Identify the biblical passage you have been assigned to preach. Read the text 3 times:

1. First, read it silently.
2. Second, read it silently again, but intentionally slowly, allowing the words to settle.
3. Third, read it aloud, paying close attention to punctuation, rhythm, and emphasis.

If you have not been assigned a specific passage, prayerfully reflect on which text God may be leading you to preach. To discern this, consider the following questions:

• Has a particular verse or passage stood out to you this week? If so, what specifically impacted you, whether theologically, intellectually, or emotionally?
• Is there a passage that fascinates, puzzles, or troubles you, one you have never fully explored? What details or themes draw your attention or raise questions for you?
• As you pray about what text to preach, does a specific passage come to mind? If so, why do you believe God is drawing your attention to it?

Finally, reflect on how this text connects both personally and communally:

• Does it resonate with your own interests, questions, struggles, or emotions?
• Does it speak to particular challenges, needs, or realities facing the church you will be preaching to at this time?

Sketch a simple structural outline of the passage by dividing it into 2-3 natural segments. Do not overthink or over-detail, just notice where the text moves or shifts.

Consider the following prompts if helpful:

• Themes: Are certain ideas or topics emphasized in parts of the text? Name them and indicate roughly where they appear (e.g., forgiveness, grace, humility).
• Characters: Do different characters take the spotlight in certain sections? Identify who and where.
• Perspectives (optional): Are multiple viewpoints present (e.g., God vs. human, narrator vs. character, poor vs. rich, faithful vs. unfaithful, victim vs. victimizer, hero vs. villain)? Note which sections focus on which perspective.

Tip: Not every lens will apply. Use whichever feels natural to the text. 

Tip: Not every question in this section must be answered for every passage. These prompts are intended to guide careful attention to the text, not to be exhausted mechanically. Keep your answers brief and focused, highlighting only the essential insights.

(1) Context

Identify the literary context of the text. What comes before and after the text? How does the passage reflect, respond, or relate to the surrounding verses and chapters? To what narrative question does the text answer? How does this passage relate to the larger narrative?

(2) Setting

Tip: Consider only the settings that are relevant to your passage. Some texts may have one, two, or none.

• Physical Setting: Examine the physical location(s) where the events occur. Consider the geographical, environmental, and architectural details.
  Temporal Setting: Reflect on the time period, including the historical era, time of day, and season.
• Cultural Setting: Consider the cultural context, including social norms, religious practices, and political conditions of the time implied in the narrative. Resist importing socio-cultural studies outside the biblical narrative.
• Relational Setting: When interpreting an epistolary passage, it is crucial to consider both the stated recipients and the purpose of the letter, as these elements establish the specific context and setting.
• Significance of the Setting: Reflect on how the setting influences the narrative, the characters’ actions, and the overall message. Does the setting intimate any symbolic or theological implications? What expectations does the setting create in you?

(3) Characters and (Re)Actions

Tip: Only if applicable to your text. 

Identify the main characters in the passage. Examine what the text reveals about each character’s traits, motivations, and development. Observe the actions of the characters and the responses of others. What do these actions reveal about the characters and the message of the passage?

(4) Key Words

Look at significant words or phrases. They are typically repetitive, unusual, or theologically significant. Examples of theological words include adoption, atonement, circumcision, covenant, election, exile, grace, humanity, heart, just, mercy, new creation, reconciliation, redemption, salvation, sanctification, and sin. To discern their meanings, several questions should be considered:

• What is the immediate significance of the term, as suggested by its common usage in English? Consulting a dictionary at this stage may be helpful.
• What might be the term’s original language meanings (Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic) and its significance in the passage? Consulting an interlinear bible (available online), bible dictionary, or biblical commentary, may be helpful.
• Does the term occur elsewhere in the book? If so, how is it used, and what implications appear to carry in those contexts?
• Finally, where does the term appear in other Old Testament or New Testament passages, and what implications does it convey in those instances?

(5) Metaphors and Imageries

Identify and reflect on any metaphors and imageries present in the text. 

Metaphors: By comparing abstract concepts to everyday experiences, metaphors help understand and internalize deep theological ideas. Here are several questions to consider when interpreting metaphors: 

• What is being compared? 
• What characteristics or attributes are extrapolated from one element to another? 
• What does the metaphor convey? 
• Are there other instances in the Bible where the metaphor is employed? 
• What emotional or spiritual response does the metaphor evoke?

Imageries: They use descriptive language appealing to the human senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) in order to create a vivid mental picture or sensation. Imageries are often utilized to convey complex spiritual truths, evoke emotional responses, and make abstract concepts more tangible and understandable. Some of the questions to consider when analyzing biblical imagery are the following: 

• What is the symbolic meaning of the imagery? 
• What are the key themes or messages connected to the imagery? 
• What emotions or responses does the imagery evoke? 
• Are there parallels or similar images elsewhere in the Bible? 
• Does the imagery echo any foundational scene from the story of Creation, Patriarchs, Israel’s life (exile, Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, to name a few), or the prophets? 
• How does the imagery contribute to the overall message of the passage?

(6) Reflect and Respond to the Passage

• Themes: What are the central themes of the passage? Reflect on the passage’s theological implications. What does it reveal about God, humanity, sin, redemption, etc.?
• Purpose: Reflect on the passage’s function. Is it to instruct, correct, comfort, encourage, challenge, or warn?
• Overarching Message: What is the primary message of the text? What is the chief message that the text appears to transmit to its ideal readers?
• Personal Response: Reflect personally on the passage. How does it affect your understanding, faith, or behavior? What emotions or thoughts does it evoke? What expectations or hopes does it stir within you? How does the passage inspire or compel you to act?

Condense the complexity of your observations and interpretive findings into a single, coherent insight by engaging the following pair of questions. Together, these questions help you discern both the central theme of the passage and the specific emphasis the text places upon that theme.

• What does the text speak about? (Theme)
• What does the text say about its main subject? (Emphasis)

After answering these questions individually, aim to express your synthesis in one clear, complete sentence that faithfully reflects the passage’s theological center and dominant claim (theme + emphasis).

Having worked within the world of the text, now turn your attention to the world of today, viewed through the insights you have gained from the passage. With one foot in the biblical world and one in the present, begin to give shape to the sermon.

The shape of the sermon is formed by four elements: (1) purpose, (2) title, (3) analytical lens (or guiding question), and (4) main points.

 

(1) Purpose

Clarify the primary purpose of the sermon. Is it meant to teach, encourage, challenge, warn, or motivate? The following pair of questions will help you discern this:

• What do I believe God is leading me to speak about? (Theme)
• What specifically do I believe God is leading me to impart about this subject? (Emphasis)

(2) Title

Draft a working title that captures the core message of the sermon in light of its stated purpose. Then, write three alternative titles. From these, select the one that most clearly expresses the sermon’s intent.

When crafting a title, keep these general principles in mind: short, memorable, and actionable.

(3) Analytical Lens / Guiding Question

A single title can be approached from multiple angles. Narrow your focus by selecting a specific analytical lens or guiding question that will shape the sermon’s development. Examples include:

• What does ___ mean?
• What does ___ signify or imply?
• How can one become ___?
• How can one obtain or achieve ___?
• What are the steps toward ___?

(4) Main Points

For the sake of structure, clarity, and comprehension, develop the sermon through 2 to 5 main points (most preachers prefer 3 main points). These points serve as the supporting arguments, answers, or movements that unfold the title. Each point should be clearly stated, easy to remember, and practically oriented.

Write the sermon as a full script, imagining yourself preaching to a real audience. Compose it word by word, allowing the sermon to unfold as it would be delivered. You may also note moments of intentional pause, emphasis, facial expression, or physical movement where they serve the message. Aim to write only the essence of what must be said. Do not overwrite.

The script should include three core components: (1) Ιntroduction, (2) Μain Points, and (3) Conclusion.

(1) Introduction

Begin by introducing the title and the subject of the sermon. The introduction should draw the audience in and orient them toward the spiritual direction of the message.

You may open the sermon with:

• a compelling statement,
• a thought-provoking question, or
• a brief story drawn from Scripture, history, or literature.

Consider the following questions:

• What opening statement could naturally introduce the sermon?
• What question might surprise, challenge, or invite the audience into reflection
• What illustrative story could lead the audience toward the spiritual truth this sermon will explore?

(2) Main Points 

Develop the sermon through the previously identified main points. Each point may be expanded through two or three movements, depending on the nature of the sermon, such as:

• explanation or narration (depending on the genre and approach),
• illustration (biblical, historical, or life-based), and
• application or exhortation.

To develop each main point, consider:

• How is this truth grounded in and derived from the biblical text?
• What does the text itself communicate about this point?
• What illustration could clarify or embody this theological or abstract idea?
• What applications does God seem to press upon the hearers through this truth?
• How might this truth be lived out in concrete, daily practices?
• What call to action, encouragement, or challenge naturally flows from this point?

(3) Conclusion

Conclude the sermon by briefly restating the title and main points, drawing the message to a clear and intentional close. The conclusion should help the audience carry the sermon with them beyond the moment of preaching.

Consider the following:

• What was the central message of the sermon, as expressed in the title and main points?
• Toward what attitudes, actions, or postures is God exhorting the audience?
• What core life applications should remain with the hearers after the sermon ends?
• What final questions might linger in the minds of the audience, inviting reflection, conviction, or hope?

Create a clear sermon map by outlining the essential lines of the Introduction, Main Points, and Conclusion. This sketch is not a script but a distilled framework that captures the sermon’s big picture and governing flow.

The purpose of this step is to crystallize the core structure and chief statements of the sermon so they can be easily remembered and confidently delivered. Rather than memorizing the sermon word for word, internalize its shape, movement, and key affirmations. This approach keeps you grounded in thoughtful preparation while leaving space for presence, responsiveness, and the spontaneous leading of the Spirit during delivery.