Planning is needed before writing an efficient sermon. The first step is to identify with the audience. This requires a lot of empathizing. Misunderstanding between people may be reduced if they step into the shoes of the other.
The second step is to conclude whether it would be a sermon is based on need or biblical principle based.If the audience is a collection of recently married couples, a topical sermon about how to promote a closer relationship with a spouse would be appropriate if the Assembly is of a general nature which have just listened to the word of God, an expository preaching is okay.
The third step is to identify the objective, namely, "to speak the word of God with full faith in him".Or might be "helping kids drug-addicted to return to normalcy". Objective recognition after the first two steps is better than keeping as a first step. This can save lot of time, energy and mistakes due to negligence.
The fourth step is to use this target and select relevant passages of the Bible; It requires an in-depth knowledge not only of the Bible, as well as the applicability to people's lives.Just as an effective teacher spends more time and effort in preparing by tradition a lesson, an effective preacher spends more time and effort in this selection procedure. Topical lectures require more time to prepare than expository, as the former need to document real life experiences, relevant case studies, etc. from different chapters and verses, to convince the public.
The sermon must be based on reliable, trusted sources (for explanations), be brief, if possible, and readily applicable to audience real life experiences; If the contents are oral or audiovisual, you must have an impact on the audience.
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