Christ-centered Sermon Preparation Workflow

I've been asked to share my sermon prep custom workflow, which is based on Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching. The majority of the questions and nearly all the explanations in this workflow are quotations from that book. Links are provided to enable to read the quotations in context.

You can get a copy of the workflow by click on Get More Shared Workflows in the Guides menu. Right-click on the Workflow and choose Add to your docs. Or go straight here and choose Get Copy.

Once you have your own copy, you can tweak it for your own purposes. If you want to give feedback here, feel free.

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Comments

David Taylor, Jr.

[Y] Thanks Mark!

Jesse Blevins

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1036458#Comment_1036458

Thanks Mark! [Y]

Matt Hamrick

Thanks Mark, I am currently reading this book so perfect timing.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1036496#Comment_1036496

Thanks for sharing Mark.

Bill Shewmaker

Thank you for sharing this Mark. One possible tweak that I would like to see (selfish plea): Please add the page numbers from Chapell's book. I have it in another Bible Software program and would like to read it as if it were connected to Logos. If it is too much trouble, maybe just the chapter connected to the steps would suffice. Thank you!

Peter Bongers

Yes Thank you very much Mark!

Kenneth Neighoff

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1036541#Comment_1036541

Thanks Mark for taking the time to put this together.

Dave Colclough

Great! Thanks Mark! 👍

Wei Qiang

Thank you Mark![Y]

Alexxy Olu

Just saw this now. Thank you Mark.

Daryl Musson

Thank you, Mark!!!!

David Thomas

If you want to give feedback here, feel free.

I want to be teachable from other preachers! I heard yesterday on a podcast (https://jasonkallen.com/podcast/episode-122-the-preaching-of-john-macarthur/) that John MacArthur writes his Introduction and Conclusion before the body of the sermon. This workflow has the writing follow the delivery scheme.

If the Homiletical structure is determined in step 7.2, what has experience revealed to you about the order of 8.1-8.3? Does is make a significant difference?

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1039678#Comment_1039678

I want to be teachable from other preachers! I heard yesterday on a podcast (https://jasonkallen.com/podcast/episode-122-the-preaching-of-john-macarthur/) that John MacArthur writes his Introduction and Conclusion before the body of the sermon. This workflow has the writing follow the delivery scheme.

If the Homiletical structure is determined in step 7.2, what has experience revealed to you about the order of 8.1-8.3? Does is make a significant difference?

Bryan Chappell says this:

Homiletics experts differ as to when preachers should prepare conclusions. Idealists argue that the conclusion to a sermon should be the first component written so that the sermon has a clear and definite destination while it is being prepared. Realists want the conclusion prepared after the sermon has taken shape so that it definitely reflects the specifics of the developed message. Such realists often argue that a late-formed conclusion does not prematurely affect the direction the Spirit may take a sermon’s thought. Realism of another sort, however, requires the recognition that a preacher often has little thought or energy left for conclusions formed late in the sermonic process. Regular practitioners understand that there can be no ironclad rules regarding when conclusions are formed. A conclusion sometimes jumps onto the field of preparation and declares its presence before any other sermonic team members arrive, and other times it has to be dragged from bed and pummeled into service long after the other members have assumed their positions. Probably the most balanced approach lies in generating a basic plan for a conclusion during a sermon’s embryonic stages but modifying the conclusion to conform to the message’s specifics as it develops.

My own experience is that before I start writing the sermon I already know roughly what the conclusion will be, because of the work I've done in determining the Fallen Condition Focus, and writing the homiletical outline. But I may also want the conclusion to repeat or summarise some of the most impactful parts of the sermon, which I won't know until I've finished everything else. So I always write my conclusion last, even though (in my head) I know most of what it will say.

I also often begin my conclusion by pasting in my introduction, and then editing it. That way I can ensure that I've genuinely tied up all the loose ends, and delivered what I promised. Occasionally, doing this forces me to go back and tweak the body of the sermon to include things I'd missed out, or perhaps tweaking the introduction so it promises what I actually wrote, not what I thought I would write!

ChelseaFC

Thank you very much, Mark!! This is so helpful.

Blessings,

ChelseaFC

David Thomas

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1039685#Comment_1039685

I also often begin my conclusion by pasting in my introduction, and then editing it.

This is a good reminder for me and a wise word for novices who stumble across this thread!

Thank you for Chappell's quote.