“The truth is, the preaching method you were taught isn’t working for you. I’ll show you another approach you might want to try. If it feels better—great. If not, I can suggest some other options. But the three-point outline is definitely not you. Even when you try to make it work, it’s not only unnatural, but it’s almost impossible to follow what you’re saying.”
I wasn’t sure how this preacher would take my advice. Fortunately for me, he was quick to agree. A little later in our conversation he thanked me repeatedly and said that suddenly he felt like a free man. Many times he tried to get what he wanted to say into three points, but the approach never felt right to him.
The truth is, three compatible points all starting with the same sound or letter is not how anyone talks in today’s world—except ministers, and even then, only when they’re preaching bible sermons. It’s an outdated mode of communication that many pastors need to put to rest. The reason they keep using it is because it’s the system they were taught, and to date they haven’t come up with an alternative.
Unfortunately, those three preaching points almost never have a response orientation. They are usually statements of fact that fill the bulk of the church sermon time with information. And because applying three different points is difficult, the message conclusion usually ends up being a closing illustration rather than calling for any kind of specific response.
I told this minister to stop thinking three points and start thinking:
- What’s my subject?
- What’s my desired response?
These were to become parts one and two of his church sermon. In other words, he would begin by talking about the subject at hand and how it related to his text. Next he would go to the response being called for.
At this point I need to stop with my story because I haven’t yet told you what the remaining two questions are that need to be considered in this approach.
