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Editor's note: This is the final clinic based on the sermon " Overcoming the Influence of Affluence. " Watch next month for a new clinic using a fresh sermon and two clinicians.

When a sermon is at its best, it is a seamless, integrated flow of thought and passion that challenges the audience to take godly actions for Christ. Unfortunately, we often ignore one key element that holds the sermon together in unity. This absence results in a message that contains all the major parts — an introduction, a series of main points, a conclusion — but they don't flow together. What is needed: transitions, or what one writer calls connectors.

For the most part, the transitions in the sermon " Overcoming the Influence of Affluence " do a serviceable job, but they are nothing to get excited about. Here are three upgrades:

1. Be more intentional about the use of transitions and their place in the sermon. The transitions seem somewhat haphazard. They need to be carefully placed. For example, a transition is lacking between the final movement and the conclusion, which hurts the flow.
   
   Although listeners may not see the sermon's outline, they strive to hear the relationship between its parts. The preacher must make this clear through the sermon's wording.
2. Use different kinds of transitions. In its last two major movements, this sermon uses a sequence of numbers (first, second, third) to transition from one subpoint to another. That's not bad, but it is repetitious.
   
   For variety, one subpoint could be tied together with another by the use of the phrase " not onlybut also. " For example, the first subpoint of movement two could be tied together with the second by the transition, " Not only do we need to cultivate humility, but we also need to cultivate godliness. "
   
   Another transitional form is to review and then point ahead. For example, when this sermon moves from the end of the second movement (the four points of the text) to the third movement (the action plan), the preacher might say, " Having looked in some detail at Paul's encouragement to develop humility, godliness, contentment, and generosity, let's now look at an action plan that can help us implement these virtues into our lives. "
3. Keep tension through complicating transitions. This sermon's numerical transitions (first, second, third) do not energize the message. They don't contain any tension — even though the subject matter ought to make us tense up! We could improve this sermon by writing transitions that intentionally create unease in the minds of listeners.
   
   For example, between the first and second subpoints of the action plan, we might use the following transition:
   
   Now, would God call you to make such a radical change? Maybe. Not everyone is called to such a life, but he may be calling you. And if he's not calling you, like the Pearces, to leave America behind and travel to a foreign land, he may be calling you to something that might cause stress in your life. And you're thinking, Oh no! I've already got enough stress! I don't need ANY more! Yet the Lord may have that in store for you. How? By calling you to do something almost no one in America ever thinks about, and that is capping your income.
4. Use transitions to connect the sermon to the feelings and needs of the audience. The connections in this sermon are mostly content-oriented. That's not bad, but transitions can make an emotional connection to the audience as well.
   
   This approach does two things. First, it helps connect the audience to the preacher. Second, it recreates the desire to listen as the message progresses.
   
   We could do that in this sermon with a brief example about relationships to transition from the point about humility to the point about godliness:
   
   This change in perspective can only happen when we say no to arrogance, when we kill the belief that I deserve this. Instead, we come to a place where we say, " God, I can't believe you're so good to me. I don't deserve the abundance with which you've blessed me. "
   
   Most of us innately have this kind of an attitude when it comes to our closest relationships. We're deeply grateful for the loving care of our spouse, for warm encouragement from our friends, and for the incredible gift of our children. You know what I mean. You tuck that little face in at night and kiss her on the cheek. An hour or so later you look in on her one more time, and it's like watching an angel. As you stand there, you know she is one of God's greatest gifts to you. You pray, " Lord, thank you so much for the wonderful gift of my family. You alone deserve the praise for blessing my life so much with them. "
   
   That attitude of humility for God's gift of relationships lays the foundation for the second shift that must take place if we're going to fight off materialism. And that is the shift where we begin regularly to look away from ourselves to God. That is the core of godliness, and it is essential in combating materialism.
   
   Look at the second part of verse 17 where Paul tells Timothy " not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God. " The dictionary defines materialism.

Transitions are small but significant elements in preaching. Without them, the audience will hear the sermon as a series of confusing and disconnected parts. Transitions are the signposts that help our listeners to know where we've been, where we're at, and where we're headed.

Scott Wenig is associate professor of applied theology at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, and author of Straightening the Altars.