Message Preparation (Part 5)

Next up is structuring or outlining the message. This is the fun part where we think through transitions, illustrations, phrases, 'sticky' statements that help people remember, and takeways that people can apply to their lives.

Here's my general structure for most messages:

INTRODUCTION--introduce the theme, issue, tension, or life issue we are addressing.
To do that we use drama, personal stories, maybe a compelling question, etc.

TEXT
From the introduction we usually transition to the Bible text to uncover what God says about our topic, how God's truth can help us resolve the tension, and how we can move our lives closer in line with God's truth (doers not just hearers).

I generally use just one main passage and go through it verse by verse stopping to explain, apply, or further amplify what the text is saying.

APPLICATION
Application is generally throughout the message but here is where we really try to focus people to thinking what they can do in light of what they heard. This is the "Now what?" part of the message. Applications can take several shapes:
--A few bullet points
--An time to 'imagine' what if we really lived this truth in our homes, church, community, at work, in friendships, etc.
--A penetrating question or set of questions that forces people to get off the fence and move one way or the other