SERMONIC PROCESS

The strmonic process is a five-step procedure, which describes the development ofan expository sermon from initial preparation through final manuscript.

"Listening to the Text" (particular)

(then)

"Listening to the Text" (general)

(Personal)
(a) Pray for openness, discernment, and
receptivity to the Holy Spirit with a
Christocentric bias.

(a) Isolate passage-<iclimit the tmit to be

cxegeted. Use a Bible index to
compare other relevant Scripture.

(b) Read first for "transfonnation" and

then for information.

(b) Liten1ry exegesis-Perform necessary

literary studies, e.g. genre, grammar,
semantics (word study), syntax; use
dictionaries, lexicons, and gr.muuars.

(c) Read text broadly, using various

translations.
(d) Reflect, absorb, return. Consider

personal application of the text.

(e) Avoid fomtaltrcatmcnt.

I (c) Historical exegesis-authorship,

audience, date, occasion, and purpose;
use background dictionaries,
commentaries, writings of Ellen G.
V..'hite.
(d) Begin to isolate textual meaning:
principles and applications, using
subject-complement analysis.

(t) Produce notes on your initial

understanding of the passage. These
notes will be refined and corrected by
the exegetical process.

"Discerning the Christological Meaning"

(Then- Now)
(a) Identify God's meaning in Christ; i.e.
salvific meaning; the deeper meaning in
tenns of the author's theologicaV
Christological presuppositions; use
theological introductions and biblical
theology texts.

"Applying the Practical Meaning"

(Nou~

(a) Assess the significance of the issues

raised by the text for the modem
community:
(I) For the society.

(2) For the church.

(b) Identify possible apccalyptic, eschatological

and Great Controversy implicatiOJ(s) of the
text.

I (c)

Identify possible "bridges" to modem

situation informed by author's original
application.

I (d)

Produce a list of possible ''bridge"

principles identified from the text.

(3)

For the individual.

(b) Produce a list of possible obstacles (e.g.

philosophical, cultural, existential) to
receiving tlte biblical message from the
text that a modem audience might have.
(c) Produce textual response~ to possible
obstacles, using the dialogic preaching
method.

(c) Study \\Titings of Ellen G. White and Bible

!

(c) Produce a preliminary outline for the

sermon based on ideas from the text.

commentaries.

5. Homiletic Form
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Produce n final outline of sermon based on research.

Choose a sermonic fomt, e.g., narrative, topical, inductive, which best fits the content to he conununicated
Develop a thesis sentence.
Develop appropriate illustrations to illuminate key points.
Prepare introduction, conclusion, and appeal
(t) Produce a final sennon manuscript.

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OAKWOOD COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF REUGION & TIIEOLOGY