Weekly Sermon Outline Development Tool
An approach to sermon preparation derived from Scripture.
Guiding Scriptures
- “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Neh 8:8).
- “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
- “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mk 8:35).
- “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim 4:2).
- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Guiding Principles
- Saturate preparation time with prayer—before, during, after.
- Keep the inspired, inerrant Word of God central for God’s sermon is in the text. Read it clearly without addition or subtraction. Prepare God’s timely message regardless of personal feelings.
- Always search for Jesus and the gospel without forcing it upon the text.
- Give the sense—the meaning to the original audience and then to us so we may understand the text in order to live it.
- Find the good work derived from the text that God wants us to do.
The Text:
What is it reproving (right practice)?
What is it rebuking (right doctrine)?
What is it exhorting (take action)?
What is it teaching (present doctrine)?
What did it mean to the original audience?
What does it mean for us?
How does Jesus & the gospel connect to it?
What is God’s work for us to do?
Key Point (20 words or less): ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon title: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Outline the text:
1.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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