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The Discipline of Writing a Purpose

The Discipline of Writing a Purpose. “No sermon is ready for preaching, nor ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as crystal.” John Henry Jowett. The Power of Clarifying. Yes, I believe in God, but what do I mean when I say those words?

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The Discipline of Writing a Purpose

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  1. The Discipline of Writing a Purpose • “No sermon is ready for preaching, nor ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as crystal.” John Henry Jowett

  2. The Power of Clarifying • Yes, I believe in God, but what do I mean when I say those words? • Punishes people with illness? • Loves only their denomination? • Will make you prosperous?

  3. Tom Long: Focus and Function (pp 78-91) • Focus: the unifying theme • Function:the hoped for change

  4. Example: Romans 8:28-29 • The congregation may come to hear its own cry in the text:”Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” • Possible function: “Because we have seen in JC that God cares for us, we can be confident that God loves and cares for us even when our experience seems to deny it.”

  5. Killinger: Jesus Walking on the Water (Mk. 6:45-52) • Story can remind people whose lives are troubled that Christ still comes to us with the power to restore order and tranquility.

  6. Fosdick on Purpose • To create in the listener no less than the thing which is being spoken • So, “A sermon on joy must rise above a mere dissertation on the subject of joy by producing a congregation which goes out with deeper joy than it had before . . . .”

  7. Just “let the scripture happen again!”

  8. Four Possible Purposes (Cleland) • 1. To actuate (do) • 2. To inform (learn) • 3. To convince (persuasion) • 4. To Inspire (feel)

  9. THREE TESTS OF A SERMON • 1. Something to do • 2. Something to remember • 3. Something to feel William Barclay

  10. THE BEHAVIORAL PURPOSE Two Guidelines(Henry Mitchell) • 1. Should embody the action demanded by your biblical text • 2. Should reflect the preacher’s “gut” motivation for writing the sermon

  11. The Desired Behavior may be • 1. Grow in forgiveness • 2. Honesty • 3. Unselfish service • 4. Commitment to labor for peace and against world hunger

  12. BIBLICAL MANDATE • 1. Great Commission at Matt 28:20: “observing” • 2. Parable of the Last Judgment (Matt 25:31-46) the ultimate example of behavioral purpose

  13. EXAMPLES • 1. To be used of God to move the hearers to trust God when they face financial crises • 2. To help the congregation feel and affirm their self-worth or esteem as children of God

  14. Advantages of having a behavioral purpose • 1. Facilitates focus • 2. Makes sound choices of material easier • 3. Gives sermon a concentration of power uncommon

  15. The Zinger: an engaging statement of the main idea • The Sermon in a sentence: • “Temptations that are courted will Conquer” • “Those who know must tell those who do not know about Jesus” • “Faith really Works” • “Love is Something you Do”

  16. State the Message of the Text in your own words • Every Christian is a charismatic • Acting like a Christian may lead to becoming one • Hope can survive on almost nothing • Prayer is a learned experience • The res. of Jesus is God’s vindication of self-giving love • God’s Grace seems unfair because it is impartial

  17. Rhetoric: the Art of Persuasion • Aristotle • Cicero • Quintilian

  18. The Five Parts of Rhetoric • 1. Invention—planning • 2. Arrangement-composition of the various parts into a whole • 3. Style—choice of words • 4. Memory-preparation • 5. Delivery—voice, gestures

  19. Three Modes of Proof • 1. Ethos—credibility of the speaker • 2. Pathos—emotive • 3. Logos—the logical argument, inductive in parables, deductive in epistolary literature

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