In many churches, preaching remains the “main course” of worship. Much thought has been given to it, especially in English- and German-speaking countries.
In this book, Alfred Kuen gives us the fruit of half a century of preaching experience and his reading of several dozen homiletical treatises in French, German and English.
While seeking to benefit from what our predecessors have taught us, the author also examines what new forms of communication can teach us.
Main topics covered:
- The message and the messenger
- Communication elements
- Remote and immediate preparation of a sermon
- Choice of text, exegesis and meditation
- Different types of messages and plans
- Structuring your message, illustrating it, writing it and preaching it
- Classify your messages.
A work intended as much for the retraining of “professionals” as for the training of those who occasionally have to carry out the ministry of the word.
Contents :
- Introduction
- The message
- Purpose of preaching
- Preaching in the New Testament
- Modern Objections to Preaching
- The message
- The messenger
- The message and the messenger
- Necessary equipment
- Don't be discouraged by this painting
- Some elements of communication
- The main factors of communication
- Secondary factors that hinder or promote communication
- The six functions of language
- How to gain their attention
- Remote preparation and immediate preparation of a message
- “Time does not spare what we have done without it”
- Study life
- Bible study
- Role of prayer in preparing a message
- Should you prepare your message?
- Preaching someone else’s preaching?
- Conclusion
- Different types of messages
- Thematic preaching
- Expository preaching
- Benefits of the Verbatim Sermon
- Conditions for a good application of the textual sermon
- Narrative preaching
- Lectio divina
- Variety in preaching
- The choice of text
- The advantages of a text
- The text
- How to choose your text?
- Practical advice for choosing a text
- The systematic exposition of the Word of God
- Exegesis and meditation on the text
- First step: immediate contact with the text
- Step Two: Gather Materials
- Third step: exegesis
- Step four: meditation on the text
- Structuring your message
- Read his message?
- Isolate the dominant thought from the text
- “Arrange your material so that it serves the dominant thought”
- Plan your message
- And the listeners?
- The different parts of the message
- The introduction or exordium
- Reading the text
- Theme and announcement of the plan (the proposal)
- The body of the message
- The app
- The conclusion
- The whole constitutes a whole
- Different types of plans
- The major divisions
- Illustrations of a message
- Should you illustrate your messages?
- Different types of illustrations
- Precautions when using images
- Where to find the illustrations?
- Illustration books
- Can we invent our illustrations?
- Practice telling stories
- Write your message
- Step Six: Write Your Message and Pray
- Should you write your message?
- How to move from a written sermon to an oral message
- Length of sermons
- Preach your message
- The different temperaments of preachers
- The preacher and stage fright
- Of the voice organ and the care it requires
- The attitude, the gesture, the action
- Humor from the pulpit
- How to keep the attention of your audience?
- Visual aids
- After the message
- Classify your messages
- A word to conclude
- God gives the necessary strength to those he sends
- Start with small steps
- It is through practice that we achieve mastery
- Preparing a message: a spiritual challenge and duty
- Have the courage of imperfection
- Solicit constructive criticism and follow the advice given to you
- Trust in God and the power of His Word
- Appendices: Sermon Evaluation Sheet Templates
- Bibliography
ISBN: 9782828700669