“The Puritans were a notable example . . . I have been told (although I cannot find this expression anywhere in their writings) that they used to speak of the need to ‘preach through to the heart'” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 247).
The Sermonic Holding Pattern
“Conclusions are more difficult than introductions. Some preachers seem to be constitutionally incapable of concluding anything, let alone their sermons” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 245).
Illustration in the Right Amount
“A building without windows would be ‘a prison rather than a house . . . we dare say they [children] often wish that the sermon were all illustration even as the boy desired to have a cake made all of plums.’ But, of course, a cake cannot be all plums, any more than a house …
The Power of Sermonic Illustration
“We human beings find it very difficult to handle abstract concepts; we need to convetrt them either into symbols (as in mathematics) or into pictures. For the power of imagination is one of God’s best and most distinctive gifts to mankind . . . Illustrations transform the abstract into the concrete, the ancient into the …
And In Color
“In addition to being simple, the preacher’s words should be vivid. That is, they should conjure up images in the mind” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 234).
The Sermonic KISS Principle
“A preacher’s words need to be as simple and clear as possible . . . preachers have to strive for simplicity and clarity. This will mean using not only straightforward words, but short sentences, with few if any subordinate clauses. One is obliged to do this when being translated into another language, which is good …
They Really Matter
“I turn now from structure to words. If we preach only once a week for forty years, we shall utter about nine million of them. Words matter” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 231).
Within Reason
“The golden rule for sermon outlines is that each text must be allowed to supply its own structure” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 229).
Screw the Word In
“Screw the word into the minds of your hearers. A screw is the strongest of all mechanical powers . . . when it has been turned a few times, scarcely any power can pull it out” (Charles Simeon, as quoted in Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 226).
Meaning and Message
“To search for [Scripture’s] contemporary message without first wrestling with its original meaning is to attempt a forbidden short cut. It dishonours God (disregarding his chosen way of revealing himself in particular historical and cultural contexts), it misuses his Word (treating it like an almanac or book of magic spells) and it misleads his people …