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    i know what you did last sermon
lane palmer
Praise be to the internet. For from it flow streams of pre-packaged sermon outlines that will save thee time and maketh thee to look like Chuck Swindoll on hermeneutical steroids! Or something like that.
Undeniably, the advent of shared information, outlines, illustrations and manuscripts is an amazing help for busy pastors and youth leaders, like me, who teach on a regular basis. But—and this is a BIG but—the auto-pilot method of sermon prep can atrophy your once toned study muscles. I know because I speak from personal experience. I realized I was taking “the path of least resistance” when searching Google replaced digging in to commentaries.
So how can you fight the flab in your ministry? Well, the long answer is read a book or take a course on sermon prep and delivery, but let me give you the short answer. I learned it way back in the day, but I’ve never seen anything better since. It’s a preparation method called “hook/book/look/took,” and it flat out works. Here is a brief breakdown:
Hook: Use a story, a stat, a clip or whatever to “hook” your audience. Make sure it ties in to the Biblical text you’re discussing, and keep it short and sweet. At the end of your hook, transition with a one-two sentence description of your text (i.e. background/big idea).
Book: Read your text, then unpack it. This doesn’t mean reading from a commentary; rather make the text come alive through interesting and relevant observations, historical context and illustrations.
Look: Apply the passage to life in the 21st century. Many people, especially teens, look at the Bible as dated and antiquated. Prove them wrong.
Took: Give the audience a “take away,” something specific and challenging to accomplish during the week. For example, if your message is about reading the Bible, give them a few passages to read during the week.
Take advantage of online sermon helps, they’re great to use. But just be sure that you are not relying on them so much that your own skills suffer. Sermon/lesson prep isn’t easy, but I guarantee the results of your own work will satisfy the spiritual hunger of your audience better than any online order, and in the process tone your spiritual muscles as well.
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http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/community-articles-dare2share.html
lane palmer
Praise be to the internet. For from it flow streams of pre-packaged sermon outlines that will save thee time and maketh thee to look like Chuck Swindoll on hermeneutical steroids! Or something like that.
Undeniably, the advent of shared information, outlines, illustrations and manuscripts is an amazing help for busy pastors and youth leaders, like me, who teach on a regular basis. But—and this is a BIG but—the auto-pilot method of sermon prep can atrophy your once toned study muscles. I know because I speak from personal experience. I realized I was taking “the path of least resistance” when searching Google replaced digging in to commentaries.
So how can you fight the flab in your ministry? Well, the long answer is read a book or take a course on sermon prep and delivery, but let me give you the short answer. I learned it way back in the day, but I’ve never seen anything better since. It’s a preparation method called “hook/book/look/took,” and it flat out works. Here is a brief breakdown:
Hook: Use a story, a stat, a clip or whatever to “hook” your audience. Make sure it ties in to the Biblical text you’re discussing, and keep it short and sweet. At the end of your hook, transition with a one-two sentence description of your text (i.e. background/big idea).
Book: Read your text, then unpack it. This doesn’t mean reading from a commentary; rather make the text come alive through interesting and relevant observations, historical context and illustrations.
Look: Apply the passage to life in the 21st century. Many people, especially teens, look at the Bible as dated and antiquated. Prove them wrong.
Took: Give the audience a “take away,” something specific and challenging to accomplish during the week. For example, if your message is about reading the Bible, give them a few passages to read during the week.
Take advantage of online sermon helps, they’re great to use. But just be sure that you are not relying on them so much that your own skills suffer. Sermon/lesson prep isn’t easy, but I guarantee the results of your own work will satisfy the spiritual hunger of your audience better than any online order, and in the process tone your spiritual muscles as well.
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