10 Quick Things to Remember as You Prepare to Preach
1. Your job is to "set forth the truth plainly" not to razzel or dazzle the audience. 2 Corinthians 4:2
2. Preaching is the easy part. Living our your own sermon is the ultimate goal. James 1:22
3. Show your audience how to apply the Bible passage you are preaching. Philippians 4:9
4. Exegete the text accurately. 2 Timothy 2:15
5. Use hypothetical stories (aka "Parables.") Mark 4:1-20
6. Use real life news events. Luke 13:1,2
7. Be bold and loving. Ephesians 4:15
8. Be sober about the higher standard God holds for those who preach and teach. James 3:1
9. Yield yourself to God through prayer so that you can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach with divine unction. Acts 6:8-10
10. In the words of Spurgeon take your text "and make a beeline for the cross." 1 Corinthians 2:2