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.the passage.

If you are the sole pastor in a local church setting, you may well not have that advantage of having other pastors help jog your thinking as you prepare a message or lesson. Therefore, you may find some of these topoi lists beneficial as they become mental joggers. 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•
• All designed to brainstorm, or to “generate”
• ideas for approaching a particular chapter
• or passage of Scripture.
• Here is a list of sermon “topoi,” gathered

. . . . from all different places. Its purpose is to help kick off, brainstorm, or “generate” ideas on I Corinthians, chapter 2.

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1 Corinthians 2

• Will Heaven Be Boring?•
• You Ain’t Seen Anything/Nothing Yet•
• It’s Only Just Begun•
• It Is Glorious•
• Unimaginable•
• Being Wow-ed•
• Wait Till You See This•
• What You See Is What You Get•
• We See Through A Glass Darkly, But • Then
• It’s A Matter Of Perception•
• Let The Church Be The Church•
• A Gift That Lasts Forever•
• This Is Second To None•
• You Should See This Place•
• I Didn’t Know They Had Such A Place•
• How’d You Find This Place•
• Who Would Have Thunk•
• The Power Of The Cross•
• It’s A Matter Of Perspective•
• Turn On The Power•
• It’s Still the Cross•
• The Best Is Yet To Come•
• You Need The Spirit•
• Get The BIG Picture•
• The Folly Of Preaching•
• Heaven Is A Wonderful Place•
• A Strange Way To Save The World•
• Possessing The Promise•
• These, Having Received Not The Promise
• Lift Up The Cross, Not Yourself•
• Little Is Much When God Is In It•
• How To Empty God’s Power•
• If They Only Knew•
• Okay, Wise Guy, You Do This•
• I Go To Prepare A Place For You•
• A Drain On God’s Generators•
• Cross Country•
• The Hidden Things Of God•
• This All Belongs To You Now•
• What Was I Thinking?•
• You Are Here . . .•
• Christian Certainties•
• Surprise•
• Double Dipping•
• This May Surprise You•
• Taken By Surprise•
• I’m Not Surprised•
• He Will Be Your Helper While You’re • Here
• Spiritually Minded vs. Earthly Minded•
• If I’m Dreaming, Let Me Dream On•
• Don’t Throw This Away•
• How Very Deep•
• Going Deep•
• Dig Deep•
• Glorification•
• Oh That Will Be Glory For Me•
• Out Of My Mind•
• Preach Jesus•
• Doubling Down•
• No Hype•
• If I’d Only Known•
• That’s Awesome•
• Told You So•
• Larger Than Life•
• Not With Persuasive Words•
• Take A Deep Breath•
• No Reason For Any Apologies•
• That’s Crazy!•
• How To Neutralize The Cross•
• Don’t Be A Wise Guy•
• Get Smart•
• Nothing But The Blood•
• Investing In Futures•
• I Need No Other Argument, I Need No • Other Plea
• Walking In This World Without Wisdom•
• A Word To The Wise•
• It’s Not What You Know, Its Who You • Know
• Sense, Reason, & Faith•
• Myth-Busters•
• The Prominence Of Preaching•
• The Gospel-Driven Life•
• I Know Nothing•
• It Takes A Nobody•
• The One Note Man•
• Don’t You Have Anything Else To Talk • About?
• Christ Alone•
• This One Thing I Know•
• My Faith Has Found A Resting Place•
• Where Do You Stand On This•
• One Theme•
• The Lord Of Glory•
• You Can’t Take This With You•
• This Age And The Age To Come•
• Bankruptcy & Its Privlidges•
• I’m Reading Your Mind•
• It’s The Same Old Story•
• But That’s Another Story•
• The Inside Story•
• It’s Out Of This World•
• Joy Unspeakable, Full Of Glory•
• Open My Eyes Lord, I Want To See •
• Jesus
• The Long & Short Of It Is•
• No One’s Every Thought Of This Before•
• That’s My Story, And I Sticking To It•
• God: A Deep Thinker•
• This Is More Than Skin Deep•
• No Strong Arm Tactics•
• The Weak Silent Type•
• Can You See What I See•
• Can You Hear What I Hear•
• He Has Deep Pockets•
• Understanding The Church•
• How The Gospel Triumphed•
• The Only Boasting Permitted•
• The Math Of The Cross•
• Is Christianity Reasonable•
• Nope, Not In Heaven•
• Preach The Cross•
• This Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep•
• The Crisis Of Arrogance / Division / • Self-Confidence
• It’s Always Been The Cross•
• God’s Foolish Plan•
• Can You Keep A Secret•
• It’s An Open Secret•
• Inner Sanctum•
• Unimagined & Unimaginable Things•
• Deep-Six•
• An Inside Secret•
• Back To Basics•
• Perfect Non-sense•
• Where Is The Power?•
• Saved By Preaching•
• Why Can’t People Understand?•
• The Old Rugged Cross•
• Answer Number One: The Cross•
• The Simple Gospel•
• Natural or Spiritual•
• We Have Not Passed This Way Before•
• Freely Given Us All Things•
• Higher Ground•
• This Is Hard To Fathom•
• To Highest Heaven•
• Jumping Off The Deep End•
• Full Disclosure•
• Let The Church Be The Church•
• Church 101•
• It’s Him Or Nothing•
• The Primacy Of Preaching•
• Cross 101•
• Grace, Grace, God’s Grace, Grace Is • That Greater
• The Priority Of The Gospel•
• The Greatest Story Ever Told•
• God’s Masterplan / Blueprint•
• The God of All Wisdom•
• On A Hill Far Away•
• God’s Teacher•
• Miss The Cross: Lost•
• There’s A Difference Between A Crowd • & A Church
• The Glorious Gospel•
• Staying On Message•
• Let’s Get Back To Basics: The Cross•