God Speaking Through His Written Word
The second part of our morning service we have entitled “God Speaking Through His Written Word.” While many ministers limit the impact of what they have to say to preaching, at Circle Church we felt that the entire middle part of the service should emphasize the main thrust.
Therefore, in preparation, we ask, “How during this time can we (1) best prepare the congregation for the sermon, and (2) at its conclusion underscore what has been said through the use of a different tool?” Here’s some of what we learned in answering these questions, week after week.
Preparation of the Congregation. While preaching on the fourth chapter of the Book of Daniel, I felt it was necessary for the people to attain a feeling of the grandeur of ancient Babylon in order to understand Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and subsequent humbling by God. This story was being used to illustrate the main thrust, “Those who walk in arrogance, God is able to abase; but when we are humble in our attitude toward Him, God is pleased.”
After the worship and just prior to the sermon, we presented a brief filmstrip on “Babylon’s Glory,” which conveyed information pertinent to the topic and in a far more appealing way than I could ever have done verbally. I began the sermon not only with the enlightened understanding of the people, but with their interest as well. In preparation for that Sunday, the usual question was asked: “After the time of worship is there an additional way to prepare the congregation for the sermon?”
If the biblical text is narrative, the various parts can be scripted for different voices, such as Luke’s account of the wise men questioning Herod about the birth of a baby king. Contrast this type of communication to the normal pattern of beginning a sermon by reading the text.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about? Or, what will you preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon? David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
