Chapter 17: Simple Sermons

Chapter 17: Simple Sermons

I write this today to give some practical and simple guidelines to those who are compelled to share the word of God but may struggle with any of the following:

• Do not have a Bible school training
• Do not have opportunity to study the Bible for hours at a time
• Are brand new to the Bible

This simple guide can be used by pastors and by lay persons to prepare a simple sermon, a Bible study class, or to simply share a personal testimony.

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” Proverbs 1:5  ESV

1.  Read God’s word daily

The Bible is best when we make it a part of our every day.  Bit by bit, reading little by little, we will become familiar with its pages and all that God has to teach us through it.

Reading the Bible on a daily basis is like tithing a tenth of our day to God.  It can be hard to take the time to read the Bible, but when we do we by our actions declare our trust of Him over our lives and our desire to honour him each day.

Note: always begin with a simple prayer of invitation for God to teach you. Like this,

“God I come today in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.  I invite your revelation to my mind and heart and spirit.  I stand against all confusion of the enemy today.  I am dependant on your wisdom God.  I welcome you to teach me.  Amen”

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 ESV

2.   As you read make note of what stands out to you

Rather than focussing on understanding great long texts at a time, read each day until a thought or verse stands out to you.  Sometimes this might be after 20 verses, sometimes it might be after 3 verses.

Remember that the point of Bible reading is to be impacted by the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit can work through many many verses or just a few.  Trust God to teach you as you read His word.  Do not gobble it up thinking this makes you a better pastor or person.  Take your time and really chew each story and verse.

When a portion of a verse impresses itself upon you, make note of this. Either write in the margin of your Bible where you are reading, or in a journal write out the verse and what has impacted you about it. Both are best.

Writing small notes in your Bible will help you find those places again, and will help you to recall how God has used each part in your life.  Writing longer responses (but they don’t have to be long) in a notebook will help you later as you glance back at what God has been teaching you.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

3.  After 3 months look back over your notes and see what God has been speaking to you

It is an interesting thing to be noting day after day small thoughts and impressions as given by God, and then to look at all of these impressions at one glance.  Very definite patterns emerge and themes of God’s instructions and movement in our life become apparent.

At this point take a bit of time to sit before the Lord and invite further direction and revelation, or to simply worship and thank the Lord for what He has been teaching you.

The Bible is the word of God, the voice of God, and in this we are invited to interact with it and through it to interact with God. Our study times simply become conversations with God.  So we thank Him and give honour to Him for his voice penetrating our hearts and lives.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 ESV 

4.  Begin to identify how God’s teaching is making a difference in your heart and life

After a few months of daily reading even just a little bit of your Bible you will begin to notice a difference in your thinking and in your hearts response to life.  While the changes will begin happening immediately we often cannot notice them right away; mostly because changes that last happen little bit by little bit.

God shifts our thinking in small ways. Our Lord leads us day by day.  The Holy Spirit reveals things bit by bit.

Small changes building up over time make for the longest lasting transformations.  Small is best when it comes to our walk with the Lord and our interaction with His word.  Trust him to be teaching you and in turn take the time to glance back and see the difference in your life.

Remember, we do not study the Bible just to know the Bible.  We study the Bible to be changed by the Living God.

Ask yourself:  How am I different today than I was three (or six or twelve) months ago?

This becomes a vital part of your story and of the messages the Lord is giving you to share.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 ESV 

5.  Begin to share with others how God’s teaching is making a difference for you 

When we begin to share with others about what God is doing in our life, we want to simply give our testimony.  We simply declare how God has impacted us.  For instance, instead of sharing all of the Bible verses about how we do not need to fear, it is just as powerful to simply give testimony, “Six months ago I was afraid of many things. But today, after reading His word and seeing how much God loves me and is taking care of me, I am no longer afraid.  My courage is building.” 

This simple sharing can be done among small gatherings of friends, when you are walking with your spouse or sitting with your family.  It is the way for anyone new to this to begin passing on the messages God is giving you.

You do not need to have fancy words or big long sentences to share the Lord’s goodness in your life. 

Rest in simple testimony.  For the authority with which you speak is based on your personal encounter with the Living God.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Romans 10:17 ESV

6.  After a time of doing Steps 1-5 you will have plenty of material for a sermon

All that is left is to organize your thoughts.

•A. Know your main point (what do you want people to go away with?)

•B. 1st point

•C. 2nd point

•D. 3rd point

•E. Add in the verses that God used to teach you these things

•F. Include relevant stories to help tell your point

•G. Have a conclusion

Remember:  Share how God is impacting you.  What have you learned?  How have you changed?  What does God’s word say to this?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV

7.   Close in prayer.  Be authentic and simple

The power of prayer is found in our lives alongside the Lord.  As we walk in obedience to God’s leading in our lives our prayers become stronger in their power and authority.  Big words and long sentences do not make for stronger prayers.

The people you are teaching and leading need to know that they can pray as well.  They need to know that prayer is not a big mystery but a simple conversation between us and God.  Teach them this.  Use your own prayers to model conversation with God.

Thank God for the lessons he is teaching us.  Invite Him to give more lessons.  Declare blessing over His people.  And close with an Amen.  It really can be as simple as this.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7 ESV

And finally, for those of you who are pastors or spiritual leaders in your communities, teach this simple method of study and sharing to others.  Also, make room in your church services and as small groups of believers gather for others to share in this way.

We want to be learners of our Lord through each other.  The Body of Christ is vital to our well-being and each one can bring a fresh word from our Lord. As leaders we must make room for this.  For every one of your people who have a Bible (and for those who don’t join up with someone who does), take small bits of time on a regular basis to read and discuss and learn together.

While the Bible is a big book it is best taken in small bites, and after time those small bites add up to full meals and satisfied lives.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 ESV

Prayer

“God we come together today in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We confess that the Bible is a big book and many times we are swamped with anxiety about how to share it all.  Today we choose to rest in you. Today we settle into your leading and guiding, your wisdom and insight.

We invite you to teach us.  We open our hearts and minds to your direction.  Lead us in all things.  Most of all help us to make you and your word a priority in our lives.  Help us to read even just a little bit of your word on a daily basis. For those of us who do not have Bibles, we ask that you would enable us to have them.  For those of us who cannot read we ask that you team us up with those who can.  May we simply study together.

All in all we thank you for your movement in our lives and that we are ever changing into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We bless you Father God.  Amen”

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

Application

• Follow the instructions for a simple sermon and then give a sermon using this method 
• Write out a 4-6 sentence paragraph telling about your experience of using this method 

Summary – simple sermons

Read God’s word every day.  Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 1:5

Ask God to grow your understanding.  John 14:26

Allow scripture to purify you, to challenge you, and to change you. Hebrews 4:12

Share how Christ is making a difference in your inner person. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Capturing God’s Heart – Understanding – Volume 45

Two weeks ago I was meeting with a prayer client. She had been meeting with me for some sessions and was in the midst of facing some hard decisions. As we came before the Lord inquiring of His thoughts it occurred to her that her trouble was that she has been trying to understand every part of what she was facing.

The Lord revealed that the problem was that she wanted to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how to go forward; she was looking for a surety within her own mind and understanding.

The Holy Spirit brought to her mind this verse:

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 ESV

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 NASB 

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Capturing God’s Heart – The Wide Road & The Narrow Road – Volume 44

“You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The [road that leads to destruction]ESV* is broad, and it’s gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NLT    *[highway to hell] NLT

I have become convinced that the wide and the narrow roads that Jesus talks about are not in regards to sin per se, but about our response to sin. The Wide Road experiences sin in shame and condemnation and out of that experience works to rid itself of sin.

The Wide Road is where we put in good works and our own efforts to try and make ourselves right with God. The Wide Road is where we participate in religion that appeases the Gods, that focusses on self, that works to come clean.

“If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18b

The Narrow Road, on the other hand, does not experience sin as condemnation and shame but as a matter-of-fact part of our humanity and our fallenness. The Narrow Road despises the shame and condemnation and instead remains turned toward Jesus Christ the Saviour of our lives.

Poverty Strongholds #8 – Bad Theology

Poverty Strongholds – Post Eight – Bad Theology

1. Demons
2. Poor Stewardship – link to past article
3. Lack of Knowledge (common sense)
4. Mind Sets (faulty thinking)
5. Lack of Holiness
6. Agreements with the Enemy
7. Bad Theology
8. Blaming & Excuses
9. Refusing to be a Blessing
10. Pain Upon Pain

Today, let’s take a look at the 7th Poverty Stronghold – Bad Theology 

Bad theology leads to many bad things. It is the root of all sorts of distortions and manipulations perpetrated by supposedly godly men and women. Here are just a few of the craziest things I have heard while overseas:

“The wealthier you are the holier you are.”  (this is a literal quote from a Kampala city pastor)

“The woman with the seven husbands, well, she killed them all and what we take from this story is that the seed must be planted in the right place, and this is the right place for your seed, so tithe to this church and you will be blessed.”

“We must all change our names because Abram’s name was changed”

“Do not sleep at the wrong times because this was the cause of the Hebrews being in slavery for 400 years in Egypt.”

Even as I write this I hardly have words. I am astounded time and again at the kinds of bad theology that I come across in my work. But, I am also, often enough to note, just as astounded by the bad theology found at home. For instance:

Capturing God’s Heart – Revival – Volume 43

I grew up in the church and often heard about revivals that happened over the years in various places. Yet I never had a working definition for revival. Earlier this year I began asking the Lord to give me a better picture of revival, what it is, how it comes to us, and the impact it leaves in our lives.

To begin, let’s define revival. If I had to give a definition to revival it would be when the Kingdom of God breaks in upon our realities; it is when we are touched by the living God and our lives no longer remain the same.

In my study of revival I found out is that Revival requires three necessary ingredients.

• A Hunger for More of God
• Repentance & Humility
• Religious Stronghold Broken

Lets take some time to look at these three key ingredients for revival.

Capturing God’s Heart – Simple Guide to Sermons – Volume 35

I write this today to give some practical and simple guidelines to those who are compelled to share the word of God but may struggle with any of the following:

• Do not have a Bible school training
• Do not have opportunity to study the Bible for hours at a time
• Are brand new to the Bible

This simple guide can be used by pastors and by lay persons to prepare a simple sermon, a Bible study class, or to simply share a personal testimony.

How to Pray

In my ministry travels I’ve become aware of the fact that not everyone knows how to pray. In fact, I’ve found in some places that it isn’t traditionally thought that the people can pray but rather believed prayer is only for the learned and the leaders, the bishops and pastors. But of course, this simply isn’t true.

Jesus himself taught those around him how to pray and we find this instruction in Matthew 6:9-13:

“9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”

Jesus begins this prayer with an intimate term of Father. This would have been surprising to those he taught, scandalous even, because he is suggesting familiarity with God, the kind of close relationship that we may know in our earthily families but that would never be imagined with the creator of the universe.

And yet this is the start of Jesus instruction. He is basically opening up a new dimension of prayer as that of intimate, close, familiar, conversation. Imagine if you will a kingdom and a king. In this kingdom there are the common folk, those who work in the palace, other leaders alongside the king and then there is the family, the children of the king.

In any kingdom there is protocol that governs which people can approach the king and in which manner. The rules might be many and few would have opportunity for an audience with the king. But imagine that in that kingdom and with that king, though there are many rules, that the children of the king require no protocol and are not subject to the same rules. A son or daughter of the king bypasses all the rules and protocol by virtue of being a son or daughter. They have unparalleled access to the king.

This is the image that Jesus paints. As sons and daughters of God we have full access. It is the same as when my children would crawl up onto my lap when they were smaller. They needed no permission and no invitation even, they simply knew and acted on their freedom to snuggle in whenever they wanted. This is how we approach our prayer life, our whole life, with God.

At the same time we find Jesus directing our hearts and minds to honour God, “hallowed by thy name”. We acknowledge the greatness of the name of God. In this we declare his goodness, his might, his holiness, his omnipotence, his governance; we give honour to God.

We say ‘Father’ and we say ‘How great you are’.

Both hand in hand, familiarity and comfort and ease alongside worship and adoration.

In verse ten Jesus directs our prayers into agreement with the Father’s will on this earth. Throughout scripture we are taught about the power found in agreement of two or more. In our natural and human life we find it all too easy to agree with Satan. Our minds are often full of his lies, his condemnations, his attacks, his confounding, but for a life that goes forward in the strength of the Lord it is imperative that we begin agreeing with God, with his promises, his purposes, his hope, his strength. ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ gives us the model of how to align our hearts and minds with the plans of God.

Here we put down our own best thoughts and wisdom and declare our allegiance to a wisdom higher than ours.

Verse eleven with its simple ‘give us this day our daily bread’ declares and admits our dependance on the Lord for our very lives. Taken literally we cry out to the Lord for the necessary food and resources to get us through each day. This simple line also models to us that we take it one day at a time. Notice that Jesus did not instruct us to pray ‘give us this years bread’. Rather we walk day by day with the Lord.

Taken symbolically this simple line points us to our need for spiritual bread which is of course Jesus Christ himself. John 6:35 finds Jesus saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Here we acknowledge our need of a saviour and when we do this we enter into all the possibilities and resources that heaven holds.

Verse eleven is interesting. The ability to speak out ‘and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors’ brings us face to face with our own hearts for only if we have forgiven others can we speak this with sincerity. Our attention is immediately, yet indirectly, drawn to the state of our own hearts and we are given pause to consider a moment the truth of what we are speaking for ourselves.

It becomes apparent very quickly if we have in fact forgiven others or not. Our hearts catch us if we have not and we are compelled to enter into this work of forgiveness. Here we are simply reminded of the heart of the gospel and compelled to live it out.

In addition to this simple remembrance for our own sakes is the incredible power in forgiveness unto another. John 20:23 says, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

It appears that we are entered into the work of our Lord and his grace unto each other. Suggested here, if not explicitly stated, is the power unto life or death. Consider how it reads in the Complete Jewish Bible, “If you forgive someone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held.”

Without forgiveness we hold the sins of others. And don’t we know this to be true. To hold the sins of others in our being becomes a heavy and tortuous thing. Bitterness destroys us from the inside out.

The depths of this Matthew 6:11 verse we may never fully comprehend, never fully fathom the depths of, yet we can agree and bring our hearts into alignment, into agreement regarding God’s forgiveness of others and therefore our forgiveness of them as well.

Jesus finishes off by instructing, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This last part of The Lord’s Prayer holds for me the least clarity. It seems to be a cry of our need to be delivered from our own wayward heart and ways; an acknowledgment that we have this huge propensity to sin and to evil and our subsequent and desperate need for the Lord’s help.

Its a good place to end I think. For we’ve just traversed a wide journey. We started off familiar in the Father’s arms and we declared the glory of his name (vs.9). We’ve stood alongside in powerful agreement unto his will and heart over our lives and this world. As vice-regents we have commanded the kingdom of God into our realities (vs.10).

We then immediately fall to our knees declaring our utter dependance on his provision both physically and spiritually (vs.11) and are reminded of and brought to account the state of our relationships with the Lord and with others (vs.12).

Finishing off finds us once more standing alongside the Lord simply stating our humanity and declaring his omnipotence (vs.13).

Prayer is first and foremost a matter of our hearts position before the Lord. It isn’t the words we speak or the length by which we pray, it has nothing to do with eloquence, nothing to do with volume, and its not really about repeating what we know about God, rather it is a private conversation between God and you.

In this the simpler the better. Too many words and we lose our effectiveness.

On my recent trip to Mozambique, where prayer was a loud repetition of facts about God my own prayers became simpler and simpler.

“God we welcome you. God we love you. Thank-you for this day.”

 

LEARN HOW TO PRAY over at http://teachingpeoplehowtopray.org

Spiritual Authority Course Progress Report

Good news at Capturing Courage – we have completed Workbook Four of our Walking in Spiritual Authority Course and are set to complete part two of the international version for our indigenous colleagues.

This will take a good month or more to complete so please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this next task.

So far the Capturing God’s Heart material is going out to over 4400 christian leaders, which is in turn being passed on to an estimated 150,000 people.

The Spiritual Authority course is currently in the hands of a dozen christian leaders as we test run the material. We simply commit this course to the glory of God and the equipping of his people.

“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” Proverbs 4:5-6

To donate to the work of Capturing Courage CLICK HERE

Thank-You Pastor Ravi in India

Pastor Ravi sends many thanks from India for the Capturing God’s Heart Material – We are so touched and simply glad at how such a simple thing as this material is touching so many lives. We give God the glory – thank you Lord.

Capturing God’s Heart – Repentance – Volume 28

There is a time for celebration and rejoicing and for worshiping God, and then there is a time for mourning and grieving and laying bare our deeds before the Lord.

Consider what James says,

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:8-10

Admitting that we have done wrong is one of the most freeing experiences. Repentance is deep intimacy with The Father.

More Favor in India

More favor in India. This comes from Pastor Ravi,

“Dear sister till now, I and church members distributed Capturing God’s Heart studies,1456 to church Reverends and Presidents, c.s.i.Deans, Chairmen, Evangelists, Roman Catholic Catechist’s Pastor’s and many people.

They are reading and understanding the love of God and many local and non-local persons and non-local churches Director’s are asking me to distribute the God’s Heart studies.

We are using and understanding, very gracious and very comforted with holy ghost. Thank you dear lord Jesus.”

We simply give God the glory for the impact of the Holy Spirit via these simple Capturing God’s Heart studies.