How To Prepare a Sermon or Bible Study

Moore's Corner Church

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Hello, in this video I'm going to talk about how to prepare a sermon. There is no one correct way to do it, but this is a way, so hopefully someone will find it helpful.

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The first thing you should understand is the difference between expository preaching and topical sermons.

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A pastor who can preach week after week, he may go through a book of the Bible, preaching chapter by chapter, verse by verse, explaining the original meaning and context.

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That is considered expository preaching. If you're not a pastor, if you can't preach again and again, then you're probably going to do a topical sermon, which is fine, but topical sermons are done a little differently.

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You choose a topic, and then you find different passages in the Bible, all that speak to your subject.

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So instead of one main topic explaining, going in depth with the original meaning and context, a topical sermon is more a broad survey of different passages.

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Where do you start? Prayerfully choose a subject or a text.

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Read the text or multiple texts. Read them many times, become familiar with them.

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Also study so you know what the text is saying. Ask questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.

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Is a doctrine being taught? What doctrine? Who wrote it? Who are they writing to? Why are they writing this?

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How does this apply to me? Does this apply to me? You can read commentaries, examine study

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Bibles, search online, BibleHub is a good source for online commentaries, but remain open to the

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Spirit's leading. You start writing the sermon, and you can do it word for word, or you can write general thoughts, but at least form an outline.

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When you preach, you need to include, okay, your sermon has to include exhortation, explanation, and application.

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You can't just read Bible verses. You can't just string passages together.

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You need to be able to expound upon the text. You need to be able to explain the passage.

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Tell the people what truth is being taught, and how does it apply to their life. Building the sermon.

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The introduction should be two to three minutes at the most, but let people know what they should expect to hear.

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This is common advice. Tell the people what you're going to tell them. Tell it to them, and then at the end, tell them what you told them.

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People need to know what the sermon is about. After the introduction, read your text of Scripture.

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Form the body of the sermon. This usually contains three or four points, or one point that is reinforced three or four different ways.

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The tool of alliteration is not necessary, but it is an effective way to help people remember the points of your sermon.

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Alliteration is when your points all begin with the same letter or have a similar sound.

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Be sure to make application during your sermon. I can't stress this enough.

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For example, James 1 .22 says, but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

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The application would be if you asked the congregation something like this, are you a doer of the word or are you a hearer only?

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This way, it makes the text real to them. It's not just words on a page.

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It applies to them. If you can, it's helpful to build up to one main point in your sermon.

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These things are not required, but it's helpful. All of the verses, all of your illustrations, it should all be headed in some direction.

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So one main overarching point. Your sermon should have the climax, what you're building up to.

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The conclusion, bring it all together. Now that the congregation has heard the sermon, what should they do about it?

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If you don't make application during the sermon, you absolutely have to make it at the end.

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Here are some helpful hints. Remember the gospel. This is what it's all about.

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The gospel should be included in every sermon in some way, shape, or form, because you never know who might be listening.

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Fine tuning your message. Go over your sermon several times, and as you go, make those changes that need to be made.

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Prayer. You should pray at least once either before or after your sermon.

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Before and after is good also. Sermon time. 20 minutes should be the minimum.

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45 minutes would probably be the maximum, depending on the setting. So shoot for about a half an hour.

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After about 35 minutes, most people's minds start to drift. Cross -referencing.

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The more you are in the word, the more things will come to mind. Consider using a

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Strong's Concordance. I've also found blueletterbible .org to be very helpful.

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You can type in any passage using the King James or the New American Standard, and simply click on Strong's and it will give you all the

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Hebrew and Greek words, their meanings, and where they are found elsewhere in Scripture.

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Public speaking. Speak loudly and clearly. Do not speak in a monotone voice.

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Try not to talk too much with your head down. Also, don't read into the expressions on people's faces.

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If somebody looks bored or angry or confused, we never really think about our resting face until we're up in front of people and then we notice it on them.

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Don't read into that at all. But if somebody does criticize you, don't take it personally. They criticize

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Jesus as well. But be willing to accept constructive criticism. Memorization.

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The more Bible verses you have memorized, the better off you will be. They will often come to mind so that you can better make your point.

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Be open to the Spirit's leading. God may bring things to your mind that you didn't plan on saying.

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Don't be afraid to get off topic for a few moments. Just make sure you get back on point afterwards.

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Illustrations. Try to include illustrations that people can relate to. Throwing in an illustration can sometimes help recapture people's attention.

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Preach with confidence. Remember, it is not your message. It is God's message.

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And finally, James 3 .1 says, My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

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It's true that that verse is referring more to pastors and those who teach in an official capacity.

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But still, teaching God's Word in any setting must be taken seriously.

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So in conclusion, when handling the Word of God, we must strive to handle it accurately.