BASIC STEPS FOR BIBLICAL

PREACHING
 PRAY

• RECALL THAT PREACHING IS A VOCATION, A GOD-GIVEN

MINISTRY, TO SHARE GOD’S WORD WITH OTHERS.
• ASK GOD TO OPEN YOUR MIND AND HEART, SO THAT
YOU CAN HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES.
• ASK GOD TO “INSPIRE” YOU, TO WORK IN AND THROUGH
YOU DURING YOUR PREPARATION PROCESS.
 READ

• AT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE (IF POSSIBLE),

READ THE SCRIPTURES ON WHICH YOU WILL BE
PREACHING.
• READ THE TEXTS EVERY DAY, AT LEAST BRIEFLY, SO
THEY REMAIN FRESH IN YOUR MIND DURING THE
DAY.
 REFLECT
• MEDITATE ON THE MEANING OF THE SCRIPTURAL
TEXTS: WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO ME/US IN THIS WORD?
• CONSIDER THE PEOPLE TO WHICH YOU WILL BE
PREACHING: WHO ARE THEY? WHAT IS THEIR
SITUATION?
• WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US, IN OUR
SOCIETY/WORLD, WHICH MAY NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED IN YOUR HOMILY?
 RESEARCH

• IN YOUR STUDY BIBLE, READ ANY INTRODUCTIONS AND

FOOTNOTES AVAILABLE FOR THE TEXTS YOU ARE USING.
• USING SEVERAL BIBLE COMMENTARIES, STUDY THE TEXTS
AND THEIR HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CONTEXTS.
• CONSIDER THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE
TEXTS (ESP. THE FIRST READING, PSALM, AND GOSPEL).
• STUDY THE LITURGICAL/SEASONAL CONTEXTS: WHAT ARE
THE READINGS FOR THE PREVIOUS AND COMING WEEKS?
HOW ARE THEY RELATED TO THE READINGS ON WHICH
YOU WILL BE PREACHING?
 WRITE

• THINK ABOUT WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT, THE

PRINCIPLE MESSAGE OF YOUR PREACHING WILL BE.
• WRITE A BASIC OUTLINE TO STRUCTURE YOUR HOMILY:
INTRODUCTION, THREE MAIN PARTS, CONCLUSION.
• CHOOSE WHAT ILLUSTRATIONS YOU MIGHT USE, FROM
BIBLE, OTHER LITERATURE, REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE,
ETC.
• WRITE OUT THE FULL TEXT (OR AT LEAST A DETAILED
BULLET-POINT OUTLINE) OF YOUR HOMILY.
 REHEARSE

• PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! IN FRONT OF A

MIRROR, WITH A SOUND SYSTEM, AND/OR WITH
FAMILY & FRIENDS.
• MAKE AN AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING, SO THAT
YOU CAN SEE AND HEAR YOURSELF MORE
OBJECTIVELY.
 REVIEW

• ASK SOME PEOPLE TO GIVE YOU HONEST FEEDBACK,

WITH CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
• LISTEN TO OR WATCH THE AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING,
AND CONSIDER WHAT AND HOW YOU COULD IMPROVE.
• REREAD YOUR TEXT, ANALYSING ITS FOCUS, CONTENT,
STRUCTURE, LENGTH, VOCABULARY, RELEVANCE, ETC.
 REVISE

• THOROUGHLY REVISE YOUR TEXT, IMPROVING

WHATEVER YOU CAN, IN BIG AND SMALL WAYS
ALIKE.
• REWRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE; INCORPORATE
WHATEVER FEEDBACK YOU RECEIVED, AS
APPROPRIATE.
 RECOLLECT

• PRAY SOME MORE; ASK FOR GOD’S GUIDANCE AND

INSPIRATION; LET GOD USE YOU AS AN INSTRUMENT.
• BE AWARE THAT WHEN DELIVERING YOUR HOMILY,
THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON GOD’S WORD, NOT ON
YOU!
 PREACH

• DELIVER YOUR HOMILY WITH CONVICTION

(BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY) AND HUMILITY (KEEP
FOCUS ON GOD).
• SPEAK PROFESSIONALLY: USE CLEAR DICTION,
APPROPRIATE VOLUME, PACE, GESTURES, BODY
LANGUAGE, ETC.
• NOTE: IF YOU ARE PREACHING AGAIN
ON THE SAME SCRIPTURES, REPEAT
STEPS 8-11 BEFORE YOUR NEXT
HOMILY.