Background Study Guide Template

Nathan Parker

I'm reading through the print version of this book (excellent book by the way!):

https://www.logos.com/product/33279/transformational-preaching-a-guide-to-developing-and-delivering-expository-sermons

Under the section on a Background Study, I'm trying to whip up a guide template in L5 that'd automate doing this. I want to send it over to the professor so he can use the guide template in class.

I currently have the following sections added:

Theme
Commentaries
Topics
Interesting Words
Word by Word
Biblical People, Places, Things, Events
Media Resources
Music
Outlines
Parallel Passages
Ilustrations
Sermons.Logos.com
SermonCentral.com
SermonAudio.com
GraceWayMedia.com

I'm wondering how to pull off a few things.

1. Should I include Thematic Outlines in the guide? Would they be beneficial to an Expository Preaching Background Study?

2. Is there a way to actually search the background/book introductory material in Commentaries and Study Bibles in the guide, or do users just need to scroll to the info after opening the book?

3. Is there a way to search Bible Handbooks and Surveys in the Guide? Do I need to manually create a collection?

4. Is there a way to display Sermon Prep books in the guide? It'd be neat to include Sermon Prep books in the guide for users to be able to just click over to them.

5. Here's other information the professor likes in a Background study. Which would be the best way to have the guide search and display the following information?

Bible Book Type
Author of Book and links to dictionary articles about person, time, circumstances before, during, after writing
Relationship between author and audience
Purpose/Theme of Book
Particular Situation prompting writing of book

6. The professor also likes to determine the Anatomy of the Text (outline). Would the "Outlines" feature assist in this area.

7. Is there an easy way to display a passage in context in the guide, or would it just be easier to open one's Preferred Bible in the column next to it?

I'm tired tonight, so if I need to better explain any of this, let me know. :-)

BTW, I've already taken this professor's class, so I don't need this done for me personally to help me in a class. After taking his class and reading through his book, I'd like to help him build a good guide template he can use when teaching students to help teaching students how to easily perform background studies with L5.

Thanks!

Dave Hooton

I'm assuming the Guide is based on Passages (verses) rather than topics because you include the Commentaries section.

1. Should I include Thematic Outlines in the guide? Would they be beneficial to an Expository Preaching Background Study?

Most likely beneficial so include it.

2. Is there a way to actually search the background/book introductory material in Commentaries and Study Bibles in the guide, or do users just need to scroll to the info after opening the book?

Press the Home key in the resource.

3. Is there a way to search Bible Handbooks and Surveys in the Guide? Do I need to manually create a collection?

Books with "Handbook" or "Survey" in their title can be viewed in the Commentaries section if they are of type:commentary or type:notes AND included in your collection! If they are of type:monograph put them in a collection of the Collections section.

4. Is there a way to display Sermon Prep books in the guide? It'd be neat to include Sermon Prep books in the guide for users to be able to just click over to them.

The Theme section will allow a jump to a Sermon Starter Guide based on topics, and that has a Preaching Resources section.

5. Here's other information the professor likes in a Background study. Which would be the best way to have the guide search and display the following information?

That's covered by Q 2. It's not part of the Guide.

6. The professor also likes to determine the Anatomy of the Text (outline). Would the "Outlines" feature assist in this area.

Probably. You can determine that for yourself.

7. Is there an easy way to display a passage in context in the guide, or would it just be easier to open one's Preferred Bible in the column next to it?

You can hover over any passage or open the preferred bible.

After taking his class and reading through his book, I'd like to help him build a good guide template

The template is limited wrt background information as it seeks to present information relevant to the passage or topic rather than the resources. What you have compiled is quite sound.