Issue 23 Chaos and TruthBlog | How I prepare by Jasmine Devadason
How I prepare by Jasmine Devadason
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 12.06.20
Before I go into the preparation of a sermon, it is important for us to know what a sermon is. I personally believe a sermon is one of the opportunities to listen to the voice of God as we engage with the Word of God, or to discover God and God’s activity in our context as we encounter the Word of God. On the other hand, one of the perennial questions often asked in the context of preaching is, ‘What qualities make for great preaching?’ The answers have been: making the sermon biblical, relevant, theological and effectively communicated. This is to emphasise that preaching is a call to each of us given by God to share his grace with the community around.
LISTENING TO GOD
I usually choose a Bible passage I want to preach on and ask, ‘How is this the Word of God?’ ‘What is God inviting me to do from this scripture?’ ‘How am I going to journey with this Word?’ The Word of God speaks, and as preachers our first challenge is to listen to the voice of God in and from the Word of God. If you want to be good speakers you need to be good listeners, and listening to the voice of God is the starting point in our preparation.
