Module #1

how to build
a sermon
 how to build a sermon

Too many communicators love to speak in public When people come to church, they come
but fail to put in the hard work to craft a compelling needing to hear a word from God. They enter
message. Preaching quality messages that honor the building with weight on their shoulders in
God, clearly communicate the truth of the Bible, need the Gospel. Whether they fully realize
and impact peoples lives it or not, they are
takes a lot of work. But looking to you to
your sermon is worthy Preaching that costs nothing share Gods Word with
of such work. accomplishes nothing. them in a real way.
If the study is a lounge, the pulpit Your congregation
1. Your calling will be an impertinence. recognizes low-quality
demands hard - John Henry Jowett work. As a preacher,
work. One of the you are responsible for
great preachers in your congregations
the Bible was the level of interest.
Apostle Paul. In Colossians 1:25, Paul told the
church at Colossi that he was commissioned as Prepare well!
a minister by God in order to present the full
counsel of Gods word. Paul tells Timothy in 1 3. Your topic demands hard work. Passion
Timothy 3:1 the call to preach is a fine work. for your topic should drive you to invest
For Paul, the calling of God on his life was in preparation. If you really care about the
serious, and he wanted to honor that calling. message, work hard to make it the best it can be.
Likewise, if you are called to preach the Gospel, If you really believe Gods Word has something
you should devote serious time and effort to to say about work, family, faith, sin, forgiveness
preparation. or any other subject, shouldnt you put your best
effort into studying Gods word and preparing
2. Your congregation demands hard work. Lets well.
say it takes you ten hours to prepare a message.
Thats a significant amount of time from your Pastors and preachers, we must learn to prepare
week. Now imagine the collective time your well. In a way, we never stop preparing. But
congregation will invest simply attending during those times of focused study and
church. 100 people in the congregation preparation, dial in and do the work.
represent 100 collective hours. Add in
preparation and drive time and the time could When an athlete leaves it all on the field, it means
triple. they have given their all to a task. If youve ever
gone to the gym or run in a long race, you know

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 how to build a sermon

A presentations quality will not exceed the

quality of the planning process that
precedes it.
- Nancy Duarte

how your body feels after giving it all youve got. goal. The goal is to feed them from the Word of
Its a feeling of being tired, but its a good tired. God.

The work of wrestling with a text, creating an THE SERMON OUTLINE

outline, crafting a sermon and delivering a message
is not a burden; its an honor. Its hard work that will In general, every sermon, speech or presentation has
often wear you out, but at the end of a day or week, these five elements:
you should feel good.
Introduction. In the opening moments, you
Poor preparation will lead to a weak message. capture the audiences attention and draw them
Commit to do the hard work and you will reap the into the message. You could use this time to ask
fruit of your labor. a provocative question, find common ground, or
create tension.
Now that you know some work is ahead of you, lets Body. Most of your time will be spent here.
talk about what the wrok should look like. Youll unpack the meaning of a text, present
relevant information, and explain the main idea.
Illustrations. These are the windows in the
THE GOAL OF THE SERMON sermon. They shed light on the topic and help
people understand. The teaching of Jesus is filled
Recently, I ate at a fancy restaurant in Atlanta. I with interesting stories and illustrations.
listened as the server carefully explained all the Application. Helping people understand the text
ingredients of a dish and how it was prepared. and apply it to their lives is an important task.
By the time she was finished with her romantic Because the Word of God is timeless, every good
description of the food, I knew I wanted it. message has modern and relevant application to
todays audience.
It came to the table ten minutes later and was Conclusion. Once information is presented,
gone ten minutes after that. Weeks later, I cant illustrated and applied, its time to land the plane.
remember the description and certainly couldnt How you conclude your talk and call people to
duplicate the preparation process. But I know it action is important.
was good, and Ive recommended the restaurant to
others. Why is this important? Because a good sermon is
not a collection of random words, sentences and
Our primary goal is not for people to remember paragraphs. It has a clear structure and moves
everything, but to feed them week to week. Dont along at a healthy pace. It has a destination and a
be discouraged when people cant remember every direction.
detail and point of your sermon. Thats not the
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 how to build a sermon

Every message should have a central theme or a main

subject. You can have a topic without having a point.

TWO TYPES OF 3. What do I want them to do? Great sermons

MESSAGE OUTLINES dont just present important informationthey
lead people to action. Do you have a clear and
There are many types of sermons, and each different compelling action step.
type lends itself to a different kind of presentation.
Here are two main outlines: 4. What is the single most persuasive idea? I
have a topic, but do I have a point? If you cant
1. Deductive: Idea presented early (during the summarize your idea for Twitter, keep working. The
introduction) and the body supports it. This type best ideas are short and memorable.
of sermon outline takes people on a journey that
unpacks the main idea. Before you write a sentence, paragraph or an outline,
answer those four questions. Those questions
2. Inductive: Build a case for your message through dont need quick answers; they need prayerful
the introduction and body and present the idea answers.
during the conclusion. This type of sermon outline
builds suspense and tension and ends with the main
idea or action step. A FRAMEWORK FOR
THE MESSAGE

GETTING STARTED With answers to those four questions in hand, its

time to start laying out the message. Im going to
Assuming youve heard from God and have a give you a framework for a message that works in
general direction for your sermon, lets get started. most circumstances. This isnt meant to be a fill
If we were in the room with you and personally in the blank template for every message, but its a
coaching you through how to craft your message, general framework that has worked time and time
here are the questions we would ask. again to help organize content and ideas.

1. What is my message about? Every message Lets think of your message in three boxes.
should have a central theme or a main subject. You
can have a topic without having a point. 1. The first part is the INTRODUCTION.

2. Why is it important? You might know why its During the introduction, you must answer the
important to you, but why is it important to your question: Why is this important? And when you
congregation? Whats at stake? set out to answer that question, its got to be deeper
than why its important to you. Sometimes, things

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 how to build a sermon

To the listener, the most important thing is why they

should listen.

that are important to the communicator are not So heres box one.
important to the congregation. Just because youre
passionate about something doesnt mean your Why is this important?
audience will be passionate about it. Heres why you need to listen!
If you dont listen to this, you forfeit
Its also not important to everyone because its in something. There is something at stake.
the Bible. Of course, the Bible is the Word of God I need to convince you that the next few
and all sermons must be based in the Scripture, minutes are worth the price of your attention.
but everyone in your congregation will not I am not the hero of this story. You are.
automatically listen to something because its in the I want to create common ground. A story is a
Bible. great way to do that.
A story that says, We share something
The introduction is the proper place to build tension in common.
and find common ground. There is a problem or challenge that we
share, and were about to discover the
In these first, important minutes, youre not talking solution, together.
to an audience, youre talking to a single mom, a
teenager, a skeptic, a committed Christian man, and The introduction to any message is important,
more. How will you find common ground with because the first five minutes often determine
them? How will you relate? the effectiveness of the next thirty. Its so
important, were going to dive deeper into
To the preacher, the most important thing is the this topic.
bottom line. To the listener, the most important
thing is why they should listen.
2. The second part of your message is
How will you build tension during the introduction? THE ANSWER.
Tension gets someone to lean in. Tension is what
engages someone. When you tap into tension, the If youve done a good job during the first five
person sitting in the audience wants you to keep minutes, the congregation is ready for you to answer
talking. Instead of thinking, how much longer is the question youve asked or resolve the tension
this? they are nodding their head in agreement and youve created. This section is really the meat of
hoping youre going to answer the questions they are your message.
thinking.
In this section, you need several things:

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 how to build a sermon

You need to unpack the Scripture. Your opinion So heres box two.
might be interesting, but what God says in his Word
has eternal implications. During the meat of your I am now going to begin to unpack the
message, you need to carefully explain the Scripture solution to the tension in the introduction.
in a way people can understand. This is a great place to introduce the bottom
line.
One of our core convictions is that sermons should I am going to repeat the bottom line over and
be Bible based. Its not our job to share opinions, but over again from this point forward.
to communicate Gods truth. What God says in His How can I illustrate the bottom line?
Word is more important that what you think. How can I show the bottom line in addition to
saying it?
You need a memorable bottom line. In the Im going to reference the problem in the
resource vault, weve given you a BOTTOM LINE introduction and talk about why this solution
WORKSHEET that will help you craft memorable is the answer, and why they MUST buy into
bottom lines. A bottom line is the big idea. Its the this.
main and memorable point of the entire message. Heres why. Here are results.
We will spend time on this in Module two, but the Dont you want to be a part of this?
worksheet will help you get started if your ready. Thats what Im inviting you into.
Were in this together.
You need stories and illustrations. As you unpack
a passage of Scripture, youre connecting it to the
bottom line. As you repeat your bottom line a few 3. The third part of your message helps
times in a few ways, youre illustrating it with stories. people IMAGINE.
Youre looking for ways to show it, not just say it. You
need to clearly tell people why they MUST believe As your message comes to a conclusion, its time to
the bottom line. share the vision. Vision casting isnt just for building
projects or launching new initiatives, its something
you must do in every sermon.

As youve explained a passage of Scripture or

unpacked a Biblical principle, you must get people to
imagine how their lives, their world, their jobs, their
kids, and their faith would be different (and better!)

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 how to build a sermon

Vision casting is something you must do in every sermon.

if they accepted your proposition. will spend a lot of time during this program diving
into these principles. But lets turn our attention to
Not only should you drill home the bottom line, you your weekly routine and see if we cant inspire your
need to show people what life would look like if the effectiveness and save you time.
idea youve presented became reality in their lives.

So heres box three: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE

WEEK
Imagine what this would look like if it became
a reality in our lives. Pastors wear many hats. At times, youre a
Repeat the bottom line. counselor. Others, youre an executive. You might
I am now going to share a story that even be a janitor. A typical day might not be typical
illustrates this. at all. You lead a staff, meet with volunteers, handle
After the story Im going to reinforce the administrative details, encourage people, respond to
bottom line and then tell them what they email, serve your community and more.
can do this week to act on this.
Its easy to understand how one of your most
important tasks preparing and delivering a weekly
These three boxesthe introduction, the answer message gets pushed to the end of the line. Its
and a call to imagine make a great framework for easy for the urgent can push out the important.
any message. Whether youre teaching through
six verses in Colossians or continuing a series on Life isnt rigid, and there are times when we must
relationships, these guiding principles can make go with the flow and we should always follow the
your message stronger. leading of the Holy Spirit. But, what if you had a
framework for message prep that not only worked
Its important that you find a rhythm, not ruthlessly for you, it yielded better results?
follow a prescribed sermon outline, even the
one were presenting. Preparing and preaching Imagine with me for a minute. What would happen
a message is both a personal and a spiritual task. if
Thinking through these three boxes might help you You didnt cram for your message like you
craft your message in a way that leads people to crammed for a test.
follow Jesus. You were able to work on your message over
time instead of at the last minute.
Thats a simple framework for the message, and we

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 how to build a sermon

You were able to relax on the weekend, instead 4. What is the single most persuasive
of being stressed about what you are going to idea? I know you have a topic, but do you have
say. a point? If you cant summarize your idea for
You were able to sleep better on Saturday Twitter, keep working. The best ideas are short and
night. memorable.
You were able to get the most important
things done earlier in the week. Every Monday, work through your upcoming topic
You had margin in your schedule so you could and answer those four questions.
better respond when the Holy Spirit set up
divine appointments. Tuesday: Build the boxes.

All of these things are possible if you will adopt Create the rough outline for your upcoming sermon
framework for your message prep. What if you using the three boxes we talked about. Write or
week looked like this? place content in these three boxes.

Monday: Answer the Questions. 1. The introduction

2. The answer
On Monday, what if you prayed over and could 3. Imagine
clearly articulate your answers to the four
questions I asked earlier? Wednesday: Write a draft.

1. What is my message about? Every With a firm answer of the important questions,
message should have a central theme, but a message plus a build out of the boxes, its time to write a
is more than a topic. You can have a topic without draft. Some people prefer to write detailed outlines
having a point. and others are manuscript writers. No matter your
preference, carve out time to write the bulk of your
2. Why is it important? You might know message.
why its important to you, but why is it important to
your congregation? Whats at stake? Thursday: Make it better.

3. What do I want them to do? Great Ernest Hemmingway said the first draft of anything
sermons dont just present important information is terrible. Actually, he used more colorful language,
they lead people to action. Do you have a clear and but his point is spot on.
compelling action step. Too many times, pastors preach their first drafts, and

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 how to build a sermon

that isnt the best draft. But since you wrote the bulk Sunday: Preach it.
of your message on Wednesday, youve got a whole
day to make it better. Its amazing to preach a message that wasnt finished
at the last minute. It comes across as something
Look for better stories. Search for an object lesson. youve lived rather than something youve written.
Run your bottom line through the BOTTOM LINE
WORKSHEET. Next Week: Look back.

Work on transitions. Connect the dots. Find a prop. Evaluating your message is a crucial part of growing
Make it better. as a communicator and leader. Its so important,
were going to spend an entire month on this as a
Friday: Say it out loud. part of the Preaching Rocket coaching program.

Most people dont do this, but theres incredible value

in practicing your message out loud. Maybe you do FREQUENTLY ASKED
this in the car, or maybe the mirror. Its weird, but it QUESTIONS
works. Say things out loud
All of the questions are personal, so the answers
If you dont currently do this as a part of your arent prescriptions but thoughtful insight to help
preparation process, give it a try for a few weeks. you process.

Saturday: Leave it. How much time should I devote to sermon

preparation?
If youve followed this process, then its Saturday and
its time to relax. Leave your message alone, at least Preaching is probably not your only responsibility.
for the majority of the day. You might read it over at You might also be tasked with leading a staff,
night before you go to sleep, but for the most of the making visits, administering details of the church,
day, let it rest and let it simmer. and more. But preaching Gods Word is probably
your most important task. Even if you dont believe
Let your message work on you for a while before its the most important thing you do, its the most
you stand and deliver it to the congregation. visible.

For that reason, you should devote a significant

amount of time to preparing your sermon.

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 how to build a sermon

According to a Lifeway Research study in 20121, prepare better and communicate in a more direct
preachers are spending more time in sermon way.
preparation than they were a decade ago. Here is the
average time spent in sermon prep each week: Should I preach with an outline, notes or a
full-manuscript?
Less Than 5 Hours 8%
5 to 7 Hours 23% The more youre prepared, the less you will need in
8 to 10 Hours 25% front of you. If youve successfully internalized the
11 to 15 Hours 23% message, you wont need to rely on a lot of notes.
More Than 15 Hours 21%
Most preachers do have some notes or a rough
According to Lifeway, pastors in smaller churches outline in front of them as they work through their
spend less time in sermon preparation, likely due sermon. You could write down key quotes or trigger
to the bi-vocational nature of many pastors in such words. Others write delivery tips like slow down,
churches. repeat or make eye contact right in their notes.

Though you probably dont want to have a full

How long should a message be? manuscript in front of you while youre speaking,
you might find it helpful to write it. A manuscript is
We recently conducted an informal experiment. We helpful for archives and sharing.
downloaded the ten latest episodes of the ten most
popular Christian sermon podcasts on iTunes. The The important thing here, as is with many of these
average individual sermon length across all of those issues, is that you find a rhythm that works for you
preachers and all of those messages was 38 minutes and helps you devote adequate time to preparation.
and 40 seconds.

Longer is not always better. For example, Abraham

Lincoln was not the featured speaker at Gettysburg.
Another speaker (youve probably never heard of
him) also spoke that day. Lincoln delivered a 278-
word address in just over two minutes, even though
he had the opportunity to speak for two hours

In general, a shorter time frame will force you to

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http://www.thomrainer.com/2012/07/pastors-and-time-in-sermon-preparation-some-
good-news.php
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