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.

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1 Corinthians 1

• Welcome To Corinth•
• Corinthian-ism•
• A Case Study In ……•
• Ecclesiology 101•
• The Corinthian Way Of Doing Things•
• Problems & Remedies•
• Messy Christianity•
• Fixing Fractured Fellowship•
• Cutting Jesus To Pieces•
• In Fighting•
• Parties In Sin City•
• It’s No Small Matter: A Party Spirit•
• No Groupies In Church•
• Christian Celebrity-ism•
• Let’s Not Party•
• The Church In Conflict•
• Factions That Fracture Churches•
• What God Has Joined Together•
• In Whom Were Ye Baptized?•
• Carnal Contentions•
• Can’t We All Just Get Along?•
• Respectable Sins•
• Transforming Thoughts•
• Divisions: Cause, Crime, Cure•
• The Power Of The Cross•
• A Modern Ancient City•
• The People God Uses•
• Diverse But Focussed•
• It Is Paradoxical•
• Building The Church•
• A Paradoxical Church•
• A Paradoxical Way To Build A Church•
• Words For A Worldly Church•
• How Satan Destroys A Church•
• Weak On The Knees•
• It’s Still the Cross•
• Divided By Pride•
• Marks Of A Carnal Church•
• A Reality Check•
• The Cross Changes Everything•
• You Got A Problem•
• Difficult People In The Church•
• It’s Hard To Rock The Boat If You’re • Rowing
• Facing Problems Head On•
• The Absurdity Of Divisions•
• Agree To Disagree•
• The Drama Of Divisions•
• Drama-Kings & Queens In The Church•
• Like-mindedness•
• How To Have A Good Fight•
• Defining Our Divisions•
• Dealing With Division•
• Destruction By Division•
• Divided Loyalties•
• Singing Harmony•
• Unity In Spite Of Diversity•
• In this Corner Stands . . .•
• Factions In The Church•
• How To Split A Church•
• Adullam’s Cave•
• Was Paul Crucified?•
• Saved: By Whom?•
• Contentious•
• Building Harmony•
• Killing Effectiveness•
• The Power Of Unity•
• Tear Or Mend•
• Divided We Fall, United We Stand•
• A Strange Way To Save The World•
• Using A Team Of Underdogs•
• Is There Hope For Broken Pots•
• A Split Down Party Lines•
• Gifted But Divided•
• God Hates Discord•
• Lost Vision By Division•
• Different, But The Same•
• The Power Of One•
• Lift Up The Cross, Not Yourself•
• The Cure For Cliques: Christ•
• Getting Your Eye Off The Ball•
• Quarrels In A Lively Local Church•
• The Church: God’s Amazing Mess•
• Dealing With Division•
• Little Is Much When God Is In It•
• How To Empty God’s Power•
• A Drain On God’s Generators•
• The Scandal Of The Cross•
• Cross Country•
• That’s Crazy!•
• Stick With The Stumbling Block•
• How To Neutralize The Cross•
• Jealousy: The Neutralizer Of The Gospel•
• Philosophy & The Gospel•
• Laying Aside Your Strong Suit•
• Weak Spots In The Church•
• Misfits•
• Don’t Be A Wise Guy•
• Walking In This World Without Wisdom•
• A Word To The Wise•
• Sense, Reason, & Faith•
• No Strong Arm Tactics•
• The Weak Silent Type•
• Understanding The Church•
• How The Gospel Triumphed•
• Counter-cultural•
• Stumbling Over Jesus•
• The Real Thing•
• Known As The Nazarene•
• Wisdom, Wisdom, Everywhere, But Not • A Drop . . .
• Of the Writing Of Books, There Is No • End
• You Offended Them•
• Mars Hill•
• The Local Church•
• An Approach To Necessary Rebuke•
• Eternal Blamelessness•
• Strong To The End•
• At The End: Unimpeached•
• Firm To The End•
• Just Wait!•
• The Compassion Of Confrontation 1:10•
• Wanted, Winners 1:11-12•
• Direction For The Discontent•
• God’s Team: The Weakest•
• The Only Boasting Permitted•
• It’s God’s Way Or The Highway•
• God’s Choices Confound•
• The Math Of The Cross•
• Is Christianity Reasonable•
• The Comfortable Cross•
• Nope, Not In Heaven•
• Who God Invests In•
• How To Kill Your Church•
• The Great Fascade•
• Preach The Cross•
• The Crisis Of Arrogance / Division / • Self-Confidence
• Not- Not Any, But Not Many•
• The Few And The Many•
• God’s Tool Chest•
• The Humbling Gospel•
• Where Are All the Rich & Famous?•
• God’s Weak Spot•
• Using Things Which Are Not•
• Using The Weak Links•
• Boasting Or Believing•
• How To Become A Better Boaster•
• Sounds Reasonable To Me•
• The Crux Of The Matter•
• It’s Always Been The Cross•
• Rickety Instruments In God’s Band•
• Broken, Worn Out, Old Clay Pots•
• Don’t Preach To Me•
• God’s Foolish Plan•
• Who Would Have Thought•
• It’s Not Your Gospel – Hands Off•
• Stand Still And See The Salvation Of • The Lord
• An Arrogant Pharaoh•
• Foolish Talk•
• Homiletics 101•
• The Cross: Trash Or Treasure•
• The Ordinary, Plain, Vanilla, Common, • Nothing Unusual
• Strange Choices•
• Pulpit Speech 101•
• Chosen Nobodies•
• 12 Ordinary Men•
• Back To Basics•
• Who Are You Going To Call•
• Perfect Non-sense•
• Only Two Kinds Of People•
• To The Foolish: Beautiful Savior•
• No Hot-Shots In Heaven•
• Where Is The Power?•
• Saved By Preaching•
• The Old Rugged Cross•
• Answer Number One: The Cross•
• The Simple Gospel•
• Let The Church Be The Church•
• Church 101•
• Warts And All•
• The Weakest Means•
• Calling All Fools•
• Truth,, Targets, Tools•
• A Great Power Struggle•
• It’s Him Or Nothing•
• When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong•
• The Primacy Of Preaching•
• Cross 101•
• The Priority Of The Gospel•
• Can You Outwit, Out Last, Out Play • God?
• The Glory Of The Cross•
• The Cross Is Our “Standard”•
• The Cross Is The Crux•
• The Greatest Story Ever Told•
• Nothing But The Blood•
• Whose Fool Are You?•
• God’s Master Plan / Blueprint•
• The God of All Wisdom•
• Not Many Wise, Not – Not Any (Stephen)
• On A Hill Far Away•
• Miss The Cross: Lost•
• There’s A Difference Between A Crowd •
• & A Church
• The Glorious Gospel•
• Let’s Get Back To Basics: The Cross•
• The Jew & The Greek: Miracles, Intellect