Comments on: Preaching without notes (1)

By: Mark Loughridge

Mark Loughridge — Sat, 28 May 2011 14:58:06 +0000

Last year I struggled with eyesight problems and for most of the year was legally blind (slightly better off than being fully blind!). That meant I had to find a way to preach without reading or writing.For part of the year I was able to use a large marker to write out the outline.But the key I found to freedom was to write as little as possible, and to consturct the sermon in my head. Once I had an outline I would ‘preach’ it in the study. Usually on a Thursday. Then preach it again Friday. And then Saturday morning. By this stage I knew the outline inside out, and better still things were developing in each point – applications and insights.On Saturday evening I preached over it again, this time aiming to chop it down to 30-35 mins.Sabbath morning – another once over before preaching it live.For me I think the key was doing most of the working out in my head and using what would normally have been writing time (pen on paper) as preaching time.This preaching time wasnt just about ‘learning’ the sermon, but about axtually ‘writing’ it without pen and paper.

By: Jamie Gunn

Jamie Gunn — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:40:17 +0000

As one who has not had any formal training as a preacher but who is nevertheless required to preach as an elder in a small house church congregation, I find this topic to be very interesting.My own practice is to prepare fairly extensive notes but in outline form (including paragraphs of content) so it is easy to “zero-in” on the exact text. I indicate citations I want the congregation to read with me by using red bold text. (Optional citations are red but not bold.) I use italics to stress important words or ideas and indicate keywords by italics and boldface. In practice, I try to preach the material without heavy dependence on the paragraphs of content, focussing rather on the citations, important words or ideas along with the keywords.Notes are important as I send the files out to the congregation in print or as PDF files via email. I want the congregation to actually listen to the words I’m speaking as I believe that effective, convicting preaching is Spirit-dependant and I think the congregation must listen to what the Spirit says, not be distracted by note taking (It’s NOT a lecture, folks!).Anyway, just a few thoughts from the trenches.

By: George Lawton

George Lawton — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 04:46:38 +0000

I have preached essentially without notes for more than 11 years. On rare occasions when I feel I must exactly state whatever needs to be said, I do a manuscript. But since I rarely preach from a manuscript, I do it poorly, so those sermons miss the very mark I feel I must get to.

By: John Bohannon

John Bohannon — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:24:31 +0000

One of the marks of expositional preaching is to allow the substance and structure of the text to drive the substance and structure of the sermon. I have found that when this is fleshed out in sermon preparation that I am more prepared to preach without notes. How so? The reason for this is that the actual Scripture becomes my notes. Maybe, and I pray, it is in like manner to what has been said of the Puritans, “For the Puritans, the sermon is not just hinged to Scripture; it is quite literally exists inside the Word of God; the text is not in the sermon, but the sermon is in the text . . . put summarily, listening to a sermon is being in the Bible.”A final thought, I concur with Dean that Lybrand’s “Preaching On Your Feet” is a useful read in helping to encourage and instruct pastors in this direction.

By: Dean

Dean — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:20:06 +0000

For quite some time I thought about going note free. Honestly, the only thing holding me back was fear. (Though my fear went by many different names!) A couple of weeks ago I read “Preaching On Your Feet” by Lybrand. I decided to make the transition from full manuscript to no notes at all in one leap, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve preached three weeks without notes and I know I am preaching with greater passion and am experiencing a wonderful connection with the listeners.

By: C. M. Sheffield

C. M. Sheffield — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:59:40 +0000

I’ve preached since I was sixteen. I’ve never taken anything more than a rough outline into the pulpit. And while I spend a great deal of time in preparation each week, I don’t write out a manuscript (though I certainly see the value in it). In the times that I have, it left me fumbling over myself in an effort to remain “on text.” “Power of amplification” is certainly a blessing. And it stems from being intimately acquainted with one’s subject. That is why it is essential for the preacher to be fed by that text which he intends to feed others with. He must know the power of it, so that he may freely expound upon it with a passion that leaves his hearers convinced that their very lives depend upon the truth preached.

By: David Murray

David Murray — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:26:48 +0000

Werner: It’s true that Edwards did initially read his sermons. However, under the influence of George Whitefield, Edwards was convicted of the power of extemporaneous preaching and shifted his sermon delivery accordingly. No longer did he use the manuscript, but rather he made the conscious decision to shift away from notes. See “Dying to Preach” by Steven Smith (p156) for supporting research.Jerrold: I don’t use mind-mapping for sermon prep. I suppose I’m in the groove with what I do and am a bit reluctant to change it. However, I think a mind-map might help many of our hearers “see” what we are saying better than a traditional outline.Kurt: Glad your reading “Lectures to my students.” It was the first book I read on preaching and I keep going back to it.

By: Werner

Werner — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:13:29 +0000

Although I agree generally with the above, I have read that Jonathan Edwards read his sermons word for word. Of course, the Puritan era was much different.

By: kurtmichaelson

kurtmichaelson — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:47:37 +0000

Thanks for this post! I’ve preached with notes and would like to eventually rely less on them, but not to be without them while preaching.I’m currently reading Lectures to My Students by Spurgeon and it is a great book, for a newbie to the pulpit like myself.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:46:16 +0000

Looking forward to part 2 brother. I would be interested to know if you use “mind mapping” when composing a sermon. Recently, I have used my iPad in the pulpit in such a way in preaching. What do you think.