Three years ago, I delivered the preaching lectures at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. This opportunity forced me to wrestle with how preachers can take their preaching to the next level. By the ‘next level,’ I’m referring to greater effectiveness in helping listeners see the glory and majesty of God from the Scriptures so that they are inspired and challenged to live grace-based, mission-focused, Christ-exalting lives. I eventually settled on six disciplines which help us preach Scripture in a way that leads people to encounter and worship the true and living God. Here is my list of disciplines.
1. Study the text in its original languages
2. Saturate your sermon preparation in prayer
3. Study the biblical text and prepare sermons in community
4. Keep the focus God-centered rather than human-centered
5. Let the literary form of the text influence your sermon’s structure
6. Develop relevant images, analogies, and applications
I commented on #1 in a couple recent posts, and I discussed #5 a few months ago. But I’ll say something about the other four disciplines in upcoming posts. In the meantime, what would you add to this list? I’d love to weigh and discuss other disciplines you suggest. I want to do the best job I can with my role in seeing Christ formed in the people to whom I preach.
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 9:04 AM on August 17, 2007
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Listen to yourself! In a very small church--my first--I used to tape my sermons, then on Tues. AM set up the recorder and sit in front row of church and listen. I asked myself questions like: Can I stay awake while listening to myself? Can I articulate clearer? Did I make clear what I wanted people to do with the material I was giving them? Was I answering questions no one was asking? Was my outline clear and logical? Did I explain the text?
Posted by: Duane Dunham on August 27, 2007
Thanks, DUANE, for a great piece of advice. So now we have 7 disciplines! Watching yourself can also be helpful -- and painful! -- if you can get someone to videotape your sermons.
Posted by: Steve Mathewson on August 28, 2007