Editorial draft for review. “From the guide” sections are Parker's words; “Working it out,” examples and worksheets are editorial.
Guide sections: Read this first
Read
Read “From the guide” first, out loud if you can. Then read “Working it out.”
From the guide
Preaching is exposing people to the Word of God in the power of the Spirit so they see Jesus clearly and respond in obedient faith.
That’s it.
Not to impress.
Not to perform.
Not to sound smart.
To expose people to the Word so clearly that transformation becomes unavoidable.
Preachers stand before God and man.
This work is holy.
And it is learnable.
If you give yourself to this craft for a lifetime, it will shape your soul as much as your sermons.
Working it out
How this pathway works. Each installment has four moves: read a section of the guide, discuss it with your mentor, practice it on your own sermon, and review the result together next time. You will build one real sermon from start to finish. By the end you should have a finished plan, not a stack of exercises.
Holy and learnable. Hold both words. Because the work is holy, begin every session in prayer for the passage, for yourself and for the people who will hear you. Because it is learnable, expect to get better with practice and feedback.
Give credit as you go (editorial addition). Note where ideas, stories and phrases come from: a commentary, a conversation, a sermon you heard. Borrowing is fine; hiding it is not.
Example
A developing preacher (fictional) chose a short narrative passage for a planned Sunday about three months away. Her goal: “Explain the passage clearly before I illustrate it.” She started a notes file that day.
Discuss
- Put Parker's definition of preaching in your own words. Which part of it is hardest for you?
- Which of “impress, perform, sound smart” tempts you most?
- Which passage will you carry through the whole pathway, and why that one?
- What do you most want to grow in as a preacher this season?
Mentor: share why you started preaching and what has shaped you most since.
Practice
Write Parker's definition in your own words. Pick your sermon passage and date (real or planned). Write a one-paragraph growth goal and a short prayer for the work ahead. Add one sign you could observe if the goal is met, for example: “My listener can explain the passage’s main point after hearing me.”
Worksheet
Copy onto paper or download below; nothing is saved here.
- The definition of preaching in my own words
- Passage I will carry through the pathway
- Planned date
- My growth goal / one sign I could observe if it is met
- My prayer for this work
- Where I will keep notes and sources
Review
Artifact: Definition in your own words, growth goal and chosen passage.
Complete when: Your mentor can restate your goal, its observable sign and your passage back to you, and you have started a notes file.
- Definition written in your own words.
- Passage and date chosen.
- Growth goal is one specific paragraph.
- A notes file exists.
- One observable sign of the goal is named.
Mentor feedback
Bring the work you made, not just your answers. Show one place where the passage shaped a decision. Name one strength, choose one useful improvement, and check the revision together.
- Name one real strength in the work.
- Name one priority improvement, based on evidence in the work.
- Revise, then recheck against the review list.