Preaching For Life Change pt. 2

Another thing that I've learned about effective preaching is that you have to know and apply the text. If you know the text and don't apply it to people’s lives, that is boring and not very effective preaching. If you preach a message that applies to people’s lives but is not founded in scripture, that is entertaining, but there won't be any life change. Effective preaching must have both. Here are some insights and questions I ask while preparing my messages:

1. Who wrote the text?

2. To whom was it written too?

3. What is the text addressing?

4. How does the text apply to today's society?

5. What are some examples or illustrations that will help bring the text to life?

6. What do I want people to take away from the text or message?