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When we pose certain transition questions, we can unwittingly lead to confusion in our hearers.

Suppose a preacher asks the question " What is the reason we can rejoice in trials? " and then continues as follows:

" The answer is given in verses 1-5. Let's look at it. Notice in verse 1 that Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel. He came to this crossroads of the empire to tell about a Savior.

" Notice in verse 2, however, that no one welcomed him. No one seemed anxious to hear him. No one "

At this point the listener is lost. The paragraphs following the question " What is the reason we can rejoice in trials? " seem to have nothing to do with rejoicing in trials.

The speaker knows where he's going. He knows the answer is going to emerge in another couple of minutes. His outline has him progressing toward it:

What is the reason we can rejoice in trials?

1. Paul came to Corinth.
   
2. No one welcomed him.
   
3. He turned to the Lord.
   
4. He rejoiced to find the Lord sufficient for the situation.
   

The speaker knows the answer to the question will emerge in the fourth subpoint. But the listener, hearing subpoint 2, does not know what's coming later down the conveyor belt. She only knows what her ears have heard up to that point. And she is lost because of the lack of connection.

Speakers occasionally make the mistake of approaching a narrative or logical progression in an inductive manner. They ask a question, and then reason through an unfolding sequence of subpoints toward the answer. But since the answer does not occur until the last subpoint, the listener becomes confused in the middle and adopts a glazed stare.

However, preachers don't have to leave the congregation at the station when they take an inductive track. Three approaches can keep everyone on board.

1. Give the answer immediately after the question.

When the speaker finds that his subpoints are a progression, he should instead present his major point in a deductive mannerhe should immediately make a declarative statement of the answer to the question. The tip-off that such a progression or reasoning sequence is occurring is that the last subpoint is the only one that contains the same key phrasing as the larger main point. In such situations, the speaker should give the content of this last subpoint immediately after asking the question:

" What is the reason we can rejoice in trials? We can rejoice because those trials will reveal the sufficiency of our God. That's what Paul learned in verses 1-5. Let's look at it.

" Notice in verse 1 that Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel. He came to this crossroads of the empire to tell about a Savior.

" Notice in verse 2, however, that no one welcomed him. No one seemed anxious to hear him "

In this way the listener gets the verbal connection up front and knows the answer the progression is heading toward.

Correct outlining formin which questions are written as transitions, and induction is indicated by parentheseswill also increase this clarity:

Transition: What is the reason we can rejoice in trials?

I. We can rejoice in trials because trials reveal the sufficiency of our God.

A. Paul rejoiced in his trial because it revealed the sufficiency of God.

1. He came to Corinth to preach the gospel.
   
2. No one welcomed him.
   
3. He turned to the Lord.
   
4. He rejoiced to find the Lord sufficient for the situation.
   

B. We can rejoice in our trials because they will reveal the sufficiency of God.

2. Let partial answers build toward a cumulative whole answer.

If, however, the subpoints are a list, the speaker should ask the question and let the partial answers cumulatively build to the complete answer.

The subpoints are a list when every subpoint has the same key phrasing as the main point, and when the order of the subpoints is interchangeable. The listener never becomes confused because every subpoint immediately supplies part of the answer to the question.

Transition: What are the benefits of obedience?

I. (The benefits of obedience are joy, long life, and children who walk with God.)

A. The first benefit of obedience is joy.
B. The second benefit of obedience is long life.
C. The third benefit of obedience is children who walk with God.

In such situations, the inductive approach will sustain greater interest than if the speaker gives away all the subpoint answers at the start.

3. Preview the approach you will use to arrive at the answer.

It is possible to develop a logical progression inductively, if the speaker explains the path he will take to the answer. In other words, when the speaker asks the question, he can then give a preview of the coming subpoints that lead to the answer:

" What is the reason we can rejoice in trials? We'll look at a passage today that will help us find the answer. We'll see how Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel. We'll see the trial he encountered. We'll see what response he made, and then we'll see why he found joy in that trial. And from his experience we'll learn the third reason why we can rejoice in trials. Let's look at verses 1-5 to see the answer.

" Notice in verse 1 that Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel. He came to this crossroads of the empire to tell about a Savior. Notice in verse 2, however, that no one welcomed him. No one seemed anxious to hear him. No one "

The congregation, knowing the lesson from the story, can then follow how each point of the story leads to the proper conclusion.

Searching for answers to questions in Scripture can be an effective preaching tool. It only works, however, if the congregation can stay focused enough during the search to remember the question.

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Donald R. Sunukjian is professor of homiletics and chair of the Christian Ministry and Leadership Department at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.