Creating a Home Run Sermon
Preaching That Makes a Difference – Part 2
Every pastor wants to preach a great sermon! Right? We hope that after a week of study and preparation, our sermons will be a home run and have a lasting impact on the lives of those who hear it. Unfortunately, every pastor also knows the sinking feeling when this doesn’t happen. It’s those times when your sermon is a swing and a miss and you want to disappear mid-way through. How can you ensure your sermons are going to be a home run and not a strikeout? The secret is in the outline!
In this 6-part series, Preaching That Makes a Different, I will explore some very simple and practical steps you can take to become a more effective preacher.
Today, we are going to talk about how to create a great outline because this will determine if you preach a great sermon! That’s right, the strength of every sermon comes down to the strength of the outline. If your outline is confusing, your sermon will be confusing. If your outline is weak, your sermon will be weak. But if your outline is clear, your sermon will be clear. If your outline is strong your sermon will be strong. The two go hand in hand.
So how do you create a great outline? Glad you asked! I suggest employing two simple steps during your study time that has proven to provide clear and memorable outlines.
Step #1 – Develop a Question to Answer
A good outline will have a big idea or general theme you are focused on. But what will make it more memorable is to form a question that you will answer. People are more interested in questions than simple statements. They will even try to answer them, which creates a place of engagement. Now I recognize not every passage will answer a question, but most do if you dig a level deeper. The key is to ask yourself what is being compared or contrasted. What “how to” can I derive from the passage I’m studying? For example, consider the passage below when Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
John 11:1-6
On the surface, we get a simple story about Martha and Mary notifying Jesus that His friend Lazarus is sick. Not many questions to answer, but we do see a contrast. Namely, we see the urgency of Marth and Mary for Jesus to come and so something about Lazarus contrasted with Jesus seemly calm response. He didn’t seem urgent at all! In fact, he already knew about it and stated that Lazarus’s illness was for God’s glory. He even waited two days to respond! Ask yourself, how did Jesus respond to this challenging time compared to Martha and Mary? Clearly, Jesus was in charge and was on His own timeline. Marth and Mary, on the other hand, were confused and panicked! What question could be answered here? Any ideas? Here are a couple of suggestions… “How to Respond When Life Gets Challenging?” or “How to Find Stability in Unstable Times?” Of course, this will be answered by comparing and contrasting Jesus to Martha and Mary. There are certainly a few more options here, but you get the idea. By creating a question, you create an interest, which in turn gives your audience a reason to listen. In my last blog, we discussed how this also plays into an effective introduction, because you want to give your audience a reason to listen. But the key to developing a strong and memorable outline is to develop a compelling question that you will ultimately answer.
Step #2 – Create Simple Answers to Your Question
Once you have developed a question to answer, now you have to answer the question. This is where your points will come into play. The goal of answering any question is to be simple and direct. A vague or complex answer will only create confusion and more questions. The goal in creating a memorable outline is for it to be able to stand on its own, without having heard the sermon. Why? Because survey says that most people will forget your Sunday sermon by Tuesday. But if you have a memorable outline and people write it down, they won’t need to remember.
Consider our question from John 11:1-6… “How to Respond When Life Gets Challenging?” We know that Jesus already knew about Lazarus being sick without having to be told (vv. 1-4). The truth here is God is aware and paying attention to our struggles like Jesus was to Martha and Mary. We also know that Jesus was on a very different timetable than Martha and Mary, they wanted Him to come right away and Jesus waited two days before leaving (vv. 5-6). Based on these two truths, see below for a possible outline option:
“How to Respond When Life Gets Challenging”
#1-Recognize God is Paying Attention (vv. 1-4)
#2-Expect a Timeline Struggle (vv. 5-6)
Of course, this is just a simple outline for illustration purposes and probably needs to be more refined, but you get the jest. In fact, a good outline will require continually playing with the wording in order to make it clear and succinct. Also, notice how you don’t have to hear the sermon in order to understand its truth. This is because the outline is based on a question with answers that are simple and clear. The more you work at this approach the more memorable your sermons will become. Remember, you don’t hit a home run by just stepping up to the plate, but you have to practice, practice, practice! So give it a try! This week, work on an outline that is based on compelling questions with simple and clear answers!
Follow along for the next blog, where we’ll discuss how to preach your outline in a clear and effective way!
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I’ve committed my life to the practice and art of preaching. I’ve been at it for almost 30 years, received my doctorate in preaching, and have coached pastors around the country to help them become better communicators. If you’re ready to take your preaching to a new level, contact me to discuss personalized ways for you to be the best you can be!