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 5.

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1 Corinthians 5

• The Wrong Way To Right Wrongs•
• The Wrong Way To Do Right Things•
• The Right Way To Deal With Wrong • Things
• This Is My Body, Broken For You•
• A Father In Action•
• Father Knows Best•
• Dealing With Sin•
• Absent In Body, But Present In Spirit•
• To Judge Or Not To Judge•
• The Forgotten Practice Of hurt Discipline
• Proposing Church Discipline•
• Dealing With Open Sin•
• The Scandal Sheet•
• The Police Blotter•
• Biblical Discipline•
• Ecclesiastical Excommunication•
• Corinth: The Church Gone Wrong•
• Keeping Company With Who?•
• Discipline Anyone?•
• Flagrant Offenders•
• Associations•
• Getting On The Right Track•
• Going In The Right Direction•
• A Case For Closed Communion•
• Purging The Poison•
• Gross Scandals•
• Right Feelings Towards Wrong Brothers•
• Deplorable and Commendable Churches•
• The Social Immoral In Church•
• Fornication In The Church•
• Church Censure•
• Caught Dead To Rights•
• Celebrating The Feast Today•
• When The Water Gets In The Ship•
• Open Sin•
• Discipline And Disfellowship•
• If It Feels Good, Do It•
• Dare To Discipline•
• Flee Fornication•
• Run!•
• Your Body Is to Your Own•
• Boundaries & Guardrails•
• Choice: Church Growth Or Church • Health
• When Is It Right To Be Removed•
• Removal & Restoration•
• Don’t Put Up With That•
• The Is A Time To Judge•
• Purity: A Big Deal•
• Guarding Purity•
• Taking Sin Seriously•
• Standards•
• Being Tolerant•
• Nip It In The Bud•
• Immoral Church Members•
• Discipline And Discipleship•
• Stay On Track•
• Separation•
• Christ, Our Passover•
• Little Sins•
• Anyone In Their Right Mind•
• Get Right On It•
• Purge Out The Old Leaven•
• With Sincerity And Truth•
• On The Teter-Totter•
• Don’t Go Out To Dinner With Them•
• Shacking Up In Corinth•
• In Defense Of Discipline•
• When Churches Won’t Judge•
• Discipline For Good & Glory•
• Spiritual Confrontation•
• A Consistent Faith•
• Excommunicated•
• The Cross & Sanctification•
• A Resolute Response•
• Loving And Protecting•
• The Limits Of Tolerance•
• Humble Excommunication•
• The Deceitfulness O Sin•
• Forgotten Values•
• When Saints Sin•
• Dealing With Wayward Sheep•
• A Healthy Church•
• Let Us Keep The Feast•
• Traffic Jams•
• Preaching Purity•
• What Is Stoping You•
• Canceling The Feast•
• Achan•
• Running A Red Light•
• Kick Him Out•
• Shedding Light On Discipline•
• Don’t Let Satan Blow It Out•
• Hide It Under A Bushel, No•
• Understanding Communion•
• Loving The Light•
• In Him Is Light, If You Walk In Dark•
• ness
• Who’s Coming To The Feast•
• A Teachable Moment•
• Sheep Gone Astray•
• Making Light Of It•
• Tolerance And Transgressors•
• The Immorality Imperative•
• Sin Permeates / Infects•
• Blatant Sin•
• Misguided Discipline•
• A Time To Shun•
• A Little Does Hurt•
• Any Man Called A Brother•
• Carnal Christians•
• Tough Love•
• Passover•
• Hand Him Over•
• The Lord’s Supper•
• Hand Him Over To Who•
• Zero Tolerance?•
• Discernment•
• Evil Associations•
• The Limits Of Fellowship•
• Careful About Hate The Sin, Love The • Sinner
• Companions•
• For The Love Of Pete•
• Dealing With Disappointing Believers•
• The Snare Of Conformity•
• Separation, Not Isolation•
• Removing A So-called Brother•
• Competent To Judge•
• It’s About Time•
• Love Is Blind•
• A Wise Man Will Listen•
• Doorkeeping•
• A Labor Of Love•
• Avoiding The Extremes•
• Restoration Built On Rightness•
• Excuses, Excuses•
• Sexual Sins Are Serious•
• The Love Of Christ Constrains Us•
• An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A • Pound Of Cure
• A Little Leaven•
• Inside Out•
• When A Christian Refuses To Repent•
• The Bottom Line•
• Why Is There Not Remorse•
• We’re The Body Of Christ•
• A Different Life: Why Christ Died•
• Indifferent To Immorality•
• All Things New•
• It Takes Backbone•
• A Clear And Present Danger•
• A Case Of Scandalous Sin•
• There’s No Love Lost•
• A Scandal In The Church•
• The Wrong Response•
• Indifference And Immorality•
• Let’s Settle Our Differences•
• Sincerity & Truth•
• Love Him To Death•
• Speaking The Truth In Love•
• Conduct Unbecoming A . . .•
• Membership•
• Blessed Are Those Who Mourn•
• The Church In Sin City•
• Cleaning House•
• Sin Defiles•
• Be Not Conformed•
• Christ Our Passover•
• Judge Not•
• Persistent Sin•
• Passion For Purity•
• Unleavened Bread•
• The Passover Picture•
• Of Pearls And Swine•
• How To Handle A Scandal•
• Crisis In Corinth•
• Handle A Scandal•
• Problems With Purity•
• Gospel-Driven Purity•
• Repentance & Forgiveness•
• America’s Favorite Verse•
• Ugly As Sin•
• Living In Sin•
• Cleaning House•
• Satan’s Strategy•
• Holier Than Thou•
• Dealing With Discipline•
• Perilous Pragmatism•
• Called To Holiness•
• You Should Be Ashamed•
• Covering A Multitude Of Sin•
• The Wages Of Sin•
• Judgement Begins In God’s House•
• Biblical Separation•
• Health Check-up•
• Uncovering Immorality•
• Sin In The Camp•