One of my favorite ways to teach a sermon is by focusing on one point...
one point, and one point alone.
(Notice what I'm doing here - I'm telling you what I'm about to say, and then I'll tell you what I'm saying, and then I'll tell you what I said, and leave you to wrestle with God wants to say to you about it)
When I preach or teach, 9 times out of 10 I go into messages with one main point that I chip away at from many different sides.
Think of a flower with the core that is surrounded by various petals.
That center/core needs to come from Scripture... not a human idea that we find some sense of biblical support for, but from Scripture itself. It's the promise or command from God that will transform lives.
Then, I chisel away at through different questions, illustrations, observations, object lessons, current events, testimonies, and so on.
Those are the petals.
For example, let's say my main point was "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone." (rooted in James 2)
- Petal: (story) "Growing up, I never realized how often I felt frustrated with others because of how they favored others over me... and then one day I realized I did it, too..."
- Core: "God has something to say about this through the book of James 2... (read Scripture) It seems as though He's tell us that favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Petal: (context) "You may not know this, but James was the half-brother of Jesus... talk about favoritism... yet here he is in chapter 1 identifying himself as a follower of Jesus... what does that tell us about favoritism..."
- Core: "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Petal: (questions) "Which raises some questions... how there favoritism in your life… and why? And is it ever okay? For example, how is favoritism different than having a favorite?"
- Core: "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Petal: (illustration) "Let's consider a hula hoop... let's say it represents who gets to get into your world... and it's only so big, so it feels like you have to choose, right? (bring volunteers up to explore how many can fit) So what are our options? Widen the circle? Use a rope instead of a hula hoop?"
- Core: "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Petal: (video) "Let's watch how this plays out..." (could be a short drama, or news clip, or testimony)
- Core: "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Petal: "Jesus was so passionate about this, that He wanted everyone to know that He came for everyone... as in, everyone... (Gospel tie-in, invitation)"
- Core: "Imagine if this wasn't the case. Imagine if you didn't get the invitation from Jesus. But that's not the case. Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone. That's why I want to invite EVERYONE today to respond to Jesus..."
- Conclusion: "As we reflect on that today, you're going to get a jelly bean before you leave. I don't want to tell you what it represents. I want you to pray to God and ask Him to impress upon you what it represents. As in, what does this color of jelly bean have to say about someone in my life who I need to invite into my circle. Maybe the color will to you represent emotions that you feel and people you reject because of that. Or maybe the color will represent someone's skin color, or their political beliefs, or how they dress... you ask God. And then, ask Him how you can take a step today."
- Core: "Favoritism contradicts the love that God wants us to share with everyone."
- Prayer
Maybe you can benefit from this approach by focusing on one point... one point, and one point alone.
I hope this blesses you going forward!
