The varieties of structure

3 A step-by-step guide to sermon preparation
The varieties of structure

In the previous section we looked at the use of structure as the skeleton of your sermon, providing an outline that keeps all the component parts in their proper place without drawing attention to itself. We employed a simple and commonly used structure to explore the four essential elements in any sermon structure: the introduction and conclusion, interpretation and application of the Bible passage. But this ‘deductive’ structure, beginning with a message based on the biblical text, is by no means the only possible approach. In fact there is a wide variety of structures and structural elements available. Knowing how to use these and how to choose the structure that best fits the passage you are preaching on and the message you want to give will help to keep your preaching fresh and interesting. It will also help you when it comes to constructing sermons week in, week out, among the multiple calls of ministry. Learning how to use a variety of structures is something that comes with time and practice, so the purpose of this section is to provide enough stimulation and guidance to get you started…