Saddleback has gained significant attention for its growth over the decades, yet our mission extends far beyond mere numbers. We are motivated by the power of changed lives, constantly looking for the next individual God will radically transform, the next marriage He will restore, and the next miracle He will perform.
Regardless of your specific preaching style, the ultimate goal of every message should be life change. To achieve this, I developed a sermon-preparation process called the CRAFT method. By following this structured approach, pastors can experience the many benefits of advance sermon prep.
C – COLLECT & COMPARE
The process begins by asking, “What has God said about this topic?” I then collect and examine relevant scriptures, illustrations, articles, and personal reflections. By gathering materials over many years, I ensure a wealth of resources that help to freshen your preaching techniques and keep your messages impactful.
Then I categorize what I’ve collected. I begin to look for similarities between verses. Then I group them together by those topics.
R – RESEARCH & REFLECT
As I research, I study the Scripture I’ve uncovered. I ask two questions: What does it say? What does it mean? As you likely know, the serious study of any text involves studying the historical background of the text, looking at the text’s literary style, grammatical structure, the theological framework—I do all of that in this stage.
Then I move on to the most important part. I reflect on what God is saying to me through the Scripture I’ve studied. This is critical because it’s where you get the personal application. You meditate on the text and let it filter through your mind. I do this in my quiet time and my study time. I reflect while I’m driving, doing yard work, and on the treadmill. I simply focus my thoughts on what God says in the Scriptures.
A – APPLY & ARRANGE
Once I’ve reflected on God’s Word, I apply it to my life and the life of my church. I urge you not to just consider personal applications but to look for corporate ones as well. How can your church apply what the Bible says together? You’re not just called to deal with individuals; you’re called to shepherd the whole body.
Then I arrange my sermon for maximum impact so there’s tension, release and movement in the sermon. You’re preaching to persuade. You don’t need to arrange your points in the order they’re in the text. You should order your points in the way your listeners will hear the message.
F – FASHION & FLAVOR
I next fashion my words. As a preacher, you need to become a wordsmith and pay attention to the specific words you use. Instead of preaching “five things” about a text or a topic, you preach about the five benefits, five features, or five marks. You try to put action verbs in your points. Each word in your sermon matters. Spend time thinking about the words you use.
Next, I flavor my sermons with illustrations, quotes, humor, video clips and so on. You want to ensure that you’re not taking your listeners through a 40-minute tunnel until they get to the end. You add flavor so you keep your listeners’ attention throughout.
T – TRIM & TIE TOGETHER
At this point, it’s time to trim my sermon. I edit out all the unnecessary material. If you can say something in seven words, don’t take 20 to say it. Effective trimming is a major separator between good sermons and great ones. A great message has been trimmed to a point where there’s no fat on it. Every statement is solid, lean meat. You don’t have any filler left when you’re done trimming.
Finally, I tie my transitions to my purpose. It helps listeners to switch. I try to use category words in these transitions. For example, “the second characteristic,” “the third benefit,” “the fourth challenge,” and so on. Transitions are easy if you hand out an outline. It’ll make what’s next more obvious for your listeners.
No sermon preparation method will lead to changed lives without God’s power. Second Timothy 2:15 summarizes my approach. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
I do the best I can to CRAFT an effective message. Then I trust God to do what only he can do while I’m in the pulpit.
This article originally appeared on Pastors.com and is reposted here by permission.