Introduction

Welcome to PreachingToday.com Focused Learning courses. These interactive courses are designed for those who desire to keep growing in faithfulness and effectiveness as preachers of God's Word. The courses include reading assignments, audio samples, self-evaluations, and recommended exercises for implementing the lessons learned.

This course covers the subject of sermon illustrations. Illustrating a sermon well is a skill to develop, and there are many questions preachers have about the subject. For instance, how can I turn events and observations from my own life into sermon illustrations? How do I authentically incorporate third-person stories into my messages? Do my illustrations distract from or enhance the biblical truth I'm trying to communicate?

The first section of workshops in this course focuses on developing your own sermon illustrations—learning to see the world around you in light of God's truth and being able to communicate what you observe effectively. Next you will find workshops centered on adapting statistics, quotes, and third-person stories to fit your message. Listen then to the collection of audio sermons chosen specifically for their illustrative value. Once you have read through the workshops and listened to examples of strong illustrating, honestly respond to the self-evaluation in the fourth section of this course and commit to practicing the suggested disciplines. Finally, you will find additional suggested resources for further help and study.

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