Updates
[4] Coming Attractions
[5] Contact Info
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[1] ***Greetings!***
Hello again from The Preacher's Study. A special welcome to our new
subscribers. The list now stands at 991 souls. Please help spread the word
by forwarding this ezine to any friends or associates who might benefit
from it. It will continue to be sent free of charge to all subscribers.
Content will always center on issues that pertain to preaching.
This edition contains a second installment on the article started in our
last issue called, "WHAT'S IN A NAME? The Art of Creatively Naming
Sermons." I received some good feedback on the first installment. I've
altered some of the text of the article in this issue to reflect some of
the good ideas that were expressed to me. One subscriber who wrote in
sincerely questioned the practice of naming sermons and whether attaching
catchy titles contributed to preacher vanity or perhaps detracted from the
message. To that I can only say that all of us, in preaching the word,
need to be sensitive to how we come across - something that is very
dependent upon local culture and expectations. Of that, you are a much
better judge than I. If tagging your sermon with a cleaver title causes a
detriment to the word, then by all means, don't do it! In my neck of the
woods, as long as I'm careful not to get too "cute" with my titles, they
seem to enhance interest and attention. People look forward to them and
remember them afterward - sometimes *years* afterward. In fact, unless I
change the name, I can never seem to get away with preaching the same
message a couple of years later. People remember the titles!
As always, I welcome your input to these articles. Positive or negative,
let me hear from you if you have something to say. Send email to:
editor@preacherstudy.com
Oh, and speaking of titles, those of you who are not subscribers to my
website may receive a full listing of titles and texts available in the
Premium section by simply sending a blank email to my autoresponder at the
following address. Simply click on the link below and then hit "send".
titles@preacherstudy.com?subject=Send
-Dave Redick
[2] ***Featured Article: "WHAT'S IN A NAME? The Art of Creatively Naming
Your Sermons" (Part 2)
<<<Continued from last issue>>>
Assuming that you as a preacher can turn out a good sermon (so as to
deliver on what is promised in a good title, right?) how can you come up
with a good title? To answer this question, let's return to our original
talking points. A good sermon title draws attention to a sermon by
provoking curiosity (see last issue). It does this also by:
2. PROMISING ANSWERS.
People are looking for answers to the difficult issues in their lives in
greater numbers than ever before. It's just that many of them aren't
looking for them in the Lord's church. One reason for this is that they
simply do now know the answers are there. We know, but often we're not
quite sure how to tell them. Many people fail to connect the preaching and
teaching that goes on in the church to real life - something that should
be a major concern of every spokesperson for God.
The sign out in front of the church building says, "Visitors Welcome" and
we really mean that. We sometimes say, "Come to church and hear our
preacher. He preaches from the Bible. He's interesting. He won't bore you
or put you to sleep. You'll just love what he has to say." This is all
good, but to a growing number of people around us "the Bible" is a strange
book that doesn't have much to say to modern man and often turns people
into religious kooks. At least that's what the media tells them, and there
are very few around who are showing them that it isn't so. Granted, there
are some people who see learning the Bible as a priority - but most of
them are already in church! If we are to be heard we must punch through
the ignorance with the promise of answers that coincide to the questions
people have. A good sermon title, like a good movie title, will go a long
way toward accomplishing this goal.
By the way, you *do* believe the Bible has answers, right? I never know
who might be reading this, so quite sadly I must clarify. It never ceases
to amaze me that there are those who fill pulpits in our land who preach
psychology, sociology, and many other things rather than the Word of God.
Parts of these disciplines are good as far as they go but they are not on
the par with the Word of God. Sometimes their core principles even oppose
the word of God. If people want psychology, let them go to a counseling
center. When they come to church they need to hear the word of God.
Frankly, it is my fond desire that preachers who preach things other than
the word of God continue to have uninteresting sermons with dull titles.
May they bore their hearers to tears! Maybe their listeners will search
out a real church.
Jesus said in John 6:63, "...the words that I have spoken to you are
spirit and are life."
This is why we must preach the Scriptures. They contain what the Son of
God called "life." I suppose He should know. :-) Let those who have more
faith in the human disciplines retire discouraged from the pulpits of our
land or take their talents elsewhere. Paul's admonition to Timothy bears
repeating here: "Preach the Word!"
Assuming then, that you know the answers are there and you understand how
to dig them out and line them up in a sermon that delivers on the promise
of answers (if you don't, keep reading this ezine!) what about titles?
What do such titles that promise answers look like?
Here are some suggestions. No claim is made as to originality. In fact,
you may have seen some of these titles around. Remember that even though
you may have heard them, others may not have.
"You Can Beat Depression"
"Seven Ways to Affair Proof Your Marriage"
"How to Win Over Worry"
"How to Sweeten a Sour Marriage"
"Nine Good Habits That Will Make Your Marriage Sing."
"How to Stay Up When Your Work Has You Down."
"Seven Ways to Win Your Parents Over to Your Way of Thinking."
"How to Quiet a Noisy Rooster" (Conscience, based on Peter's Denial of
Jesus)
"Three Secrets of a Great Life"
"Seven Habits of Highly Spiritual People"
"What Every Wife Would Like Her Husband to Know"
"What Every Husband Would Like His Wife to Know"
"What Every Boy Wants His Dad to Know"
"What Every Girl Wants Her Dad to Know"
"Five Steps to a Happier Life"
"How to Get Your Life Together and Prepare for Eternity"
"You Can Overcome Your Bad Habits" (The importance of and the "how to" of
self discipline)
Each of these titles promises to deliver some answer(s). Let's analyze
them a bit more closely.
a) Note that many begin with "how to." "How to" messages, if real answers
are delivered, will always draw attention. Beginning authors, looking to
be published for the first time, are often instructed to write "how to"
books in the areas of their expertise because they sell well. "How to"
sermons will "sell" well also.
b) Some begin with a number: "Nine things," "Seven Ways," "Three Secrets."
People are attracted to the promise of things that are concise,
measurable, and systematic. Witness the popularity of the many "twelve
step" programs. Most of us know that we need to do something about our
problems. We just don't know how to move from where we are now to where we
want to be. Promising in your title to spell out the steps is what we're
talking about here.
c) Here is a bonus: Titles that draw attention by promising answers need
not be catchy or cleaver. In fact, sometimes the plainer they are, the
better. The promise of answers to a particular problem will be sufficient
to provoke interest. Deliver on what your title promises and you'll find
many people anxious to hear what you have to say.
Something special to note here: Many such "how to" message deal with
successful living in the here and now, something many are interested in.
It is much easier for hearers to identify with such temporal issues. Of
course the Bible does say many things about the here and now, but the
careful student of the Scripture realizes that by far, the most important
"how to" message concerns how to prepare for eternity. It is necessary
then, for sermons dealing with temporal issues to contain a bridge to the
eternal. Of necessity, any message on successful living in the here and
now contains instruction about the biggest here and now need: preparing
for eternity.
Promise answers to common problems in your sermon titles and you'll always
find interested hearers.
3. PROVIDING EXPLANATIONS
Often sermons that provide explanations are titled with "why" or "what"
questions.
"Why Does God Allow His People to Suffer?"
"We're Under Grace So Why Bother to Overcome Sin?"
"What God Looks for in an Employee" (A Christlike example on your job)
"What Will Happen Me Five Minutes After I Die?"
Actually, these titles often reflect a sermon's proposition - that
statement where you tell your listeners (or at least you tell yourself)
what it is they are going to learn if they listen to you for the next
thirty minutes.
In your titling of this kind of message, try to choose one that poses a
question that you know people will have an interest in.
<<<TO BE CONTINUED>>>
(c) Dave Redick, The Preacher's Study, 1999. All Rights Reserved. Reprint
by permission only. However, you may forward his entire Ezine to friends
freely.
[3] ***Recent Website Updates***
Two new messages were added to the Premium Section of The Preacher's Study
since the last edition of this Ezine. The first is called "Picking Up
Stones: The Story of the Woman Caught in Adultery." It is based on John
8:1-11. Here is an excerpt: "While certain sins carry greater earthly
consequences sometimes, we dare not forget that in God's eyes, all sin is
serious and all sin carries the death penalty. Thus we should not maximize
the sins of others in our minds and minimize those in ourselves."
The second new message is called, "A Businesswoman Comes to Christ: The
Story of Lydia." The text is Acts 16:11-15. Here is an excerpt: "...there
are those on the political and social scene today who wish to restructure
our society and remove the issue of business competition under the guise
of equality. If someone is successful, the government should confiscate
most of what he or she makes and redistribute it to those who are not
successful. Christian people who know the Bible shouldn't fall for it. The
natural result of doing your work 'heartily' and becoming skillful is that
some end up being more skillful than others and their businesses move
ahead. You will not find a place anywhere in the Bible that says such
competition is bad or that such a person who succeeds should be penalized.
Actually, such activity is commended and rewarded."
If you are a subscriber to the Premium Section, you may view these
messages directly by going to:
http://preacherstudy.com/premium/stones.html
http://preacherstudy.com/premium/business.html
The free section also received new files this time. Go there directly by
using the following link:
http://preacherstudy.com/free.htm
I am still in the process of indexing files in the Premium Section by
text, something that has been requested by several recently. This should
be done very soon.
[4] ***Coming Attractions***
Lord willing, the next issue of this ezine will be devoted to completing
the topic of sermon naming dealt with in this and the former issue. After
that we'll take on what has been called "Staging", that is, spreading the
work of sermon preparation over a greater part of the week or month in
order to take full advantage of unhurried creativity.
See you next time, Lord willing.
[5] ***Contact Info***
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The Preacher's Study Website & Ezine
(c) 1999, The Preacher's Study
http://preacherstudy.com
"Energize Your Preaching!"
Owner: Dave Redick
Email: editor@preacherstudy.com
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