Preaching  Without  Notes is all to do with faith.  If you are prepared to step out in faith, and say; “OK Lord, I will do this”;  then you can do it.

• Prayerful Preparation

The method I use to preach without sermon notes is outlined in the post “How to Preach“. It simply consists in prayerful preparation.  It is outside of the scope of this post to talk about “What to Preach“; so we will assume that your subject is already decided. Now do this:

• Go into your quiet place and prayerfully contemplate the chosen subject/scripture.  If you give Him the chance, the Holy Spirit will put ideas into your mind that are pertinent to the subject – and He may suggest passages of scripture that further illustrate the point in hand

• Examine these ideas/passages as they are offered, and the subject will expand and become whole.

• Continue this process until the flow of inspiration dries up.

God treats each of us in a manner suited to our personal learning nature, and very much as individuals; so you may require many sessions over several days to get a complete “handle” on your subject, or you may find the whole sermon drops complete into your consciousness.

• The Rhys Method……..

I usually start at the beginning of the week by reading the allotted lectionary readings. There is always a common thread contained in the given readings and that decides the subject for sharing on Sunday morning. I need to have chosen the accompanying songs by Wednesday to allow the “musos” plenty of time to practice, so by the time that is done, the selected readings are digested and printed out for the scripture readers, and the order of service is set out, then the “bones” of the subject are already in mind.

• Relevant Material

I then use whatever “free” time I have during the rest of the week, and devote it to contemplation of the points already in mind. It is both surprising and enjoyable to find other little pieces of relevant material coming to mind during moments of mental free time, like in the shower, or waiting for someone, or whatever occasions there may be when the mind can be [prayerfully] open to suggestion.

• Be Spirit Led

I do not attempt to organise this material into a structured whole, but instead rely on the prompting of the Holy Spirit when I begin to speak. This allows some flexibility to “change direction” in mid flow as may be needed, and is truly a way to preach without notes.

Read on to find out more on how to preach without using notes and how to Preach with Conviction!

• The best way to preach, is by conviction, from the heart, in your own words, just testifying to what you actually believe, whenever somebody asks you. That is how to preach with conviction…..

• Sermons send people to sleep, they are at best, second hand opinion, and at worst, only words.

• Testimony is vital and believable – Why? – because it is what we have seen and believe, and therefore the conviction of truth can be heard in our voice. When we relate what happened to us, people can believe that as fact. When you share some truth of which the Holy Spirit has convicted you, you will be believed because the conviction will ring in your voice!  This is the evidence of the holy Spirit. That is How to Preach with Conviction.
  

So, How Do I Do That?

• If you have no set requirement for the theme of the day, then grab your Bible, and head for your quiet place and just ‘wait on Him’ until you are told [how to pray] what to do.

• If you are working to a set theme, like lectionary readings, just go into your quiet place with your Bible and start ‘meditating’ those readings. As you read a verse or a phrase, close your eyes and let the Holy Spirit of God illuminate it to your understanding.

• Follow each ‘train of thought’ thru to its end and the subject matter will be filled out and explained.

• Just keep doing this until you feel there is no more to be understood. It may take several sessions of quiet to get the whole message. Strive for Spiritual Excellence!
  

• Stop thinking about it and go on with your usual weeks activities until you feel to do it again.

• Come Sunday Morning; you stand up and relate your subject matter as you are led so to do.  I find that it seems to come out in the same order it went in.  I.E. The first major point revealed comes first, and then the second point, and so on….

• How to Preach without Notes. The above method works well for me – it just blows me away that I always get to the end of what I want  to say at exactly the time the service is scheduled to end – Hallelujah!

There it is – you just learned How to Preach!

When you are asked to preach, is when.

Where To Preach

• ‘Go Ye into all the world…….’ Is usually interpreted as, “head for the ‘Deep Dark Jungles’ of central Africa, or the wilds of the New Guinea highlands”.

• The plain truth is, ‘all the world’ starts outside YOUR front door!

• So be happy to preach wherever you may be, and whenever an opportunity offers.

So answering the questions, “How to Preach” and “When and Where to Preach“,  was really simple…………..