PART TWO- Mastering the Five Questions That Transform Your Sermon Preparation

Mastering the five questions Of Sermon Prep:

What I heard next terrified me. It sounded like a plane was flying over the house. You could hear it coming and the house would creak and moan like something pushing against it. It was a chaos I had never experienced before. I was at the mercy of nature, and in that moment I realized what matters most to me. Not my job, not my house, not my car, not my golf clubs. None of that stuff matters. My why became very clear. What matters most in that moment and the rest of my life was my family. That’s what I live for. It was very clear.

I know what you’re thinking, what was all that drama at the front of the podcast? The sound effects and the music. I would call that being emotional. Now I’m not advocating you use sound effects in your sermon and learn to cry on cue. But my point is that emotion can be our biggest motivator. This second question is by far the most powerful question in our series and when you answer it correctly it can instill an emotion that moves people to action.  

This is a question very few communicators take time to answer for their audience. And that’s too bad. Because when you answer this question you give your listeners a reason to keep listening. If you fail to answer this one, you are assuming a level of interest that may not be there. You know what happens when you assume something. I’ll just stop right there.

I honestly believe the future of preaching and sermon preparation could be so much more effective if we would take the time to answer certain questions.  But many of us seem to approach our sermon prep the wrong way but with the right intentions. 

The Question:   Why do they need to know it? 

Like in our first episode who are they? Who is in the room? Who is listening online? Defining the they is crucial if we’re going to answer this next question correctly.

Side note: if you haven’t already be sure to go back and listen to part one of this series, where we answer our first question.

“What do they need to Know”? 

----------------(Also, be sure to download the worksheet, you can find that in the podcast notes or click the link in this blog.)

Let me break it down like this:

Our first question: What do they need to know?

--------------We call this information- Or the destination- Where are we going?

Which leads to our second question: Why do they need to know it?

--------------We call this motivation. Why are we going there?

Where and why are we going to this destination.

But before we can answer “Why do they need to know it?” there are a few things you and I need to consider that will help you and I answer this correctly.

“The Mindset Principle of Motivation”

Think about it this way. You nor I can read minds, but for the most part people can be predicable. One thing I know to be true “is that people!” there always thinking about themselves. I’m not trying to be negative or judgmental I’m just stating the truth. That truth plays a big part in why people do anything. Whether they listen to you or tune you out. You could say we are all victims of a mindset. A mindset that has been formed over time. In other words, the way we think gets formed into what we believe, and that belief determines how each of us are motivated to do anything. This is why I came up with this simple concept to help you and I understand how people think and feel.

This is something I call the “The Mindset Principle of Motivation”

Mindset + Emotion = Action- In other words what you’re thinking - turns into an emotion - that promotes an action.

There are two kinds of mindsets that motivate us to action.

There’s the Positive Mindset. - There's the Negative Mindset. 

Negative Mindset Motivation:

In other words a problem that motivates us to move or change our direction. 

For example: Some people are afraid of flying. So when they get on a plane they think the worst-(How we think - triggers an emotion “Fear” which causes us to “act”. So We don’t fly and maybe take the bus, or if we make it on to the plane and put on some music and close our eyes, either way it moves us to an action. This would be the negative mindset that promotes an action.

Here are a few more examples:

• Stepping on a scale and realizing I need to exercise 
• A bad grade in school that motivates me to study
• A traumatic event that can alter the way you think 

Positive Mindset Motivation:

• I trust in God - Spiritual motivation
• Earn $25 for every A on your report card
• Encouragement from a friend - You can do this!

When you begin to answer this question “Why do they need to know it” You must consider these two mindsets. This is where we can find common ground with the listener and when we do that we can help motivate them to action.

Quote: 

If people have a why that’s bigger than their fear , then they'll do it.

If we can help people have a WHY that is bigger than their preconceived Mindset.  People will be moved to action.

A great way to get to the heart of this why is to ask it in a different way. So I’ve come up with a creative way to answer this question. I’m gonna use an old preacher trick I learned many, many years ago. Call The Acrostic: You Take a word and use each letter to help you remember something. 

ACROSTIC:

I use the word (WHY) as an acrostic. It’s a simple way to help you think through this question.

The (WHY) word breaks down like this.

W- What truth are you revealing  

What treasure of truth will you be revealing for your audience. 

Example from podcast: "When we meditate on the word of God then and only then will you be successful."

H- High stake questions

Ask High stake questions.  This starts the process of defining our burden and creating some common ground with our listener.

So answer these questions with many people in mind. Young, old, ethnic, etc. All walks of life. Again, consider who is in the room. And, start with asking this question for yourself. Invest yourself in the truth. How does it apply to you. So I start with this question.

1. What’s at stake for me if I don’t apply this truth? You must own this truth for yourself.
2. What's at stake for my community? 
3. What's at stake for the world?

Y- Your Burden

What if someone listening to you will hear this for the last time. What would you say?

1. What burdens you about this truth.
2. Define it in a word or sentence. 

So now that we have our burden and we understand what is at stake we can definitely feel this message coming together. This is more than just a simple sermon, this is a life changing moment that will impact the listener.

So let me give you a short recap:

Point One: We've been answering our second question in this series "Why do they need to know it" I hope by now you can as a communicator and understand the value of this question. The why is a very powerful question. Don't skip this. It is the reason people will listen to you. Remember If people have a why that’s bigger than their fear, then they'll do it.

Point two: was the Mindset Principle of Motivation. The way we think creates emotion and leads to action. This principle helped us understand how people think and gives us a little insight into how to answer the why question with a bit more clarity.

Point three: We applied the "Why" acrostic -

1. 1. W-hat's your truth? - What truth are you revealing from the scripture?
   2. H-igh stake questions - Asking question for yourself and your audience.
   3. Y-our burden- What is your burden from this truth. Narrow down what brings you emotion and concern.

Before we go today please take the time to download the workbook, the link should be in the episode notes. I think it will help you so much when learning and applying this to your sermon prep. And please send me your feedback on this podcast I would love to hear how this is helping you.

Also, i'm so looking forward to our next question in this series. You ready for it? Here it is.

What do they need to do? We'll look at some practical ways to help them apply the truth and begin to get moving. I'll teach you how to make it simple and attainable for everyone listening. Thank you so much for listening, and remember to always speak life with your words.