Essentials of sermon preparation
Next question dealt with in Ayuda Pastoral : What are a pastor’s indispensible steps in preparing a sermon? Basic and essential stages in sermon preparation are: 1. Prayer. What was notable about the ministry of Jesus was his time spent in prayer. Typically we read: "while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mar 1:35 cp Luk. 5:16; 6:12; 9:28; 18:1; 22:44). The preacher needs to pray for understanding of the text, for the Spirit’s accompanying the Word and for his own humility. 2. Think of the congregation. A sermon has to connect with the real world of its hearers. What concerns do they have? What needs to they face? What is their level of understanding? Paul’s sermons showed a noticeable change when he preached to Jews or Gentiles of the Royal Court (Acts 13:13-41; 17:2-31; 26:2-29). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus appreciated his listeners’ background and so spoke to their ...