At Radicalis, they are having individual learning tracks. The one I am doing is on “Preaching for life change” which is lead by Tom Holladay & Kerry Shook.
I love being with other communicators. It is great to be with other people who understand the weight of preaching (and the joy) and the preparation it takes, how hard it is and how to evaluate yourselves. The stories (both good and bad) are exciting to hear and push me forward as a preacher.
Session 3 started off where Session 2 ended, you can also see my notes for session 1 here. We are walking through how to C.R.A.F.T. a message.
Here are some thoughts from session 3:
How do you categorize what you collect?
- Look for similarities between verses
- Look for recurring themes in verses
Research and Reflect (Ecclesiastes 12:9)
- Research is studying with my mind and listening with my heart
- Important questions: What does it say? and What does it mean?
- Reflect: let the scripture soak into your life
How do you reflect on God’s word?
- Reflection is another word for meditate (Psalm 119:99)
- Meditation is focused thinking
- You cannot rush reflection
- Your most creative thoughts will come after a time of rest
- I listen to what God is saying to me (Psalm 119:27)
- I record any insights I have
How do you Apply a sermon?
- Application answers to important questions: So what? and Now what?
- There is a personal and corporate application to every sermon
- Always aim for a specific response
- Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific
- The most important question after we study the text is What specific response that I am going to ask for?
- You are preaching for an action, a verdict, a commitment
- You want people to do something because of what you said
- What do I want them to feel? What do I want them to think? What do I want them to do?
- Model application by applying it to your own life (1 Corinthians 4:6)
- Ask penetrating questions (Matthew 18:12)
- Give specific action steps
- Give practical examples (1 Corinthians 10:11)
- Offer people hope
- Tell people how it could be, not just how it is
- Make your applications your points (the secret to preaching for life change)
- Put a verb in every point
- Put God or Jesus in the point (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- Personalize the points with I or me or you
- When we preach about God in an impersonal way, we take the power of it and God has to speak in spite of our outline
- We need to use simple language, not complex
- Suggest a practical assignment (Luke 10:37)
- Smart assignments that lead people to life change (Specific, Motivational, Attainable, Relevant, Trackable)
Questions for Application
- Who are the people in this passage and how are they like us today?
- What is the setting and what are the similarities to our world?
- What is happening, is there any conflict or tension, and how would I have acted or felt in that situation?
- What was the intended message for that audience? What is the purpose of the passage? What did God want them to learn or feel or do?
- What are the timeless truths?
- How is this relevant to our world today?
- Where does this truth apply to my life?
- What needs to change in me?
- What will be my first step of action?
12 Questions to ask about every text
- Is there an attitude to adjust?
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there a priority to change?
- Is there a lesson to learn?
- Is there an issue to resolve?
- Is there a command to obey?
- Is there an activity to avoid or stop?
- Is there a truth to believe?
- Is there an idol to tear down?
- Is there an offense to forgive?
- Is there a new direction to take?
- Is there a sin to confess?
How do you Arrange your sermon?
- The text should determin the substance of the message, but the way people hear and learn should determine the structure of your message
- Life change needs to determine the structure of our message
- Too many sermons have content, content, content, and then application at the end (the problem is that no one is with you when you get to the end)
- A better outline is application w/ content, application w/ content, application w/ content
- The purpose of the point and the strength of the message is that lives can be changed by Jesus
- If the point of the message is application, then my applications should be my points
How to arrange your outline for maximum impact
- Keep it simple
- If it takes too long to explain it to people, then it is too long
- Someone should be able to read your outline and know what you were talking about
- Beware of alliterations
- It is more important to be clear than cute
- State your points in complete sentences
- What is your outline saying
- What is the point, is it worth saying
- Make sure your points have unity and balance
- Your message must have movement if you want to move people
- Have a plan for your message and where it is going
- Offer hope in your message, you can do everything I am saying with the power of God
- Call for commitment
- Arrange your points to climax with a commitment
- What do you want them to do and then ask them to do it!
- Arrange your points to use tension and release
- Consider how your points sound when arranging them
- If you use fill in the blanks, make sure they matter
Pingback: Radicalis Individual Track: Preaching for Life Change Session 4 « My World
Pingback: Radicalis Notes « My World