How to Write a Sermon& Sermon Outline.
Get inspiration for the next sermon you write, by finding a fitting Bible verse, reviewing Christian commentary to add your own reflections to, or watching sermons from pastors who have preached on the same Bible chapter or book. You can also review a sample sermon outline as you prepare to write a sermon.
Commitment
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Jude 1:3
Explore this verse further:What is the strange flesh in Jude 1:7?
Related sermons by Pastor Xavier Ries on Jude 1
Related sermons by Pastor Xavier Ries on the book of Jude
Other sermons by Pastor Xavier Ries
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Sermon Outline
As you preach the truth of Scripture to your flock to make God's love known to them, following the same five act structure that classical writers employed to captivate their audiences can be helpful as you lay out your sermon outline. As you prepare this week's sermon, try drawing your narrative arc from exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, to resolution!
Act 1: Exposition - Read the Bible passage to your congregation
Open your sermon by either reading out aloud yourself the Bible passage you are going to preach on, or ask a rotating member of your church each week to step in front of your congregation to read the week's passage out aloud.
Act 2: Rising Action - Start with a brief relatable story
Break the ice by relating the core tenets of this week's Bible passage to a recent event or an abstract story from popular culture that your congregation might be familiar with. This helps your audience see that the Bible passage was not just true in former times but is also still very relevant even today.
Act 3: Climax - Get deep into the passage from Scripture
Pray what God is putting on your heart this week to share with your congregation. Then expound the passage from Scripture, e.g. by using some of the Bible commentary from above this section, and draw out the top 2-3 conclusions that your congregation should take away from it and how to apply the lessons to their daily lives.
Act 4: Falling Action - Share an example from your own life
In contrast to the more abstract current story that you opened with, now share an example from your own life where the verse you preached on this week has impacted you in the past. This helps you level set with your flock, especially if you can share how even as a pastor you struggled with an issue in your life in the past and the verse has helped you seek Jesus more.
Act 5: Resolution - Connect it all back to Jesus
Finally, connect your message back to Jesus, how He has come to redeem us sinners, and invite those who do not know Him yet to pray an invitational prayer to start their Christian journey right then and there. Also, depending on the tradition at your church, consider closing with the Doxology or the Lord's Prayer.
May your preaching travel far and wide and touch people's hearts in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
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