Here’s the question: Out of all the messages, speeches, and sermons you’ve heard in your lifetime, how many do you still remember many years later?
Perhaps you remember a phrase or a visual, but for the most part, we forget the content of these messages. Andy Stanley, in his book Communicating for a Change, let’s us know why.
If you’ve ever taken a speech class, you know the drill. There are three parts to a message. The intro, body, and conclusion. Often in the body of the message there are about three points. In the preaching world, we refer to this classical model as “three points and a poem.” This is a style that’s best exemplified by preachers such as Rick Warren. But is this really the best way to effectively communicate a message? Andy Stanley says no.
Andy Stanley presents what has been called the “one point message.” So the entire message is built around that one point. He says, “With this approach, every message should have one central idea, application, insight, or principle that serves as the glue to hold the other parts together” (p. 103). If this sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because Haddon Robinson, in his classic preaching book,
Biblical Preaching, first introduced this basic method.
What’s an example of one of those main points? Here are a few from the book:
- Your friends determine the direction and quality of your life
- Purity paves the way to intimacy
- When you see as God sees, you will do as God says
- Maximum freedom is found under God’s authority
- God takes full responsibility for the life fully devoted to him
When I first started reading about this method, I was worried that my messages would end up being much too short. If you’ve ever heard one of Andy’s messages, though, you know that this is not an issue. What is unique about his approach, though, is how he structured each of his messages.
Here’s a breakdown of the five sections (p. 121) with an example from the book:
ME: “
Sometimes I find myself wondering how to respond to situations in my marriage.” In this section, you begin with a question or problem about yourself through which tension is created that begs for resolution.
WE: “I imagine you have found yourself in situations where you weren’t sure what to do either.”
“Having made it clear to our audience that we are wrestling with a particular tension, the next step is to broaden our tension so as to include every body listening” (p. 124).
For example, “Sometimes I wonder why I even bother praying (ME). I bet you’ve wondered about that as well” (p. 124).
GOD: “The Bible teaches that we are to submit to one another; put the desires and needs of our spouse ahead of our own needs and desires.”
“The goal here is to resolve the tension, or at least some of it, by pointing people to God’s thoughts on the subject at hand” (p. 126).
YOU: Next time you aren’t sure what to say or do, ask yourself this question-”How can I put the needs and desires of my spouse ahead of my own in this moment?”
Conclusion: In a marriage, submission is generally the best decision.
“…this section is typically referred to as the application of the message. This is where we tell people what to do with what they have heard. This is where we answer the questions ‘So what?’ and ‘Now what?’” (p. 127).
WE:
Imagine what would happen in our community if all of us began to model that kind of mutual submission before our friends and neighbors.
“WE is really about vision casting. It is a moment you call upon your audience to imagine
what the church, the community, families, maybe even the world would be like if
Christians everywhere embraced your one idea.”
I’ve really resonated with this book. I’ve thought back on a lot of the sermons that I’ve done, and I have to admit that many of them are this “three points and a poem” type message that I, myself, have forgotten after I’ve preached them. I’m looking forward to re-routing and re-tooling to a method that is easier to preach without notes and is much more memorable in the outcome.
What about you? How have you tailored your messages for maximum impact? Are you using this method? If so, what effect has it had on your preaching?
I know. The world has moved on already.
Do you have a blog? Do you enjoy reading? Would you like to get some free books? If your answer to those is yes, you may qualify to become part of a new program by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
