20 Things To Check In The Week Before You Preach

• Pray for God’s presence, as you prepare, and on the day: `I will not go unless You go with me!` Plan time on the day to ensure you’re close to God.

• Read the passage and seek the main themes, main points, and prayerfully get a vision for them. Meditate on it and reread it during the week.

• Write a plan that seeks to follow alongside the shape, the `grain`, the flow, of the text. (Eg: are there any `therefores`?)

• How might the Bible itself use this passage elsewhere? If it’s OT, are there any new testament uses? What about parallel passages in other gospels? Check your understanding with commentaries and with your own file from when you’ve fed on this passage before.

• Ask God to help you catch the vision for it till you feel: `This is a cracker of a passage!`

• What is your overarching theme, and what are you saying about it? How does each section build into that, so that there’s a clear and recognizable shape?

• Pray for each section. What is the main point here that I can preach with passion? With what `hook` can I illustrate it, and apply it to the different groups present?

• Applications: evangelism (Jesus’ love for the lost); Why should this make them more confident about God? what does this say about how to grow in God? about the world? and for the workplace? (And in all this: yes, fine, but how?)

• How above all can I use this passage to glorify Jesus?

• Include the gospel somewhere most times, and a chance to respond to it – `Maybe there’s someone here tonight who…`

• The first couple of minutes are crucial: How can I create a sense of expectancy about what the God who is truly here is about to say to each of us through his word? What are they going to gain? Good to start with a question. (What are their questions likely to be?)

• Keep bringing them back to the text so that they feel its flow for themselves. (Are you really bringing out what the Word says or more your own opinions and interests?)

• What would someone listening who’s unchurched think, or need?

• Paragraphing: write in real pauses between them (the pauses will feel much shorter to your audience than they do to you), rather than being a nonstop torrent.

• Work on the clear takehome message at the end – particularly for those who havent really followed you. How is Jesus calling us to live differently? What difference does he make?

• Send a draft of your notes to the worship leader ASAP. Get them to stand up – eg sing a rousing song – before the talk.

• Write a full outline – then what can you cut? (Beware rambling on in `interesting asides`; in minor points you can lose your audience for the main ones; nothing is gained if you try to include too much.) Reduce – and/or highlight – your notes so that they are succinct – yet easy to find your place in – so that you can maximize the all-important eye contact.

• Revise it till you know it well, especially the flow of subsections. Ring key phrases.

If possible, memorize the end.

• Get a friend to comment. Were you too harsh? Too gentle? Too fast? Too slow? Too repetitive? Too hard to follow? Any obtrusive mannerisms?

• It is in your weakness that God is strong (2 Cor 12:10). `If any one speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God` (1 Peter 4:11). What a glory! And God will use his Word through you, even when it apparently goes badly!

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