Sermon Topic: Love is letting go of fear

Text: 1 John 4:16b-18

Name my feelings and congregation's feelings about our past actions.

Tell a personal story and shift the focus back to the congregation. (Experience the law/judgment)

Introduce major concern of text or major concern of sermon. (Use transposition to help communicate the thrust. Stating the good news early helps them to listen).

Issue for today. Point of Contact (where does the text touch our personal concerns?)

Obstacles to communication (what makes the text difficult to understand?)

Entry of the biblical text. (Background of text).

Context of the Passage (historical, biblical)

Theological Subject

Mention difficult issues in passing to produce a subliminal effect. (Name further what might be our issues on the day).

Time to shift into Good News - link phrase at reversal point. (Major concern of text. - major concern of sermon. Raise difficult issues in an invitational, Good News way).

Develop major concern of the text.

Central Idea of the Passage

Develop major concern of the sermon (stories).

Purpose of the Sermon  (what do I want to accomplish?)

Theme of the Sermon (what will it be a story about? Content?)

Sermon (what is the opinion of the text?)

Mention the Christ-event.

Invite and encourage the congregation to further action. (Recognize past faithfulness)

Return to the opening remarks.

Return to major concern of the text and sermon.

Focus on their lives.

Contact (how does the text affect the hearer?)

Relevance (why do I - the hearer - need this?)

Responsibility (what is the hearer supposed to do?)