Ezra 710The Method

“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

Review

The Messenger—God’s messenger is charged with the task of faithfully delivering His message. For the messenger to do this successfully, he or she must do so with humility, faith, love and prayer. The messenger is not the authority, the Originator of the message is. Care must be taken to present all aspects of God’s Word, not just the messenger’s preferred parts. (ethos)

The Message—Since the messenger is not the original source of the message, he or she must carefully study the message in order to faithfully observe and communicate it. The messenger is a student first, a teacher second. The student’s primary goal is to determine the author’s or speaker’s original intended meaning for the original audience. (logos)

The Method—A sermon builds a bridge from the text to today’s world. A good sermon will be clear, relevant, and memorable. (pathos)

Homiletics

the art of sermon preparation and delivery

Your sermon pulls together the parts of your study into a package than can be communicated well. There are many ways to craft a sermon. We will learn the keyword method because it is the most straightforward method and the principles behind it apply to all other sermon styles. A simple outline is:

HOOK—introduction that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces the theme

BOOK—reading of the relevant biblical text(s)

LOOK—explanation of the relevant biblical text(s)

TOOK—review of points and specific application

The Keyword Method

  1. Subject (one word, very broad)
  2. Theme (phrase, one aspect of the subject)
  3. Proposition (the sermon in a sentence, reflects theme and purpose of sermon)

a)ability—“You can be...” or “You can do...”

b)obligation—“You should/must/need to...”

c)value—“It is better to...than...”

  1. Interrogative (a question about the proposition that your main points answer)

a)ability—How?

b)obligation/value—Why?

c)When, Where, What or Who could at times be used as well

  1. Keyword (plural noun that describes the set of main points)
  2. Transitional Sentence (answers the question and contains the keyword; is a bridge from the introduction to the main points)
  3. Main Points (each main point will be one of whatever the keyword is; use simple, complete sentences)

- alliteration or acronyms can aid audience retention

  1. Subpoints (used to clarify, prove or motivate)

-include a subpoint of application for each main point

-do not number subpoints outloud!

  1. Illustrations

-are simply subpoints told as a story or parable

-make them relevant, vivid, helpful to the proposition and the audience

-introduce illustrations in an interesting way, not “let me illustrate this” or “that reminds me of an illustration” Think: personal, direct.

  1. Transitions (single sentence bridging one main point to the next)

-transitions tie the main points into one sermon, not 2-4 mini-sermons

  1. Introduction

-arouses interest

-informs the audience of the subject

-creates rapport between the speaker and audience

  1. Conclusion

-review proposition and main points

-answer the question “So now, what do I do with this?”

Types of Sermons:

  1. Topical—main proposition comes from one biblical text, but main points come from other passages.
  2. Textual—topic and main points based on one text, subpoints from other passages.
  3. Expository—the whole sermon comes from a longer biblical passage.

Delivery Methods:

  1. Extemporaneous—do your preparation work, but don’t form it into a sermon beforehand. Study, then shoot from the hip.
  2. Manuscript—preach from a complete manuscript
  3. Memorize—memorize the whole sermon like lines in a play
  4. Composite—internalize message, but take notes to the pulpit

Points to Remember:

Am I saying everything that God wants said?

-am I chickening out because I want to be liked?

-have I included Head, Heart and Hands?

-“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:26-27).

Am I saying more than what God wants said?

-my pet peeves and hobby horses

-too much information

-“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear” (John 16:12).

Am I saying it in the way God wants it said?

-do I have God’s heart and mind in my manner and tone?

-“And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1Thessalonians 5:14).

Forming a Class Lesson

Teaching Includes:

-conveying information

-asking questions to (1) prepare for learning and (2) evaluate learning

-active participation of the students

Lesson Preparation:

Who? Know your students. What do they already know? What do they need to know? What are their perceived needs? What are their actual needs? What obstacles to learning does each student face? How can you help the student overcome these obstacles? Are your learning goals, content and methods age-appropriate?

What? Know your subject. After the lesson, what will the students be able to do and what will they know and how will they demonstrate mastery of the lesson?

Why? Scope and Sequence. How does this lesson fit into the overall objectives of the Bible knowledge and spiritual formation you are seeking to develop from start to finish? Does the lesson build on prior knowledge and prepare them for future learning?

How? Methods. What teaching methods will you use in this lesson: lecture, story-telling, dilemma/problem-solving, role-play, experimentation, assignments, discussion, questions.

Writing Small Group Discussion Questions

Types of questions:

-personal opinion

-personal experiences

-observation of the text (what does it say?)

-interpretation of the text (what does it mean?)

-application of the text (what does it mean for me?)

Nugget—what is the theme/big idea/the main goal of this study?

Logical progression—questions build on each other and support the big idea

May begin with a short paragraph introducing the theme and/or supplying lead-in information.

Small groups involve personal sharing and discovery learning. Application might be for an individual or the entire small group together.

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