In Part 1 of this article, I differentiated between "content dumping" and skillful content delivery for preachers, drawing on the art of documentary filmmaking to better understand what makes for effective delivery. Now, let's dig into the screenwriting process, which shares many similarities with preaching, to glean some wisdom.

Of the vast number of screenplays submitted to production companies, only a tiny fraction of them ever make it to the big screen. Most are irredeemably flawed and destined for the recycling bin. As it turns out, the same flaws tend to turn up again and again. And guess what? I've found many of these same flaws in my preaching.

Here are ten of the most common flaws that cause screenplays to get rejected … and the homiletical problems that they point out:

1. Style over substance
   
   Some screenplays are all spectacle, with no depth, character development, or plot of any kind. Likewise, sermons can be full of great jokes, moving stories, poetic descriptions and creative mnemonics … and not much else.
   
   There is no substitute for solid exegesis. We must remember that the power of any sermon comes from the ability of God's Word to do God's work. Good preaching isn't just about being able to draw a crowd; it is about effectively engaging our people with the whole counsel of God. We are called to preach, not win popularity contests. Resist the temptation to favor style over substance.
2. Slow start
   
   Many screenplays spend too much time setting up the context and characters. If the story only begins to take shape in the second act, it's weak. Sermons can likewise suffer (and thus cause suffering).
   
   I remember one sermon I preached where the passage "required" (or so I thought) a lot of contextual explanation up front. I took about twelve minutes to lay it out, then I said, "Ok, now that we understand this, my three points are … " I can still hear an audible gasp from the congregation. An honest friend later told me, "I thought you were wrapping things up, and then I was shocked to realize you hadn't even started yet!"
   
   If you are tempted to make the same mistake, chances are your outline needs reworking. A good introduction captures your hearers' attention, orients them to the passage, and convinces them that it matters. And it does this in as few sentences as possible. The more efficient our introduction, the more time we have to delve into the Scriptures.
3. Weak ending
   
   Imagine Rocky without Stallone's gut-wrenching cry: "Adrian!", The Usual Suspects without ever discovering the true identity of Keyser Soze, Chinatown without that last line, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." The endings make these movies memorable.
   
   Give people an ending they will remember. This is your last chance to drive your core point home, to leave people with an indelible image, to inspire people with the beauty of the gospel. Most of us already know that listeners recall the beginning and ending of a message best. So, use that to your advantage.
4. Arbitrary complexity
   
   So you're a Bible geek. No worries. Just don't assume your congregation will be quite as thrilled as you about the subtle word play you discovered. Of course you can, and in my opinion should, treat your congregation whenever possible to the literary richness and sublime beauty of the Bible, but your sermon needs to be clear.
   
   In a good sermon, as with a good movie, there is a sense that every part connects in some way to the whole. You can pack a sermon with concepts, but the trick is to make clear the connection between each concept you include and the larger point. Go ahead and elucidate that Hebrew pun, but be sure your people understand how it joins with what came before and what comes next. If you don't, they can easily lose track of where you're going.
5. Unresolved questions
   
   Asking questions at the outset of your sermon is a great way to build tension and hold people's interest. However, if you ask a question, you should resolve it by the end of your message. Otherwise you can frustrate or even mislead your people. This may be an obvious point, but leaving questions unresolved is deceptively easy to do.
   Of the vast number of screenplays submitted to production companies, only a tiny fraction of them ever make it to the big screen. Most are irredeemably flawed. And guess what? I've found many of these same flaws in my preaching.Sometimes we think we've answered it when we haven't. Perhaps you ask up front, "Does God always keep his Word?" and then spend the sermon examining ways that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophesy. You may assume this gives a clear "yes," but the connection may not be so obvious for your listeners. Come back to the question at the end of your sermon, and make the connection explicit.
   
   Sometimes we have an idea for a great attention-grabbing question/theme, but it doesn't quite fit the passage itself. Whatever you do, do not force your passage into an outline just because you want to go in a certain direction. Change your question. Our outlines should be shaped by the passage, not the other way around.
   
   Sometimes, the question we ask is too broad, and we fail to resolve it well because the passage is more specific in its implications. If you preach a sermon that asks, "What are the characteristics of Christian conversion?" and your text is Saul's conversion in Acts 9, you have to be very careful. There are some things we can generalize to all Christians, and many that apply specifically to Saul. Align your question with the text as much as you can, such as, "What can we learn about Christian conversion by looking at Saul?"
   
   Following the advice of others, I now have a practice of writing a "placeholder intro," and then going back and revising the intro as one of the last steps of my sermon preparation. This is a good way to ensure that everything lines up.
6. Unrelated vignettes
   
   Some scripts have thoughtful, well-developed scenes, but very little connection between them. The net result is confusion for the audience. Screenplays like these never make it past the first read-through.
   
   Sermons, likewise, must have strong, clear transitions. The job of a transition is to clarify what has just been said, and connect it to what is about to be said. This, again, is easier said than done. It is not just a matter of re-stating your points; it is about establishing the logical flow of your argument. If you are preaching on Jesus calming the storm, your first point is about the fear of the disciples, and your second in on the authority of Jesus, don't assume people will follow you. Bridge the gap. Make a statement such as, "Most fear comes from feeling out of control, and these disciples were definitely not in control. However, as we're about to see, Jesus is another matter …"
   
   As you review your outline, look for continuity. Does your first point lead naturally into the second? How does it build your case? Why are the points ordered this way, and not another?
   
   Even if you preach a verse-by-verse style, you need transition points where you pause to remind people of the big picture, summarizing what you have covered, and where you are going. Good transitions create a sense of flow, progress, and cohesion, which are essential for clarity and retention.
7. Tonal confusion
   
   As an issue, this is more subtle and hard to spot. That being said, it can make or break a script, as well as a sermon. The question is this: does the tone of your sermon match the tone of the text?
   
   By tone, I mean the emotional impression you leave, the feelings you inspire. God's Word has all manner of genres, a multitude of tones. Even within genres, the tone can shift dramatically from one pericope to the next.
   
   Part of your exegesis should include identifying the tone of your passage, seeking not only to understand it but to actually feel it, to engage emotionally and identify with it. Then craft your message appropriately. Don't violate the melancholy of Jeremiah with a bunch of jokes. Don't get so technical with the psalms that you forget the poetry. Distinguish between Paul's firm rebuke in 1 Corinthians and his fatherly affection in 1 Timothy.
8. Weak protagonist
   
   Obviously a screenplay is going to flop if the story is built around a humdrum hero. You need a hero that is interesting, well-developed and worth building a story around.
   
   In preaching, human beings always tend to make weak protagonists. Come to think of it, that's actually one of the main themes of the Bible: human beings make lousy heroes. The Trinitarian God, on the other hand, makes a great hero. So if God is the hero of the Bible, it follows that he should be the hero of every sermon.
   
   The Bible is full of amazing men and women, but they all play supporting roles. Moses plays a part in the liberation of Israel from Egyptian slavery, but God is the liberator. David shows tremendous faith and courage against Goliath, but God is the champion. In Jesus, God is the hero of the Gospels. In the Holy Spirit, God is the hero of the Book of Acts.
   
   While our sermons can acknowledge the qualities of human characters, the emphasis should remain on God and his attributes.
9. Emotional element exaggerated/neglected
   
   Whether it's sappy or stoic, melodramatic or mechanical, an emotionally unbalanced script will make for a painful viewing experience.
   
   Likewise, sermons need a well-balanced emotional element. Overly sentimental sermons risk becoming shallow, distracting people from Scriptural truth, or even making people feel manipulated. On the other hand, dry intellectual sermons are not only boring and alienating, but they ignore the heart and imagination. Our goal as preachers is not only to inform, but to inspire and shape desire.
   
   We all have our tendencies toward one extreme or the other. It's always a good idea to get feedback on your preaching from people whose tendencies differ from yours. I have also found it helpful to intentionally read or listen to preachers who differ stylistically from me, to develop a taste for what otherwise does not come naturally.
10. Writer ego trip
    
    Some scripts seem less about telling a story and more about extolling the author's intelligence. The same goes for sermons. As preachers, we all desire to appear competent to our congregations, but we cannot allow our egos to take over. Our goal should be a clear, compelling, faithful exposition and application of God's Word. It's not about us.
    
    As a pastor in a sophisticated, urban city, I serve a congregation of intelligent people, many who probably worship intelligence to some degree. I have to remind myself continually that before I can help these people renounce that idol, I must renounce it myself, especially when I am in the pulpit. It's not just about what you preach, but how you preach, that instructs your people. And our people, I have been surprised to learn, can tell a lot about our idols from the way we preach.
    
    Big words score points in Scrabble, but not in sermons. Keep your diction clear, efficient, and appropriate. It is hard enough getting people to bring their Bibles to worship, don't make them bring a dictionary too. Also, avoid overusing pretentious references. If you mention that time you went to the opera, don't immediately follow with a statement of how you prefer vinyl to digital. If you use a movie illustration, resist the urge to say, "the book version was better," especially if you haven't actually read the book. Don't reference obscure writers, indie films, bands, etc.; reference things with which your people are readily familiar. Use everyday life examples. That's what Jesus did.
    
    And lastly, while we're on the subject of illustrations to avoid, let's agree to a moratorium on all Tolkien references for at least the next 10 years ….

As we grow in our ability to craft our sermons with clarity and elegance, we'll find that good content delivery—like a well made film on the big-screen—carries a power that sloppy content-dumping never could. And when that happens, the preacher and the congregation rejoice together.

Tommy Hinson is the Senior Pastor at the Church of the Advent Anglican Church in Washington D.C.