Preaching the Bible like a textbook? Here's a better way.

McKay Caston

3d (edited) • Sermon Prep

Here's a tough question. Be honest.

Are your sermons like a biology class?

Point one, point two, point three... where you cut up the text until it lies dead on the table.

The Bible isn’t a textbook, so we don’t need to preach it like a textbook.

It is a drama—a drama of redemption.

Dramas don’t have main points; dramas have movements. They have acts or scenes, and usually four of them:

The stage is set.
The conflict is introduced.
The hero shows up.
New life is now possible.

**Organic Movement vs. Artificial Points**

Points tend to be artificial and mimic a lecture. Movement is organic and mimics a story.

So, what if your sermon could mimic the story of the gospel?

Here’s how I approach it.

Instead of static headings, I use a single keyword to create a natural progression through the message.

This flows organically through four questions that mirror the scenes in a story:

Scene 1: What is the truth about that keyword? (The stage is set)
Scene 2: Why do we struggle to live out the keyword? (The conflict is introduced)
Scene 3: How does Jesus fulfill the keyword for us? (The hero shows up)
Scene 4: How do we now get to walk the keyword in new life? (New life looks like this)

We answer that final question by grace, in the power of the Spirit, as we live in union with Jesus.

**Leading Listeners on a Journey**

Do you see the difference here?

Points tend to stop the flow with mental whiplash after every different point.

Movements carry the listener along a path. It’s a journey.

We start with the truth of the text. We move through the resistance of the human heart and flesh. We land safely in the finished work of Jesus, with an opportunity for change rooted in our union with Christ.

Your people don’t need a list.

They need a Savior who meets them in their mess and gives them not just the promise of new life, but the power to experience it.

**A Redemptive Narrative**

God didn’t just relate to us in bullet points.

We know this.

He related to us in a redemptive narrative that focuses on a person—the person of Jesus.

If this resonates with you, maybe it’s time to consider trading in your preaching manual for a gospel movement.

Let's do this together!

What are your thoughts? What would you add? Do you struggle here, too? What "best practices" have you discovered using the PPGR framework?

👉 Watch this on YouTube and share: https://youtu.be/dh6sseQlTLU

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