As the service I wrote about in the previous blog continued, one at a time, we shared a part of the topic:
- “The Study of Scripture”
- “Private Worship and Prayer”
- “The Influence of Other Christians”
- “Involvement in Ministry”
As each man finished, he pasted the title of his emphasis on a side of one of the blocks and put his block on the stack. When we had finished, the Instant Insanity game had been solved, as well as the puzzle of the “Between Sunday Spiritual Building Blocks.” The truths had been shared verbally. And now, they were visible on the front side of the four blocks—a vivid illustration of the morning’s message.
Underscoring the Sermon. The final consideration regarding this middle portion of the service was “Can we emphatically restate the point of the message in another way?” We were not asking, “How do we get the people to respond to what has been said?” That follows in the third section of the service. Rather, we asked the question, “Is there a method by which what has been preached can be underscored so the truth will become even more explicit to the congregation?” Most likely there will be some way to do this, but if it has to be forced or contrived, we prefer to reject it and proceed to the final part of the service.
One of our favorite methods was to employ Scripture. Since the major portion of my sermon preparation was limited to the study of Scripture, I usually had more than I could possibly handle in the twenty-five-minute preaching period. To reiterate the main thrust with the dynamic of additional Scripture was most powerful. Simply to project biblical passages on a screen—or to print them in the bulletin—allowing them to be read by each member silently, was also effective.
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Pastor, when “sermon prep day” rolls around each week, do you face the task of preparing another sermon with a frown on your face? If so, you’re not alone. Many pastors literally dread preparing their Sunday sermon. There just doesn’t seem to be an easy solution. The good news: 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.
