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The Most Common Mistake Preachers Make
Frank Thomas more from this author »
@DrFrankAThomas
Preaching coach Dr. Frank Thomas believes great preaching starts with strong sermon structure. He shares how it's done.
Dr. Frank Anthony Thomas has been an ordained minister and pastor for 26 years. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee.
Comments
September 5, 2012
13. Prescott Jay Erwin says...
Great advice. I'm looking forward to hearing about the other four mistakes!
August 29, 2012
11. Ronald Handlon says...
This approach is similiar to Paul Scott Wilson's "The Four Pages of the Sermon" Page One: Trouble in the Text. Page Two: Trouble in the World. Page Three: Grace in the Text. Page Four: Grace in the World.
August 25, 2012
10. Derrick Tuper says...
Even though I hadn't thought of your four points like that before, I decided to match them to my most recent sermon. I preached on the fact that we're special to God. The situation: we don't think we're special. The complication: we won't live like we're special. The resolution: scripture pointing to how special we are to God. The celebration: living a motivated and encouraged life. Interesting structure format. Thanks for sharing. I'll be paying more conscientious attention to that when I formulate a sermon.
August 25, 2012
9. Spencer Miller says...
I had a seminary instructor, the late Rev. John A. Hall, who would drill it into our heads, he start each class of with these words, "structure, structure, structure" and then he'd say, "let the whooping come naturally if it comes at all, but the most important thing in your sermon is structure". Very sound advice.
August 25, 2012
7. Mark Weinstein says...
Sounds like sound advice. To think of it another way, we are story-tellers that must be sure the audience understands all the components of a good story: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion, and as the great Spurgeon told us, we must always finish at the foot of the cross.
August 25, 2012
6. Charles Wallis says...
I like the structure - I think i need to put more celebration in my sermons since I tend to spend time on situation and complication which may be discouraging. I have also learned hook, book, look, took but don't apply it enough. Most importantly I have learned to start with scripture in sermon preparation and stay with scripture helps a lot with structure, rather than rambling platitudes of "great ideas" I have come up with.
August 25, 2012
3. David Jankowski says...
I'll give this a try in an upcoming sermon. I tend to use the Hook, Book, Look, Took structure, and I think that's self-explanatory too.
August 25, 2012
2. Anthony R. Watson says...
Short and to the point. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The problem that I see with "some" African-American Baptist preachers, is that they have spent their lives developing the celebration phase of the sermon while neglecting the other phases that was mentioned. Thus, whooping and hollering has become the norm and this is most unfortunate.
