Friday, August 21, 2009

Craddock on Preaching III

Here's my summary of what Fred Craddock had to say about preaching after watching the four-video series:
1. Get into the text: study, reflect, consult commentaries, etc.--go into the strange world of the Bible
2. Get out of the text: interpret: what does it mean today?
3. Get a message that can be put into one declarative sentence; if you have more than one from a particular text, choose the one that fits you, the congregation, and the occasion, and save the others for another time.
4. Craft a sermon: start with the message (see #3) and use that as your conclusion; otherwise you'll use up all your good stuff in the beginning