Writing a Sermon

How does one Write a sermon?

There are several good books out there on writing a sermon:

Biblical Preaching By Hadden Robinson

Preaching that Changes Lives - Michael Fabarez

Applying the Sermon- Daniel Overdorf

But how does one write a sermon?

One has to choose a text and examine the text in its context.

You study, pray. write notes. Do word studies etc. Use resources such as other versions, commentaries etc.

You than go back and try to have a skeleton to your message.

What is the main idea of text?

Are there main points that support it?

Is there a structure I can use?

You also look at the content and ask things such as:

What is the subject?
Is my message built on solid exegesis?
What is my analysis?

What in the text supports this?

After doing this you can write the content of your message along with what is the application.

Then you can go back to the introduction and ask - what can I do to get the congregation's attention?

Then when delivering the sermon - you have style - vocabulary using, grammer, pronouncing the words correctly.

Practice Delivery - Who are you talking to?

Is it conversational? Articulated well? Alert? Does the congregation feel like they are talking with them or about them?

Avoid any distracting mannerism.

The big thing is after all the sermon prep, work etc. Is going from the text and context to the application. What is the Word saying that might lead people to changed lives? (In other words, application)


Here is a Sermon worksheet
I use.