Sermon Writing
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)
Contents:
David’s thoughts about sermon writing
David’s prayer before preaching a sermon
What are Homiletics?
Types of Sermon Styles
David’s thoughts about sermon writing…
I have written thousands of sermons over the years and I would like to help you develop the gift God has placed inside of you. The things that I will be sharing with you in this article are just some practical things that have helped me over the years. Preparation time is very important time for a minister.
The great thing about writing sermons is that there's no specific way to do it. Many pastors use similar methods, but each pastor's approach is unique. Some preachers start working on their message at the beginning of the week and continue to add to it until they are ready to preach it on the weekend. Others wait until Thursday or Friday and set aside a lot of time to focus only on the task at hand. Some people write outlines, while others write full manuscripts or use techniques where they think about their ideas in a more relaxed way. No matter how it's done, writing sermons is a beautiful example of the Holy Spirit working with a pastor to share God's message with a specific group of people.
The #1 importance - the Word of God
The first thing we need to know is that the Word of God is actually what it declares itself to be. It is a revelation from God to us. It is God speaking to us now. Not only is the Bible a book of the past and a book of the future, it is also a book of now. the Bible is a God-breathed, God-indwelt, and a God-inspired message.
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Another bible translation says, “For the word of God is a living thing …” The word “quick” actually means “alive, living.” The Word of God is a living thing. This is what you need to teach the people. As you teach from the Word of God it will ALWAYS change peoples lives. As you teach and preach from the Word of God - God will speak to the people!
The #2 importance - The Holy Spirit
I can not do anything without the Holy Spirit. He is everything to me. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to assist us in navigating our daily lives. He is not only the fire in your messages He is the one who will comfort the people that are going through hard times.
John 14:26 (NKJV)
But the Helper [Comforter], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Always look inward to the one who lives in you, for His messages and for His leading when you are writing sermons. We must recognize that the Holy Spirit is always with us and to talk to Him. We cannot ignore His leading us on a daily basis and this also pertains to the messages that we write and teach, or preach. When you need comforting, all you have to do is call upon Him. When you need advice the Holy Spirit is there to give you the perfect answer to your situation. Remember the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby. We don’t need anything more than that.
Don’t be afraid to get off track in teaching your sermons and follow the Holy Spirit as your ministering. There are many times, hundreds of times where I would minister and start to minister a sermon and the Holy Spirit would take me off in a different direction. Just know He wants to help someone I the audience. Someone is there who needs help, direction for their lives, healing for their bodies, wisdom to make them victorious in your life. Always follow the Holy Spirit as He is leading you and make sure it is inline with the Word of God and you will be successful in helping the people.
#3 Your prayer life is more important than you think.
Your prayer life is more important than you think. Everything you teach or preach comes from your spending time with God. How you will flow in a service will come from you spending time with God. This is where the anointing, the message, the compassion, the wisdom you will need all come from this special time with God. He knows exactly what the people need to hear, why not get His thoughts and message for the service. I am a person who doesn’t like to waist time. I want pinpoint accuracy of what God wants in a service. So pray out the future for the service for the right sermon. You can do this by praying in the Holy Spirit and letting God show you the right message, purpose and flow to the service. God has a different purpose for each service so spend time with Him and know what kind of service it will be. Is it a teaching service, it is a preaching service, is it a healing service, is it a worship service, is it a prayer service, what type of service is it, and what does God want to teach the people this week? God has your answer, because He loves people and He loves you.
“No man is greater than his prayer life, I don't care who you are and what you are or what you have achieved.”
Leonard Ravenhill
Putting others first.
Putting others first is the key and the heart of ministry. This is doing the works of Jesus. It is important to have a servants heart so that God will able to use you to help other people in a major way. Being a servant leader means you know what other people need by the leading of the Holy Sprit. The Holy Ghost will show you what people need, whether it is on a one on one basis personally or in a large conference setting the Holy Spirit knows what the people need right now. Keep your heart tender and full of compassion towards others.
God, what do your people need to hear today?
Ask God what is the message his people need to hear right now, today, that will help them in their everyday lives.
It’s not about how many people you can teach, it is about watching people‘s lives being changed, because they’re putting into practice what the Holy Sprit is teaching them from the Word of God.
You need to be YOU!
I have learned over the years that the sermons get more real to the audience when I am just me being myself. You need to know that when you start out in sermon writing you might pattern your sermons after someone else’s style of preaching or teaching. But sooner or later you will learn you flow best with your sermons when you are the person God created you to be.
What I would like to tell you is that you need to be you and that is when the anointing increases on your messages. That is why the testimony of what God did in your life is so powerful. You may hear a persons testimony and you may say, “wow”, that was an amazing testimony. Yes it was, but you also need to know it was because they are being themself and glorifying God through their story. That is what sermon writing is. Being yourself . When you minister just being yourself it will always carry a heavier anointing and presence of God. So be yourself, let your self go and be the person God made you to be. You are made by God, you are unique and so everything about the way you write and deliver sermons will be unique also!
First I preach a sermon to myself 3 or 4 times before I preach it to others.
After I write a sermon I will always preach the sermon out loud to myself three or four times before I actually minister the message to the people.
There are a couple of reasons why I do this:
It is to get the sermon on the inside of me so it becomes a more natural message that God can use through me.
I have learned over the years that the more you preach the Word of God to yourself it will condense and fine tune the sermon.
More revelation of the Bible scriptures will come to you and it will expand the depth of the sermon.
I like to think in my mind over and over again about the Bible scriptures I am using so the anointing will grow.
I will get further revelation of the sermon and the sermon will be a powerful instrument for God. Not because of me but because it is God’s own words of power that will change peoples lives.
It will make it very dynamic and effective once you deliver it to the people. The Holy Ghost will be able to use you and your anointing will become stronger as you minister the Word of God.
Give the people everything you know!
What you do when you are creating a sermon is that you are giving everything you know that God has taught you and you are giving it to others. I remember when the Lord told me I was to become a pastor. I said, How can I do that Lord, I don’t know much?”, The Lord spoke to me and said, “Teach them everything I taught you”. It’s that simple. You listen to God to better yourself and in turn you better the lives of other people. Always drawing the people to Jesus, the Bible and following the Holy Ghost in their lives. Showing them how easy it is to have a relationship with the Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus and the mighty and precious Holy Spirit.
A good beginning, and a good ending!
Always have a good beginning to your sermon. Catch the peoples attention. Once you catch a persons attention you can keep their attention for a longer amount of time and they will be engaged in your message. Make sure the ending of your sermon is strong and challenges people to make a decision to change. Just like in any good motion picture (movie), the best actors will pick the best scripts where a person they are playing will be changed for the better at the end of the movie. And so the end result is the person at the end of the movie is better than their beginning. This is the same in sermon writing. You want a person to come in hear God’s message to them and leave changed.
Using your faith is important to writing a sermon
Faith is an important element to living a victorious life for Jesus. We need to do everything in our lives by faith and that means it will also take using your faith to write and deliver your sermon to the people. As you step into the area of faith in writing and delivering your sermon God will be able to use you in the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). I learned this years ago. I knew 2 pastors of very successful churches and every time they would pray for people they would know exactly what the person was needing before the person spoke to tell them what they were needing. It was so supernatural. So I asked one of those pastors, “how do you do that?” He told me that he uses his faith. He told me that he believes God that as he steps in front of the person God would show him what that person is needing. He used his faith. I saw this same supernatural gift with the other pastor as well. I would watch him as he would put his hand on a persons right shoulder to pray for them and instantly receive the answer to help the person with their need. It was so supernatural. This is having faith in God to help people. This is the compassion and the love of God. So we need to know that walking in love and using our faith are important elements to help people rise to a greater place in their lives and to be effective for God’s kingdom.
Always remember, faith is an important subject. Jesus taught us about the subject of faith so that we can be victorious in our lives every day. It’s that easy. We need faith. So use your faith to receive and deliver a sermon to help people. Help people walk hand in hand with God everyday, being victorious in their lives.
Be hungry and never stop learning
Always stay hungry and never stop learning. Why? The hunger you have for Jesus will be contagious, others will see it, feel it and catch it! Never stop learning about Him!! Never stop sharing His words, His life and His love. Let us become examples of the hunger that we have for Jesus!
Plan a sermon series
Do you have a lot of information on a subject? Why not make a sermon series out of it? Use a theme scripture(s) that will be the beginning of each message you preach in the series. For instance for a series entitles, “The Love of God”, use the first love bible scripture that comes to your heart. You are able to teach a lot of material about a certain subject over the course of a month.
I will usually do many 4 part series on different subjects through out the year. I do a series on love and relationships every February, around the time of Valentines Day. Using this method you are able to plan you whole year out in advance. January is Vision month, February is Love month, March is Faith month, April is Resurrection month, May is Healing month, June is the Gospel of John month… I think you get the picture. You will still able to move with the direction the Holy Spirit takes you during a sermon, you just have a theme and a theme will open you up to a very broad array of subjects and bible scriptures. I love to do sermon series on a topic. Get creative. I think they are very fun to put together and the people love the consistency of these kind of messages. If you pastor a church then you know there are certain subjects your people are needing each year to be fed the Word of God and to live a life victorious for Jesus.
Remember, Everything you do is for Jesus
Remember that everything you do is for Jesus. We are accountable to teach and preach the word of God with excellence which brings glory to God.
Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
2. David’s prayer before preaching a sermon
Before I gave my life to God, I was in the business world. I was always striving for the best results possible. If I didn't have results, I wasn't moving forward. After I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I wanted to know what the Bible had to say about getting results in my prayer life. I wanted consistent results. If God was the God of the universe then I know He had principles in place that could help me get my prayers answered every time. This is the goal I have always strived to accomplish. Over the years I believe the Lord has given me three prayer secrets that I use every time I pray. I hope these will bear witness with your heart and help you before you preach or teach your sermon. Let us look at these together:
#1 - Pray for Unction
Unction brings God's presence, power and results.
1 John 2:20 (NKJV)
But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.
The first thing I want to talk about is we need to ask for the unction of God when we pray for the service we are about to teach or preach. Unction is a knowing what to say at the right moment to touch peoples hearts. You have a knowing on the inside which direction to go with your teaching during your sermon. Unction is speaking with accuracy. Unction is another word for anointing. When we speak, we want to speak with Gods anointing, we want to have God’s anointed words when we speak. We want every single word that we teach or preach to have the touch of God on it. When I mean the touch of God, I mean we want God's presence, power and fire on every word that we speak. We want His accuracy, His function, His anointing, and we want His results. God wants us to have results when we deliver a sermon. God wants us to touch people.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (KJV)
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Unction is the Fire God. It is Touch of God. You know in your heart when it's there, and you know when your heart when it's not there. Unction is hard to describe. The only thing I can say, is you will know unction when you hear it. You know in your heart it's from God. It doesn't come from the intellect. It comes from the spirit and the heart. We will now look at the scripture and I want you to notice what the two men said about the words Jesus was speaking. Also, I want you to notice that Jesus broke bread with them and He suddenly vanished.
Luke 24:31-32 (AMPC)
31 Then their eyes were [suddenly] opened [by God] and they [clearly] recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?”
Did you notice it says, “Their hearts burned within them.” That tells me that the words Jesus spoke were like fire. His words went right straight to the heart of those two men and changed them forever. We want to have words like these during our sermon preparation and during our sermon delivery. Words of unction that come from the heart and go out and touch the heart of others. This is why we pray and ask God for unction for our sermons.
#2 - Pray for Boldness
Boldness is a key to the miraculous.
Proverbs 28:1 (KJV)
“The wicked flee when no one pursues,But the righteous are bold as a lion.
I am thoroughly convinced that boldness is one of the keys to live in the miraculous. It is one of the missing ingredients for the life of many a Christian. As Christians we have the faith God has given to us, we have the power God has given to us, we have the Holy Ghost God has given to us, what we need is the boldness to get the job done that God has called us to do. The Lord taught me years ago to pray for boldness. He told me to personally pray these scriptures over myself that I am going to show you right now. The early church prayed that they would be bold to speak the name of Jesus:
Acts 4:29 &31 (NKJV)
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word.
The results:
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Paul prays that he would be bold to speak the good news:
Ephesians 6:19 (NKJV)
And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.
We see from these scriptures that it’s good to pray for boldness. We need to pray for boldness to write, speak and deliver our sermons to God’s people. God is encouraging us to be bold for Him.
# 3- Casting all of your cares upon the Lord.
1 Peter 5:7 (AMPC)
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
This is probably one of the most important prayers we can pray at any time. We also need to be able to cast all of our care on the Lord during our prayer time before and during the time we deliver a sermon. What does this mean? This means that we will have nothing in our hearts or minds that we are thinking about besides our sermon target goals. Our focus in prayer is on God and following His leadings during a sermon. If casting your cares on the Lord is so important in our own everyday lives how much more important is it in our prayer and sermon lives?
Philippians 4:6-7 (AMPC)
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I have learned over the years to cast all my cares on the Lord during my prayer time, and before and during my sermon delivery. I will say, “Lord, wherever you want me to go as I teach this sermon to the people I will go. It doesn't matter where you want me to go. I am ready for your adventure for me today during this sermon.” It is very freeing to know you are just following your sermons notes and listening on the inside of you for the Holy Spirits leadings (knowings). He might want you to repeat things in your sermon over and over again or you might feel that you need to pray for the people at the end of your sermon. This opens you up to hear from God as you are deceiving your sermon to help His people.
I will pray this every time before I teach or preach a message to people.
I get on one knee and I pray:
Father, I dedicate this time and this message to you, this is your time and this is your message, use me Father for Your Glory. I ask you for your unction, I ask you for your boldness and I cast the care of this meeting on you. This is your meeting. Use me to help your people. I give you all the Glory ahead of time what You will do today. Thank you Father, In Jesus name, amen.
3. What are homiletics?
Homiletics is the art of preaching, it studies both the composition and the delivery of sermons. It includes all forms of preaching, including sermons, homilies and catechetical instruction. Homiletics may be further defined as the study of the analysis, classification, preparation, composition, and delivery of sermons. The word comes from the Greek noun homilia, meaning “conversation.” Its cognate verb homilein means “to converse with, consort.” From homiletics we get the word “homily,” which is a common shorthand for “sermon. The early church used the word homilia, which means "conversation," instead of monologue or speech. Even so, the history and images associated with it only give us a partial understanding of the discipline of homiletics. Homiletics is the art and science of preaching sermons and of reflecting broadly on the ministry of the proclamation of Jesus Christ and his teachings.
What are the four areas of homiletics?
It covers four main areas of homiletics: concept, composition, construction, and communication. It also describes three main types of sermon preparation: the written sermon, skeleton/outline sermon, and sermon spoken or done without preparation sermon.
Homiletics - 5 steps to a sermon
Step 1: Content.
Make a list of the verses you want to use, and remember that you can combine two verses if they continue the same idea. Take a moment to really think about each word in each verse. Pick the key words for your sermon. Pick the words that give the main idea of the verse. Check out different Bible translations to see how different words and themes can help you communicate the message more clearly.
Step 2: Divisions
The next step is to break your content into sections. Usually, you'll want three parts for a sermon or three talking points for a sermon.
Step 3 – Summary Sentences
It's simple, but not always easy. The goal is to form a sentences of 10-15 words that summarizes the Bible passages that you have picked. What's the main point of each of the scripture passages?
Step 4 – Lessons and Finding the Truth
We've narrowed it down from a big chunk of text to just a single sentences in steps 1-3. Now, we're going to take this big idea and expand on it, making it more achievable. We'll go over the content and see what we can learn from it. This is where you'll brainstorm ideas. You're trying to understand the big picture that you can relate to the people. You will build your sermon here. You can make it into 3 parts or 3 ideas that follow a theme, or build your sermon on 3 specific points you want to make know to you audience, most people call this having a 3 point message.
Step 5 – Application.
This the time to challenge people to take action and apply what you are teaching to their everyday lives. It can be personal testimony of yourself, such as something you have noticed in your life and you want to change. It should be a question that does not have a yes or no answer to make the people think about their lives and want to make a change.
4. Types of Sermon Styles
1 - Expository Sermon
Verse-by-verse explanation of a Bible passage
What it is:
An expository sermon explains one main passage of Scripture in depth—line by line, verse by verse.
Purpose:
To teach exactly what the Bible says and what it means.
With an expository sermon, you pick a specific passage of Scripture and unpack it thoroughly: you examine the context, what the author meant, the theological message, and how it applies to us today. Often this is done verse-by-verse, or you may work through an entire book of the Bible over a series of sermons.
This is well-captured in the definition by John MacArthur:
“The message comes straight from the Bible. The message is taken from the Bible by carefully studying the text. The message preparation gets the meaning of Scripture right in the usual sense and context. The message gets straight to the point about what the Bible really means. The message is all about the meaning of the scriptures for today.” This approach is especially powerful for helping your congregation see what God is saying in scripture, not just what we think it says.
Key Features:
Focuses on one main Scripture
Explains context, meaning, history, and application
The message comes from the text itself
Example:
Teaching through Psalm 23 verse by verse.
Best for:
Bible teaching
Discipleship
Deep spiritual growth
2 - Topical Sermon
Theme-based sermon using many Scriptures
What it is:
A sermon built around one subject or topic, using many Bible verses to support it.
Topical sermons begin with a subject, theme or life-issue (for example: forgiveness, prayer, loving your neighbour) rather than a single passage. The preacher then goes to various Bible texts to support the message on that theme.
Purpose:
To teach what the whole Bible says about a subject.
Key Features:
Theme-based
Many Scriptures used
Easily organized in points
Example Topics:
Faith
Prayer
Healing
Forgiveness
The Holy Spirit
Best for:
New believers
Teaching doctrine
Special services (marriage, holidays, healing services)
3 - Textual Sermon
Based on one main verse or short passage
What it is:
A sermon built around one main verse, where each point comes from the text itself.
Textual sermons stand somewhere between expository and topical. You pick a small text or a few verses as the anchor, and you build your message around the ideas drawn from that text, often bringing in other supporting passages. For example: take Romans 12:2 (“Do not conform to the pattern of this world…”) and then explore what “transformation”, “renewing of the mind”, and “God’s will” mean — using other scriptures as supporting material. It’s more focused than a broad topical message, but less expansive than a full book-by-book expository series.
Purpose:
To focus deeply on a short but powerful Scripture.
Key Features:
One key verse
Short, strong structure
Often very powerful and direct
Example:
“I can do all things through Christ” — Philippians 4:13
Best for:
Short sermons
Evangelism
Encouragement messages
4 - Narrative Sermon
Story-based preaching
What it is:
A sermon that teaches truth through a Bible story.
Narrative sermons invite the listener into a story: either a biblical narrative (with its characters, setting, tension, resolution) or a modern story that connects to a Biblical truth. The preacher helps the congregation experience the story: “imagine you are at the scene”, “what did they see/hear/feel”. Then the sermon draws out what the story reveals about God, people, and our response. This style can be especially engaging and memorable because we are wired for story.
Purpose:
To help people see themselves in the story and learn from biblical examples.
Key Features:
Tells a story from Scripture
Focus on people, emotions, choices
Very engaging
Examples:
David & Goliath
The Prodigal Son
Joseph’s life
Best for:
Youth
Outreach
Teaching life lessons
Other sermon writing styles:
5 - Evangelistic Sermon
Preaching for salvation
What it is:
A sermon focused on leading people to receive Jesus.
Purpose:
To present the Gospel clearly and call people to salvation.
Key Features:
Sin → Cross → Grace → Salvation
Call to repentance
Invitation to receive Christ
Best for:
Outreach services
Street ministry
Revival meetings
7 - Doctrinal Sermon
Teaching biblical beliefs
What it is:
A sermon that teaches Christian doctrine (what we believe).
Examples:
The Trinity
Salvation
The Holy Spirit
Grace vs works
Heaven & Hell
Best for:
Bible schools
Foundations classes
Church growth & maturity
8 - Biographical Sermon
Life of a Bible character
What it is:
A sermon based on one person in the Bible and the lessons from their life.
Examples:
Moses
Esther
Paul
Peter
Mary
Best for:
Teaching faith journeys
Leadership training
Encouragement
We are serious about you.
Contacts us, we want to pray for you. God has a great things ahead for you.