The secret which lets your points breathe

Introduction. Point one. Point two. Point three. Application. Conclusion.

When a sermon feels like a flood of words, the structure of the sermon mimics the one above.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

In fact, a sermon should never resemble a quality essay response.

The reason is simple, a sermon is not a thought monologue. A sermon should be thought provoking. A sermon should give you space to ponder.

The way this is achieved is by creating space in your sermon.

And, if you look closely at the following flow of a sermon, then you’ll spot the secret which will allow your points to breathe.

Introduction. Point one. Question. Point two. Question. Point three. Question. Application. Question. Conclusion.

Questions allow your points to land in the minds of the congregation. 

If you ask how your point will affect them at work tomorrow...

If you ask where they have seen your point play our in the lives of those around them...

If you ask the congregation to consider what the Holy Spirit may be saying to them currently...

Then you break up the deluge of words from the pulpit.

Then you make your points more applicable.

Then your points will be more memorable.

You just need to allow space and time to let your points breathe...

The two dimensions of a sermon

Sermons have both width and depth.

Sermons have a scope of the biblical text which they tread - width - and a degree in which they delve into a topic or passage - depth.

Congregations need to hear both.

Great sermons strike a healthy balance between both.

After a sermon I gave, something which should rightly be called two-sermons-in-one-dose, my ministry coworker asked me a significant question about the dimensions of the sermon.

The mechanics of the sermon broke down something like this... I preached for around 30 minutes. With fours points.

He asked, if I had a third less time, and only did half my points, would it have made for a better sermon?

My original sermon gave each point around 7 minutes.

But, if I only delivered my strongest, most relevant, two points, would they have been improved with 10 or 12 minutes each?

I highly suspect so.

The result would have been more pleasant to hear, easier to follow, more memorable and more applicable.

These are the results of a good balance between width and depth.

How long until our habits become unhealthy again?

If you’re lucky, like we are in Australia, then you’re church currently gets to meet in person.

But, things are still far from normal.

Only last week were congregation members allowed to sing aloud, before that, worship felt very concert-like.

Due to social distancing, even though people can now physically attend, they are scatted across the worship space.

This feels weird when you glacé around the sanctuary.

Pre-COVID-19, if you saw a congregation which consisted of isolated members, this would be a source of concern.

You would wonder about their sense of community.

You may question their welcoming or sense of inclusiveness.

Now, the pandemic makes us thankful that we can attend at all.

But, eventually, we need to consider how socially-distant-church is shaping our future.

Are we sowing habits which we will struggle to break?

Will church attendance be increasingly selective?

Will worship involve less participation?

Will congregations continue to gather at an arm’s distance?

Importantly, how long should we wait until, again, we identify the above habits as unhealthy?

How to set out your bible notebook

So, let’s say that you have a notebook of 100 pages and you want to use it for bible note taking - sermons, bible studies, whatever. 

How should you chop up your notebook?

Below is the system I just devised for my wife.

I know, it’s not world-changing, but as a bible nerd I am kinda proud.

If you want 200 pages, or 100 double-sided pages, then you give each book a single page, double all the single page books below and double everything else, aside from Genesis, Psalms and Revelation which go up to 5. That will give you the rough number you need.

Total 100 pages

Old Testament - 41 pages

Genesis 4

Exodus 1

Leviticus-Numbers 1

Deuteronomy 1

Joshua 1

Judges 1

Ruth 1

1 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1

1 Kings 1

2 Kings 1

1 Chronicles-2 Chronicles 1

Ezra 1

Nehemiah 1

Esther 1

Job 1

Psalms 4

Proverbs 2

Ecclesiastes 1

Song of Songs 1

Isaiah 2

Jeremiah 2

Lamentations 1

Ezekiel 1

Daniel 1

Hosea 1

Joel 1

Amos 1

Obadiah-Jonah 1

Micah-Nahum 1

Habbukuk-Zephaniah-Haggai 1

Zechariah-Malachi 1

New Testament - 59 pages

Matthew 5

Mark 4

Luke 5

John 5

Acts 5

Romans 5

1 Corinthians 3

2 Corinthians 2

Galatians 2

Ephesians 2

Philippians 2

Colossians 1

1 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1

1 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1

Titus-Philemon 1

Hebrews 2

James 2

1 Peter 2

2 Peter 1

1 John 1

2 John-3 John 1

Jude 1

Revelation 2

The danger of having to hit a sermon-time-limit

I’ve previously written that most sermons, due to the effectiveness of the preacher, shouldn’t exceed 30 minutes. Frankly, for most, 30 minutes is overly generous. 

20 minutes would be a better offering from the mouthpiece and a better fit for the congregation.

But, what happens if there is an expectation, written or unwritten, that the sermon must go for, say, 40 minutes?

Honestly, if you encounter a time expectation - and this isn’t your comfortable length - then you’ll, most probably, underperform and, at worst, totally bomb.

Why?

Because you’ll stretch. You’ll add more than is required. You’ll combine what should really be two sermons. 

Furthermore, your preparation will be impaired. You’ll be more concerned about the number of words you use than you should be and this will take the focus away from where it should be... a message faithful to what the bible says and an appropriate message to those you’re speaking to.

And these two pitfalls will, most directly, affect those who are inexperienced.

They will feel the time pressure.

But, they won’t have the tools or confidence to pull off a polished 40 minute sermon.

To do this takes years of practice. 

And hampering them with a lengthy time expectation will only add an unfair albatross around their neck.

The secret that results in married people listening to your singleness sermon

Singleness.

Dating.

Marriage.

Parenting.

Churches should teach on all of these topics.

But, these topics will not speak to everyone in the same way. For some, they will not be in that life-stage.

The worst case scenario is that those outside of the advertised demographic will skip church on a week that doesn’t directly apply to them.

But, this exodus can be avoided by a simple expectation...

You will be told how this applies to you, no matter what life-stage you are in.

You will be told, upfront, that you can and will learn things from the sermon that you can pass onto others.

You will expect that the gospel principles shared will still apply to your circumstances.

In short, you will be told that listening to a sermon outside of your direct experience will still matter for you.

The drop-out commonality

I’ve thought about drop out points in ministry a lot. I’ve written about them a lot.

But one thing I’ve not really thought too much about, when it comes to the expanding list of ministry weak-points, is what these drop out points have in common.

Isolation.

No matter if it is due to life transition or the awkwardness created because you’ve broken up with your partner, the opportunity to drop out arises once you become disconnected.

And this disconnection leads to two connected consequences.

1 - You’re not pursued.

2 - You’re unchecked.

In short, no one will call you and you can now do whatever you want.

For, when you get isolated, fewer people are intentionally checking up on you and, thus, accountability wains.

This is what enables young adults to drift away.

This is what allows those who move suburbs to not find a new church.

This is what lays the platform for the newly-dumped boyfriend to leave.