Sermon Preparation: Step by Step with Brian Brodersen
Oct 22, 2024
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In this insightful conversation, Brian Brodersen, a renowned speaker and pastor at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, shares his wealth of knowledge on sermon preparation. He discusses the crucial steps from selecting the right passage to crafting a focused outline. Brian emphasizes the importance of meditating on Scripture, using commentaries wisely, and consistently preaching the Gospel. He also highlights the balance between individual preparation and collaborative feedback, ensuring messages resonate with the congregation. Their engaging dialogue offers practical tips and deep spiritual insights for aspiring preachers.
Sermon preparation requires significant time commitment, with experienced preachers often needing around six to eight hours for effective delivery.
The selection and meditation on sermon passages should be intentional, involving both thematic considerations and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
A clear and organized outline, including an introduction and main points, is essential for both preacher and audience engagement during the message.
Deep dives
The Importance of a Descriptive Title
Creating a clear and descriptive title for sermons is essential as it encapsulates the main message and prepares the audience for what to expect. The title serves as a guiding point, reflecting the key ideas of the sermon and enhancing audience engagement right from the start. Sometimes, speakers may brainstorm titles at the beginning of the preparation, while in other instances, they might finalize the title after the content has been developed. Regardless, a well-crafted title is looked at as a vital tool in sermon preparation, facilitating clarity and focus for both the speaker and the listeners.
Evolving Preparation Techniques
Over the years, preparation techniques for sermon delivery can change significantly due to accumulated knowledge and experience. Preachers often find that, after years of studying scripture, they no longer require extensive time spent on research or reading multiple commentaries as they once did. With deeper familiarity comes the ability to draw from a personal reservoir of understanding, allowing for more efficient preparation around six to eight hours on average. While initial years in ministry may feel grueling and filled with compulsive study, this foundational journey can lead to greater effectiveness and confidence in preaching over time.
Selecting and Meditating on a Passage
The process of selecting a sermon passage and meditating on it is both intentional and nuanced, often guided by thematic considerations and the Holy Spirit's influence. Preachers may choose passages from a predetermined series or feel led to address specific topics based on congregational needs and ongoing spiritual themes. Meditation on the text involves not just initial reading but also ongoing reflection during daily activities, allowing insights to naturally unfold over time. This approach enables preachers to connect more deeply with the scripture, fostering an authentic expression and understanding of the message that will resonate with their audience.
Creating Effective Outlines
Developing an effective outline is a crucial step in sermon preparation that helps maintain focus and clarity throughout the message. An outline generally includes an introduction, main points organized into subcategories, and supports teaching with illustrations and conclusions. The organization of ideas not only aids the preacher during delivery but also aids the audience in following along and engaging with the message. The varying styles of outlines, whether simple or detailed, reflect the personal preaching preferences of individuals, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively.
The Role of Prayer in Sermon Preparation
Prayer is a foundational aspect of sermon preparation, with many preachers emphasizing its necessity throughout their study and delivery processes. Engaging in prayer helps ground the preacher, fostering reliance on divine guidance as they prepare messages meant to impact audiences. Whether the prayers are brief appeals for clarity and effectiveness or more structured expressions of desire for God's work among congregants, they play a significant role in the overall preaching process. Ultimately, these spiritual practices help ensure that the final delivery aligns with God's intended message for the congregation.
Mike Neglia and Brian Brodersen discuss the practical and spiritual aspects of sermon preparation. They kick off this workshop (recorded at the 2024 CGN International Conference) by speaking about the time commitment that is needed to prepare a sermon, and then talk about the following 7 steps:
Selecting a Passage: For many Calvary Chapel pastors, the text is simply the next chapter, but it's not always that straightforward. Brian shares how he approaches determining the right passage length and selecting the next sermon series, while leaving room for the Spirit's guidance.
Meditating on the Text: How do you go from reading the passage to truly internalizing it? Brian talks about "marinating" in Scripture—letting it sink in, both mentally and spiritually.
Crafting an Outline: A good sermon should lead your congregation on a journey, with each point helping them take a step closer to the main message. Brian emphasizes that the sermon should have a clear focus, guiding listeners from biblical history into personal application.
Using Commentaries: Commentaries can be a great resource, but Brian cautions not to rely on them too quickly. They should act as consultants, not the first stop in preparation.
Preaching the Gospel from Every Passage: Faithful Bible teaching must consistently point to Jesus as the ultimate Hero of the story.
Collaborating with Others: Preaching is a solo endeavour, but it is also a community effort, and Brian and Mike discuss (and disagree!) about the importance of involving other church leaders, creative teams, and even new tools like ChatGPT to refine and communicate sermon ideas effectively.
Prayer in Preparation: One of the most crucial parts of sermon prep is knowing when to stop studying and start praying.
The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/