Classical Speech Theorist developed the concept of “topoi.” The “topoi” were “mind-generators.” The concept of “topoi” is abstract at first, but as you understand it, it takes on a role of great usefulness for all those who engage in public speaking!

When this classical concept is applied to “Pulpit Speech”, one use is a method to brainstorm, or to “generate” ideas for approaching a particular chapter or passage of Scripture.

We had five pastors on staff, and we had the advantage of being able to “pick each others’ brains” for ideas. However, if you are the sole pastor in a local church setting, you may find some of these lists – on every chapter in the Bible – beneficial. As you read through the list you will find your mind thinking, generating . . .

As you read through the list you will find your mind thinking, generating . . .

• directions you could go•
• what you could focus on•
• different approaches to the passage•
• a wording that works•
• a BigIdea•
• changing or adjusting words•
• a subpoint•
• a “sticky” idea worth repeating and restating•
• an illustration•
• an introduction•
• an interesting thought•
• a way of seeing the chapter you had not thought of before•
• an idea to research which could help with an introduction or illustration •
• a metaphor to build on•
• a conclusion•

These included below have been gathered from all different places. Its purpose is to help kick off, brainstorm, or “generate” ideas on Genesis 4.

================================================

Genesis 4 – Cain & Abel

• The Next Generation
• Why Are There So Many Religions
• The First Martyr
• Naming our Children
• Violence & Sex
• The Family Tree
• Who Needs Government
• From Bad to Worse
• The Church Of Cain
• Shed Blood, Covered By Precious Blood
• Voices From The Grave
• Conflict Resolution
• Crouching Tiger
• Deep Hatred
• East Of Eden
• By Faith (Hebrews)
• Not As Cain (1 John)
• By Flesh & By Faith
• What Are You So Upset Over?
• Anger Management
• The Preflood World: First Drops Of Water
• It’s Time To Leave Home
• Signs of a Coming Collapse
• Two Kinds of Offering
• Two Kinds of Sacrifices for Sin
• The Best Offering
• Rearing Sons
• The City & Social Security
• Domestic Life
• Raising Cain
• Violence & Voyeurism
• One Sin Can Lead To Another
• Who Is My Neighbor?
• A Death Connected To A Tree
• I Can Worship On A Golf Course
• Marks of a Crime
• Two Seeds Exemplified
• City Life
• Anger & Sin
• Able’s Lamb
• Sin Is Waiting
• Am I My Brother’s Keeper
• The Fruits of the Flesh
• Impenitent Misery
• Me, Myself, & I
• Anger
• False Religion
• A Problem Child
• All In The Family
• The City Of God & The Cities Of Men
• Babel: The First City & The Last
• Sibling Rivalries
• A Ruined Life
• Accepted & Rejected
• How To Ruin Your Life
• Give Your Best To The Master
• Indicators Of The Fakes
• It’s Unacceptable
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Hatred
• The Way Of Cain
• It’s Your Choice
• Two Choices
• Sweat, Blood, & Tears
• Sin Continually Kills Relationships
• Doing The Right Thing, The Right Way
• I Did It My Way
• Self Effort
• Worship Wars
• Drama & Trauma At Home
• Cosmic Forces Behind Earthly Conflict
• Chose Ye This Day (Joshua)
• Personal Responsibility
• Am I My Brother’s Keeper
• Remorse But No Confession
• Stinking Thinking
• Bad Things Happen To Good People
• Condemnation
• Premeditated Murder
• Thou Shalt Not Kill
• A Chapter Of Firsts
• When Sin Has Conceived (James)
• Sowing To The Flesh
• Truth Or Consequences
• First Step Before The Flood
• Hurting People, Hurting People
• Born Sinners
• It Isn’t The Environment
• The First Martyr
• Blood Brothers
• Cultivating the Fine Arts
• A Tale Of Two Cities
• Bad Kids Of The Bible: #1
• There Is A First Of Everything
• Eden’s Most Wanted
• The Fall’s Fruits
• It Started Out As A Normal (Sun) Day
• Unbelief
• A More Excellent Sacrifice (Hebrews)
• Master Sin Or It Will Master You
• Child Rearing: Where Did We Go Wrong?
• Do You Hear What I Hear – blood
• Seven Deadly Sins: Envy
• Farmer vs. Rancher
• A Story Of Murder & Grace
• Jealous/Envy Is A Dangerous Sin
• The Genesis Of Death
• The Self-governed Life
• Sin Stalks
• The Seed Of The Serpent
• Dealing With Strongholds
• The Green-eyed Monster
• Green With Envy
• Worship In Spirit & In Truth
• The Saddest Words Of Ink Or Pen – “It Could Have Been”
• Choices People Make
• Two Sons, Same Family
• Conflict Resolution
• Two Ways To Live, Two Ways To Die
• Are Guns The Problem
• Deliver Us From Evil
• The Two Sons Were So Different
• A Tale Of Two Brothers
• Can’t We All Just Get Along
• Enmity (Gen 3)
• Died In The Prime Of Life
• The First Prodigal
• It’s A Boy!: Rejoicing To Regret
• What Have You Done?
• Where Is Your Hope?
• The Fall: Part 2
• A Child Of The Devil
• Depravity Fleshed Out
• Life Outside Of Eden
• Murder/Violence: The Beginning & End Of The World
• Lawlessness / Lost Self-control / Without Law
• Man’s Inhumanity To Man
• Family Feud
• Who Is My Brother
• It Is A Sad Story
• Heartache
• Man-made Religion
• Crouching Tiger
• The Enemy Within
• Getting A Handle On Your Emotions
• What Does It Matter?
• A Fatal Decision
• Sowing & Reaping
• First Blood
• Seth: El Shaddai
• Seth: The Way Of The Godly
• Seth: God’s Succession Plan
• Seth: Hope!
• Seth: But God
• A Second Kind Of Harvest
• The City of Man
• Living In A Fallen World
• A Lesson In Contrast
• Two Kingdoms
• Sinners, Before We Sinned
• Two Roads Diverged Into A Woods (Frost)
• Genealogy: The Family Tree
• The Relationship Between Worship & Behavior
• First Degree Murder
• All The King’s Horses, & All The King’s Men Could Put It Back Together Again
• Cain’s Trial
• A Witness: Talking Blood
• Abortion: Premeditated Murder Of The Innocent
• The Sin Of All Sins: No Means Of Restitution
• Cain: Unrepentance Pictured
• Why Do Men Hate?
• Jealousy & Worship
• Religion
• I Did It My Way (Frank Sinatra)
• When The Devil Raises Cain
• Uncontrolled Anger
• A Twin Murder
• Going From Bad To Worse
• Murder On Planet Earth
• Only Two Kinds Of Religion
• There Is No “Good, Better, Best”
• Envy, Malice, Wrath
• The Stain Of Blood
• Marks Of A Crime
• Banished
• The First & The Last City
• All The Kingdoms Of This World
• Being “All In”
• Living “All Out”
• And, He Died
• Time Will Tell
• Epitaph: He Walked With God
• God Walkers
• The Record States . . .
• Factor In Death To Your Life
• Living After The Curse
• Who’s Who
• We Are In A Line Of Real People
• Death Reigns While Grace Remains
• Walking Through A Graveyard
• A Long Walk Of Faithfulness
• In The Prime Of Life
• The Obituary Column
• Walking As It Gets Darker
• Act Your Age
• The Death Toll Was . . .
• The World That Then Was (I Peter)
• All Died, Not All Walked
• A Fate Worse Than Death
• Now That’s Old!
• Roots
• The Grave & The Grace