How To Create A Sermon Outline

Generally, a sermon has three parts - the sermon

introduction, the sermon body or content and the
sermon conclusion. It is important to note that
the sermon outline is the sermon body - the
message you are going to preach.

I usually create the sermon outline first and then

add content to the sermon outline. Once I finish
creating the sermon outline and writing content
to sermon outline, I usually write the sermon
introduction and conclusion.

There are several ways to create a sermon outline. You can create a deductive sermon outline, an
inductive sermon outline or a bit of both. However, I will be showing you how to write a deductive
sermon outline.

I usually create sermon outlines by developing a topic or main preaching point for the sermon
outline. For example, I developed the topic Devoting Our Lives To God from Romans 12:1-2.

Once I have a topic or main preaching point, I usually look for an angle or perspective to the topic
or main preaching point. I do this by asking the how, when, where, what or why questions.

With this topic from Romans 12:1-2, I asked the how question. How to devote our lives to God. In
other words, we devote our lives to God by giving ourselves totally to God (12:1), by putting aside
the things of this world (12:2a) and by allowing God to change our thinking (12:2b).

Sermon Outline Structure

When I structure a sermon outline, I always keep
three structural features in mind.

These three important features help me maintain

cohesion and sequence in the presentation of the
sermon.

In other words, the sermon outline allows the

message to flow in a natural progression.

1. The Topic or Main Preaching Point

The topic or main preaching point is the subject or the big idea of your sermon. I take my time to
get this absolutely right.

The topic or main preaching point should be the source of everything you talk about in your
sermon.

With the topic above, the sermon outline is going to explain and expand how to devote our lives to
God.
2. The Hinge Word or Key Word

To expand and explain the topic or main preaching point, I usually look for a hinge word or key
word to swing all the subpoints from the topic or main preaching point. The hinge word or key
word must be a plural noun.

With the topic above, I used the hinge word ways. There are three ways to devote our lives to
God. The first way involves... the second way involves... and the third way involves....

When I get up to preach, the congregation know what I am going to preach on and they know what
I am going to say about what I am preaching on. There is no confusion here.

3. The Subpoints and Incidental Points

The subpoints expand and explain the main preaching point. This structure allows your sermon
outline to have cohesion and sequence. The subpoints flow from and interact with your main
preaching point.

If you have incidental points, they should expand and explain your subpoints. In other words, they
should flow from and interact with your subpoints.

Here is a sermon outline of Romans 12:1-2. As I said before, there are several ways to create
sermon outlines. However, this is one way that I find easy and enjoyable for me.

There are three ways to devote our lives to God. They are:

1. Give Yourself Totally To God (12:1)

A. This is the right and reasonable response

B. This is the basis for spiritual worship

2. Put Aside The Things of The World (12:2a)

3. Allow God To Change Your Thinking (12:2b)

A. God wants us to see life as He sees life

B. God wants us to know His will for our lives

Once I have created the sermon outline, I spend time writing content to the sermon outline and
adding appropriate illustrations where necessary. When this is finished, I write an introduction and
a conclusion to the sermon outline.
To preach this sermon outline with introduction and conclusion would take about forty (40)
minutes.