Finding Executable Sermon Outlines
Finding sermon outlines on the internet can be extremely beneficial for pastors and religious leaders. One of the main advantages is that it allows for easy access to a wide variety of resources. With just a few clicks, a pastor can find a multitude of outlines on different topics. Further, these resources provide inspiration and new ideas. Additionally, many online content providers offer sermon outlines that have been thoroughly researched and well-crafted. This is the ultimate time saver for busy preachers.
Another advantage of finding sermon outlines on the internet is that it allows for easy sharing and collaboration. Pastors can share their own outlines and receive feedback. This can lead to a more diverse range of perspectives and ideas, which can ultimately lead to more effective and engaging sermons. Additionally, many online resources allow for easy editing and customizing. This helps preachers tailor the message to their specific congregation.
Here are reasons to use sermon resources:
1. Access to a wide variety of resources: Online sermon resources provide easy access to a wide range of outlines, sermons, and other materials on different topics and from different perspectives.
2. Time-saving: Most offer well-researched and well-crafted lessons.
3. Collaboration and sharing: Online resources allow for easy sharing and collaboration with other pastors, which can lead to a more diverse range of perspectives and ideas.
4. Customization: Many online resources allow for easy editing and customizing of sermon outlines, which can help pastors to tailor the message to their specific congregation.
5. Convenience: This content can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy to prepare and access resources at their convenience.
6. Cost-effective: Many online resources are free or low-cost, which can save money for churches and other religious organizations.
7. Multilanguage support: Some online resources offer their sermons and outlines in multiple languages, making it easier to reach diverse congregations.
Dry seasons happen to us all. What is important is that we, as Preachers, understand these resources exist to bring God’s People the full council of God’s Word. No one person is as effective as the entire body is together.
Can I Preach Effectively Without Notes
Deciding whether to preach a sermon with or without notes can be a difficult decision. Preaching with notes can provide a sense of structure and organization. It also helps ensure that all of the key points are covered.
But it must be understood that preaching without notes is the ultimate show of dependence on the Holy Spirit. In my years of Pastoring, I have only preached without sermon notes 12 or less times. It is a different experience and most often, more powerful (in my view anyway).
Additionally, you can create sermon notes, study them all week, and get up and preach without them. Preaching with notes can provide a sense of security knowing all of the information is readily available. On the other hand, preaching without notes can allow for a more natural and spontaneous delivery. This creates a more engaging and dynamic sermon. It can also result in being more authentic and credible.
Ultimately, the decision should be based on the pastor's personal preferences and what will best serve their congregation. Some pastors may find that using notes is the best way to deliver a message. Others may prefer to speak without notes.
Answer these questions and the decision for (notes) or against will become evident:
Do I depend "more" or "less" on the Holy Spirit with or without notes? (The answer is evident in my view)
Will preaching without notes help me to create a more dynamic and engaging sermon?
Will preaching with notes help me to ensure that all of the key points are covered?
How much information will I need to cover?
Will preaching with notes give the impression that I am not authentic?
Will preaching without notes give the impression that I am more authentic?
How will hearers be impacted by my choice?
Brethren, allow the Holy Spirit to lead you either way. Something I did not say earlier was that 90% of the time, although I have notes, I rarely look at them while preaching.
Where Do I Find Ready to Preach Sermons
Online sermon notes can be found on a variety of websites and platforms. Many churches and religious organizations have their own websites where they post sermons and accompanying notes. In addition, there are also websites dedicated to providing sermon notes and resources for preachers.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube also have a large number of religious pages where notes can be found. Additionally, many religious leaders have their own personal websites where they post content. You can also find online sermon notes by searching for specific keywords on Google.
Here are seven (7) online places to find affordable notes:
1. Sermon Downloads – this is our web store. What we offer, that no one else on the Internet does, is an entire year worth of 3-6 week (each) of themed sermon series. There are more than 150+ pages of executable sermon notes in this package. 2. Sermon Outlines - provides a wide variety of sermon outlines for purchase, with a focus on practical, biblical preaching. 3. Sermon Illustrations - offers a large collection of sermon illustrations, stories, and quotes for purchase. 4. Preaching Today - provides a variety of content for purchase, along with other resources as well. 5. Sermon Index - offers a wide range of sermons for purchase, with a focus on classic and historical messages. 6. Sermon Hub - offers a variety of sermonic content for purchase, with a focus on biblical preaching and expository preaching. 7. Sermon Helps - Although not SermonCentral, this site provides sermon outlines for purchase, along with other resources such as illustrations and quotes to drive home sermonic themes.
Choose carefully and always inspect the websites posts and articles to get an idea of their theology.
What Do I Say Before Opening a Sermon
This is where you must interject your individual gifting from God. The reality is sermon notes can give you the information however, style and personality must come from you! There are many other websites which will tell you what to do or say before you preach. Fortunately, this site will do no such thing. Should you pray? That's up to you. Should you tell a short introductory parable? Perhaps, if you have the gifting to do so. Like the Holy Ghost interpretive ability God has provided, you must apply your individuality.
Here are things you should consider in the days or week leading up to preaching your sermon:
Pray for guidance and wisdom in preparing and delivering the sermon.
Study the passage in depth, and always find other packages of text which make the same point. BUILD THE CASE!
Identify the theme and organize content around it. What is the Holy Spirit speaking and how do you biblically support it?
Prepare an outline, including the introduction, main points, and conclusion. Again, I almost always prepare notes (3 page outlines per) but rarely use anything except the main points.
Gather illustrations, stories, or quotes to support the sermon's message if appropriate to your spiritual "wiring".
Study the content, pray over it, and visualize the preaching moment but so not over think it!
Review and edit the sermon for clarity, coherence, and biblical accuracy.
Prepare any necessary visual aids or handouts for the congregation. I NEVER do this but some do.
Pray about the audience's spiritual need and minister to it. This is not compromise either. Paul wrote: "to a Jew became I a Jew so that I might save the Jew. To the Greek became I Greek so that I might save the Greek......"
If you are a visiting preacher, never, ever allow the host Pastor to tell you "what" or "how" to preach. Once you compromise, you never get your integrity back.
Make sure you are spiritual aware of where you are with the Lord. Preaching the Gospel begins with your preparedness.
Isolate yourself a few hours before delivering the sermon. Ha Shatan (Satan) wants to distract you right before the Word goes forward. Pastors know what I mean!
What Should I Do When Preaching
Every other section in this article leads to the big day! You now have prayed, sought guidance from the Holy Spirit and located executable sermon outlines, and are ready to deliver. Before proceeding, there is an area in preaching I did not mention: practicing your sermon. I did not address this for the simplest of reasons: people can spot a phony and rehearsed preacher. I once worked for an organization called the Denver Rescue Mission in Colorado. My supervisors name was Steve Walkup at the time.
We attended one of those “all company” meetings and Steve was put on the program to preach the sermon. It was an unmitigated disaster! It was plain Steve had rehearsed body movements and worse, anyone with a bit if discernment knew he was not called by God to preach the Word. Steve did good deeds, and was an successful business man prior to the mission (or so he said).
However, the mission had real preachers working as chaplains. They knew, as did I, this was a farce. The nail in the coffin is Steve was such a “nasty” guy, he simply did not have the credibility in the company to preach the love of Christ. The point is, you cannot “fake it until you make it” with Jesus. You are either called or not.
Further, here is bad advice others give that you must ignore:
1. Work on your delivery until it is perfect: you are flawed, and your delivery will be as well sometimes. This is not to challenge the supremacy of the Holy Spirit either! However, even Jesus Christ, God Himself according to John 1:1-3, struggle in His service to the kingdom. You remember the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus’ struggle to beat His flesh into obedience, right? Preaching is the same – while we deliver the Word of God, we are “beating our flaws” into alignment with the Spirit.
2. Make eye contact with people in the crowd: I am a Pastor and have preached for 20 years now and there is a truth to be made known. Delivering God’s Word takes us “outside of ourselves” and while we know people are sitting and listening, they are more “silhouettes” than anything else. It may seem we are looking at certain people and they believe so as well. That is not what is occurring, however. If you “get locked into” focusing on certain eye “aiming points” you will be distracted. The result is ineffectiveness.
3. Make sure you deliver three (3) main sermon points: I do this most often, but I have also learned that there are times when you just need to preach. As was said earlier – “just be you”. As long as your message is theologically sound, who cares if you provide sermonic points? The most powerful sermons I have ever heard had no singular points, yet many nuggets of wisdom.
4. Don’t forget to provide take-aways: I get this and have done so from time to time. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit has a message for each should in there and during the preaching time, that Word will land where (and how) it needs to. It is not always appropriate to tell God’s people: “this is what you need to leave here with”. How could you know that? Yes, God will give a “Word” for His people but in the 4,300 words you deliver, are you suggesting every person present should focus on the same few take-aways? That is folly.
5. Ask congregants for feedback: If the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding your Words, who cares what anyone thinks? I sure don’t! It is a Holy Ghost thing to provide a “seasonal” Word, but this never means others should “dictate” content or delivery. Is it wise to allow an eight (8) year-old child to plan their meals, bedtime, or other? They have no clue what is best for them. Is it any different in the Kingdom of God? In the Book of 1st John, the writer refers to the readers (adults) as “little children”. Was that a coincidence? Those you are speaking to, according to Jesus, are blind. Therefore, being incapable of guiding themselves, should they now guide YOU who claim to see?
There are church websites to find executable outlines to bless you and God's people. If the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding your Words, who cares what anyone thinks? I sure don’t! It is a Holy Ghost thing to provide a “seasonal” Word, but this never means others should “dictate” content or delivery.
Is it wise to allow an eight (8) year-old child to plan their meals, bedtime, or other? They have no clue what is best for them. Is it any different in the Kingdom of God? In the Book of 1st John, the writer refers to the readers (adults) as “little children”. Was that a coincidence? Those ysou are speaking to, according to Jesus, are blind. Therefore, being incapable of guiding themselves, should they now guide YOU who claim to see?
You do not “credit the source” each time because you often do not even know it is happening. Here you are thinking all that wisdom was yours! You are, in the most literal sense, “reading his sermon notes” although no paper is in front of you. How, then, is this supposed “ethical” issue valid?
I am anxious to see the man or woman who claims exclusive “copyright” to the Word of God. It is said the Holy Spirit reveals the Word, we preach it, and yet we believe claiming exclusivity to God’s Word is ok? We are, by calling, what the world would call “plagiarists”. Oh my – I can hear the “weeping and gnashing of teeth". Evangelism is not about “creating anything new” rather simply “passing on what was given to us”.
As hard as it is to believe, there is no man or woman alive who has said ANYTHING new with respect to “sound doctrinal” teaching in the last 1,900 years or so. So, how (again) can someone claim copyright ownership on something revealed by someone else (Holy Spirit), and that has been said by hundreds of millions before?
God created us individually, to carry out the ministry assignment aligning with our gifts. However, being an individual, and as Paul begged the church: "you all should speak the same thing." The most well-known preachers of this generation are: Charles Stanley, John McArthur, Voddie Bauchum, Gino Jennings, and a few others.
Other "well known" speakers are T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers, Creflo Dollar, and Rick Warren. The first group have NEVER said anything other Preachers have not in the proceeding few thousand years. The latter "speakers" have said new things because their doctrine is FALSE! If it is "true it is not new" and if it is "new then it isn't true."
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