I remember the first time I preached in the small church where I grew up. It was a Sunday evening, so the crowd was small, but I was nervous. I knew my mom and my grandparents would all be there. But, so would all of my childhood Sunday school teachers, and likely the pastor I peed on when I was just a little baby (it was a leaky diaper, not intentional).
Before I walked onto that platform to stand behind that hundred-year-old pulpit for the first time—the same one I had spent so many Sundays on the other side of, learning the Word of God from good and godly men—I leaned over to my grandma and asked her for a favor. If I go too long, I said, just pass me a stick of gum. It had always been her most effective tool when I was a child to quiet me down when I was talking too much during the sermon.
Well, I’m preparing to preach this Sunday at my new local church. It’s always an honor and a privilege to be able to stand before the church and share from God’s Word. But I recognize that it’s also a tremendous responsibility. I have learned over the years that if I head into a church to speak and I am not at least a little bit nervous, then I am not taking my role seriously enough.
In light of my focus this week, I thought I’d share the simple method for teaching prep that I’ve developed over the years.
1. Study.
Good teaching begins with a good understanding of the content and Scripture. I typically spend about two to three times as much time and energy on study than on writing. It seems to be the most effective in giving me confidence as I step on the platform to share.
Though I will not include it as a separate step, my time of study is infused with prayer for wisdom, direction, and courage to share what God reveals to me boldly.
In another blog, I share a description of a great study method that I learned from a missionary friend, and that I often use for daily study and for sermon preparation.
2. Outline.
Once I feel that I have a good grasp of the material, I will sketch out, usually on paper, a rough outline for the message. This breaks down the message into key points from the text, and usually includes headlines for illustrations I will use.
3. Manuscript.
This is usually done in private, with the door closed. It allows me to actually speak out loud the words I want to use to communicate the message. I find it extremely helpful to do it this way, as I will often hear things differently than if I only wrote or typed them.
Sometimes, I will move through this portion as fast as I can type. It often takes only twice as long, or so, as my final message will take to deliver. There are, however, places where I will slow down and very deliberately consider how to communicate a particular truth, how to craft a story for maximum impact, or how to make an application to particular members of my anticipated audience.
4. Rehearse.
Once the manuscript is written, I rehearse it out loud several times at my computer. I will make edits on the fly, add clarification or delete parts that don’t contribute to the message. These first rehearsals are not for time, and I do them all sitting.
My final rehearsal is usually standing up, facing an imaginary audience. I use my full voice and read the manuscript as if I were delivering it in a church. I do, however, keep a pencil handy to quickly circle anything that is difficult to say, or difficult to understand. I don’t make corrections, just highlight areas that need further attention.
5. Edit.
My final edit gives me a chance to tweak anything I circled during the last rehearsal. By this point, I have spent so much time with the manuscript that I am likely making only very minor tweaks and adjustments to wording.
6. Outline.
The goal is to have a message that is well thought-out, which includes only words and phrases that I have considered carefully, and that I could deliver without my manuscript. Therefore, when time and preparation allows, I will prepare a final outline from my manuscript.
Note: this is not a reproduction of my original outline. This is an outline that includes the key points in my final manuscript, and the actual wording of any key point or lines that I want to be sure and deliver exactly as I have prepared.
7. Summarize.
The senior pastor I learned to preach from always asked me one final question before I headed to the front of the sanctuary: What are you going to say? He was looking for one sentence, clear and concise. He wanted to know that I knew what I was going to say—that I owned it.
Because of that, I have learned to always prepare this one-sentence summary as part of my regular preparation. I have found it helpful, also, when I am a guest speaker, to offer to the person who will introduce me and the topic at hand.
This Sunday, I’m going to share from John 15, 1-5. Jesus self-identification as “the vine” reminds us that if if the Christian is to bear much fruit, then we must not only believe in Him, but remain wholly and personally connected to Him.
And the good news is that my mom and grandparents will be visiting this weekend… so I know at least one person will like it.