I was given yet another opportunity to share at a church on the 1st of July, 2018. This would be my 5th time sharing at a church. I'm always thankful now to be given these opportunities, but they can be very daunting. I felt especially nervous for this one as I was going to partly share my testimony, something that I've never done before with people who know me and my family, but I will get onto that in the next post. And so I present to you...
The R's P's and C's in preparing a message or sermon.
In preparing my message, I first researched just how to prepare, and this here is some of the information I gathered and then I put them into 3 categories. I believe everyone may find value in this, not just those who speak publicly. Especially in the first category. Before you jump in, there is one very important aspect that needs to be mentioned. And that is prayer! It is the most important aspect that needs to be covered over every category and every aspect of each category. So pray before you begin. Pray during your journey. Finally, finish everything in prayer.
7 R’s on Studying God’s Word:
These 7 R's I gained from Radio Rhema's "The Word For Today" "TREASURE GOD'S WORD 5" and then I added my own R, Relate.
Read:
I mean this is pretty obvious, but a good thing to do in studying the Bible, is to actually read it. Personally I read the entire passage through first, and then I go back over it for the other categories.
Receive:
The Bible is a manual for life itself! There are many passages in there that can be just for you personally. So as you read, find those passages and receive them personally as you're own.
Relate:
The Bible is alive! There are many many times God can speak to you for the very moment that you are experiencing right now!
Research:
The Bible is an endless source of information! You can read the same passage over and over again and learn something new each time. The Bible is filled with things that we can't understand... at least at first. This is why it can be important to research on those particular things that we don't understand. Are there any cultural ideas or rules you don't know about as you read? Are there spiritual stories that are hard to grasp? Research on that and always go back to test those outside theories in the Word.
Remember:
I feel like this category is the most neglected of all. Yet it is so important, I could write another blog post all about it... and maybe I will. When you remember scripture, you can recall those verses and passages for just the right moments. Not just for situations you might be struggling with, but to bless others with as well. Memorise!
Reflect:
...on everything. Soak it all in prayer and allow the passage to hold firm.
Respond:
Don't just hold onto what you've learnt and let it sit there. As my dad teaches in Bible in Schools, we must "Activate" what we have learnt. Share it with others who need those particular passages. Not just in words, but more importantly, in actions. This is why memorising is so important.
3 P’s on Preparing a Message:
In preparing for this particular message, I was given these aspects to keep in mind. It was very useful and helped me look more into researching how to prepare. So thank you.
Plan:
As you begin, plan what you will be sharing on. A particular passage? A theme or idea? Think about your target audience and pray over this.
Prepare:
Once you have an idea, gather passages that support this idea. Research other's commentaries on that same idea or passage for inspiration. Then compile into something cohesive that flows from one theme/passage to the next, keeping the main idea running throughout from beginning to end.
Practise:
Practise practise practise. Once you have everything prepared. Practise speaking it out. You will likely find things that will need to be changed. Keep the timing of your message in mind, making sure to keep it within the time limit you've been allowed. I personally time each section (especially the half way point) and I try to keep 5-10 minutes under what I've been allowed. This way I can present the message clearly without rush. I would prepare some extra things I can speak on throughout, depending on how my timing is going.
9 C’s on Preparing a Message:
Here are some more I put together...
Commence:
...into preparing the message, firstly in prayer and do so as early as possible.
Commit:
...yourself to the authority of the Word.
Compile:
...scripture and ideas.
Categorize:
...into themes/main points, keeping those themes throughout the message.
Capture:
...experiences that illustrate the theme(s). This could be a parable or your own life experiences.
Contemplate:
...and pray over everything.
Condense:
...everything cohesively in the time you have been allowed. I might even have a go at summarising it into a 5 minute sermon, then a paragraph, then a title.
Conclude:
...your sermon with a prayer and possibly leave room for questions and discussion.
1 Corinthians 2:4:
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom…
This morning, as I was reading the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest", I felt like this was perfect for how to actually present your message. Taken straight from the devotional...
"Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher."
We are called to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation..." — as representatives of God, not representatives of ourselves.
