6.4 UA: THE FORMATION OF POINTS

Order Description
INTRODUCTION AND ALIGNMENT
This exercise is intended to advance the sermon making process along to the next phase, that of
mining out the actual points in the text itself. Drawing the points from the text is a must. The text will “speak” to you, if you study. Remember, to draw out from the text is exegesis. When we read into the text, this is isogesis, something we want to avoid at all costs.

Upon completion of this assignment you should be able to:
??Illustrate the formation of points.

RESOURCES
??Textbook: The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching
??Bible
??6.1a PowerPoint: Unit 6

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
It has been said earlier in this course – the text can never say what it never said. That said, there
have been many who have simply chosen some portion of scripture, given it a cursory study, and
then gotten up before the crowd and held forth, without the benefit of serious study,
contemplation, and prayer. John Stott said, “The pew will never rise higher than the pulpit.” If
our audience is ignorant, it may be because our preachers and teachers are shallow.
This exercise goes to the heart of biblical preaching. We do not have the right to simply make
the text say what we think it does, or want it to. We must study (Remember what Paul told
Timothy?) and then give the results, as best as we can determine them, to an audience, who will
expect that we have done our homework. Indeed, they have the right to expect this. You have
identified the selection of a text, now the work begins.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. As a refresher, you may want to consult Dr. Marvin McMickle’s 8 Es Process in the Unit
4 PowerPoint.
2. Apply these 8 steps to your passage.
3. You will also want to consult the Hebrew or Greek language of the text you have chosen.
Again, see the steps laid out below.
4. On the internet, go to www.biblestudytools.com
a. Type in your text in the box entitled Search the Bible, and then click enter
b. In the box just above the upper right of the text, select King James Version.
c. Now check the box entitled Strong’s Numbers.
d. If you will click on the blue bold words of the text, it will take you to the Hebrew or Greek and its meaning for that word
5. Based on your findings of your study, what are the main points you wish to draw from the text to give to your audience? Remember, there is no right or wrong number of points. The text will drive the number of points you will share. That said, for the purposes of this exercise, you might want to focus on 3-5 points that you wish to share with your audience.
6. In a 1-2 page document, share the points you found as a result of your study and why you
believe these are the main points.
7. Submit in Word document.