Homiletical Tips: #3 – Include Its Outcome

There are many simple ways a speaker can clarify, capture a thought, assist recall, and/or drive a point.  This example is one of many possible  “Homiletical Tips” that can help make your points stickier.

You might even want to compose a list of homiletical “tips” that you can use in your sermon preparation!

Here is another example to add to that list. . . . .

Sermonic List
Tip #1 – Changing A Day To A Experience:
Tip #2 – Say It In A Way That Highlights An Event:

Tip #3 – Include / Connect The Outcome:  

Here is the typical way of saying it . . .

“We are prone to making some unwise decisions.”
or
“In all thy ways, acknowledge Him!  He will direct our paths!”

^

How about . . . .

“We are prone to making some unwise decisions, and those unwise decisions always lead to regret!”

“In all thy ways, acknowledge Him!  He will direct our paths!  And if you don’t, you are likely headed for heartbreak somewhere down the road!”

^

Here is the analytical pattern . . . .

The particular admonition AND the typical or likely outcome / or the reverse / and using both the positive and negative admonitions & outcomes.

  • “Unwise decision will lead to regret!”
  • “Ask God what you should do, and when you do, He will lead you to an answer which avoids the pitfalls of self-reliance.”
  • “You need to be reading your Bible because it results in spiritual mindedness throughout the day.”
  • “Do you know where regret comes from, from not waiting on the Lord.
    (putting the outcome first).”
  • Satisfaction is not a random event; it comes from understanding what the Lord says about life and living.”

Interestingly, the “outcome” is almost, by definition, “the results.”  “By definition,” in that, it is just another way of defining or stating the original admonition by its obvious outcome.

  • reading your Bible, and spiritual mindedness
  • asking God, and self-reliance
  • regret and not waiting on the Lord
  • lacking satisfaction, and not understanding life and living

Of course, unwise decisions lead to regret — almost by definition.  You know what the definition of unwise decisions is — regret”
However, it is common to leave out the “outcome” way of saying something.

If there isn’t an outcome (beneficial or detrimental), then it doesn’t matter!

To some, these tips are commonplace in their preaching.  Some are not only focused on only the admonition, but they want to strengthen the point by including the outcome.

But for others, it is beneficial to create a list of tips that can sharpen our sermons.



  1. We can not only think; we can think about our thoughts! — See Generating Ideas 

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