How To Write A Topical Sermon: A topical sermon is one way to teach the Bible to your congregation.

There are many subjects in the Bible which you can use to create topical sermons. For example, you may want to teach on the subject of sin, temptation, forgiveness, end times, creation, giving, heaven and hell. Here are four fundamental truths that I keep in mind when I write a topical sermon!

By the way, there are generally three classifications for sermons – topical sermons, texture sermons and expository sermons. If you want to know more about these sermon classifications, I would encourage you to purchase James Braga’s book, How To Prepare Bible Messages (Check It Out At Amazon Books). James gives an in depth description of each classification with examples of how they are structured and presented.

How To Write A Topical Sermon

When I write a topical sermon, I keep four fundamental truths in mind. Let me explain them in the following article.

1. Create An Angle To Your Topical Sermon

When it comes to a topical sermon, you need to create an angle to your message. For example, you may want to teach about heaven. You can teach heaven from several different angles – The Benefits of Heaven or The Eternal Wonders of Heaven. Each sermon needs an angle, a topic universal enough to concern most listeners and particular enough to spark curiosity.

The angle you create tells us what the topical sermon is about.

2. Create a Purpose To Your Topical Sermon

Every sermon needs a purpose. The angle tells us what the sermon is about. The purpose tells us what the sermon should do or what the listeners will do as a result of the topical sermon. If you are going to teach on the Eternal Wonders of Heaven, what do you want your listeners to do?

If you want to know more about how to create an angle or purpose to your topical sermon, I would encourage you to purchase Mark Galli and Craig Brian Larson’s book, Preaching That Connects (Check It Out At Amazon Books). They spend a chapter explaining the importance of angle and purpose.

3. Create a Topical Sermon Outline

I never write a sermon without first creating a sermon outline. The sermon outline is the road map for the message. When I write a sermon outline, I keep three structural features in mind.

A. The Main Preaching Point

The main preaching point defines your message – it expresses what you are going to preach about. If it doesn’t express what you are going to preach, then change it until it does.

B. The Key Word or Hinge Word

The key word or hinge word allows you to expand and explain your main preaching point. For example, you are preaching on the subject of The Eternal Wonders of Heaven. You can use Wonders as your key word in order to swing to the sub-points from your main preaching point.

For example, today I want to look at the four eternal wonders of heaven. The first eternal wonder of heaven is that heaven is a real place. The second wonder of heaven is that heaven is a beautiful place. The third wonder of heaven is that heaven is a populated place and the fourth wonder of heaven is that heaven is a personal place. The key word or hinge word must be a plural noun.

If you want to know more about how the key word or hinge word works, I would encourage you to purchase Charles Koller’s book, How To Preach Without Notes (Check It Out At Amazon Books). Charles Koller fully explains this homiletical device in the seventh chapter.

C. The Sub-points and Incidental Points

Once you have created your main preaching point and key word, you can add your sub-points and incidental points. It is important to remember that your sub-points and incidental points are simply expanding and explaining your main preaching point. Below is an example of how to write a topical sermon!

Here is an outline of my sermon on the Eternal Wonders of Heaven.

There are three eternal wonders of heaven. They are:

Heaven is a real place (Rev. 21:1-2)

It is a new place (Rev. 21:3-5)
It is a beautiful place (Rev. 21:9-21)

Heaven is a populated place (Rev. 21:3, 6)

God is there (Rev. 21:3)
Jesus is there (Rev. 21:6)
Believers are there (Rev. 21:7)

Heaven is a personal place (Rev. 22:4)

If you want to know more about how to create and organize sub-points and incidental points, I would encourage you to purchase Bryan Chappell’s book, Christ-Centered Preaching (Check It Out At Amazon Books) and Charles Koller’s book, How To Preach Without Notes (Check It Out At Amazon Books).

Here is another outline of my sermon on why we worship a gracious God?

There are three REASONS why we worship a gracious God. They are…

God has BLESSED us (1:3a)

God has blessed us in Christ Jesus (1:3c)
God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (1:3b)

God has CHOSEN us (1:4a)

God chose us before creation (1:4b)
God chose us for a purpose (1:5)

God has ACCEPTED us (1:6a)

We are accepted in Christ Jesus (1:6b)
We are forgiven in Christ Jesus (1:7)

4. Create and Write the Topical Sermon

Once I have completed the sermon outline, I add content with illustrations and application to the sermon outline – how to write a topical sermon.

Once I complete adding content with illustrations and application, I write the introduction and conclusion to the sermon. I always write the introduction and conclusion after I have completed the body of the sermon which is the sermon outline.

Concluding Comments:

I have been writing sermons for about twenty-five years (25) and I have found the following books invaluable to my education on writing sermons. How To Write A Topical Sermon with the following resources!

How To Write A Topical Sermon Resources

Braga James, 1981, How To Prepare Bible Messages, Multnomah Press, Portland, Oregon.

Chapell Bryan, 1994, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lowry Eugene L, 2001, The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form, Westiminster John Know Press, Louisville, Kentucky.

Robinson Haddon W, 2001, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages Baker Academic, Grand Rapids Michigan.

Koller Charles W, 1995, How To Preach Without Notes, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids Michigan.