HOM-101
Homiletics I: Principles of Preaching
Building a sermon or lesson that is biblically sound and clearly communicated.
Topics: Expository, Outlining, Illustration
Suggested resource: Reverse-outline three sermons you admire to see how they're built.
Week 1: Expository vs. Topical Preaching
Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1–4; Nehemiah 8:8
Expository preaching works systematically through a passage, letting its own structure and emphasis determine the sermon's shape; topical preaching starts with a subject and gathers relevant passages to address it. Both have a place, but expository preaching carries a built-in safeguard against a preacher's favorite themes overtaking what Scripture itself emphasizes, since the text sets the agenda rather than the preacher — a real danger Paul names directly: “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears… And they shall turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Whichever approach you use, Paul's charge just before that warning sets the standard: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (4:2) — faithful transmission of what the text actually says, not merely what's popular or comfortable for “itching ears” to hear.
Key terms: 2 Timothy 4:2 ('preach the word'), 2 Timothy 4:3–4's 'itching ears' warning, Expository vs. topical preaching, Faithful transmission
Discussion Questions
- Which style of preaching or teaching have you found most helpful to sit under, and why?
- What does Paul's 'itching ears' warning in 4:3–4 look like in practice when a preacher caters to what's popular rather than what's true?
Challenge: Pick one short passage (10–15 verses) and outline what an expository lesson on it would cover, following the text's own order.
Week 2: Building the Outline
Reading: Practical exercise — revisit COM-101, Week 2
A strong outline usually has one main point, three or fewer sub-points supporting it, and a clear thread connecting introduction to conclusion. Start by writing the single sentence that captures what you want the listener to understand or do by the end — everything else in the outline exists only to serve that sentence. Introductions should earn the listener's attention and state, directly or indirectly, why the topic matters to them; conclusions should return to the main point clearly enough that someone who only heard the opening and closing could still state what the lesson was about.
Key terms: Single main point, Supporting sub-points, Introduction and conclusion, Thread of thought
Discussion Questions
- Think of a lesson or sermon that lost you somewhere in the middle. Where did the thread break?
Challenge: Take the outline you built in COM-101's Week 2 challenge and add a specific introduction and conclusion that both point clearly back to the same main sentence.
Week 3: Illustration and Application
Reading: Matthew 13:34; James 1:22–25
Jesus taught in parables because a well-chosen story makes an abstract truth concrete and memorable — “without a parable spake he not unto them.” A good illustration should clarify the point, not distract from it or become more memorable than the truth it's meant to serve; the safest illustrations usually come from ordinary daily life, since they're the easiest for a listener to relate to and recall later. James 1:22–25 warns against being “a hearer of the word, and not a doer,” which is why every lesson needs a specific, doable application — not a vague call to try harder, but one concrete action a listener could actually take before the next time you teach.
Key terms: Parable, Illustration serving the point, Hearer vs. doer, Specific application
Discussion Questions
- Think of an illustration or story that made a biblical truth click for you. What made it work?
- What's the difference between a vague application and a specific one?
Challenge: Take the outline from Week 2 and add one concrete, everyday illustration and one specific, doable application.
Course Exam
Five questions for review or self-testing.
Q: What is the difference between expository and topical preaching?
Reveal Answer
Expository preaching works systematically through a passage; topical preaching starts with a subject and gathers relevant passages.
Q: What should a strong outline have?
Reveal Answer
One main point, three or fewer supporting sub-points, and a clear thread from introduction to conclusion.
Q: Why did Jesus teach in parables?
Reveal Answer
A well-chosen story makes an abstract truth concrete and memorable.
Q: What does James 1:22–25 warn against?
Reveal Answer
Being 'a hearer of the word, and not a doer.'
Q: What makes an application 'specific' rather than vague?
Reveal Answer
It names one concrete, doable action rather than a general call like 'be more faithful.'