Why You Should Manuscript Your Sermons by Ja Medders

8/9/2019 Why You Should Manuscript Your Sermons by Ja Medders

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WHY

YOU SHOULD

MANUSCRIPT

YOUR SERMONS

by J.A. Medders

& a case for iPad preaching


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Preacher, have you ever considered manuscripting your sermons? If you have, or if you haven't, read

this book. Let Je ! Medders brush away some unnecessary concerns about the practice a nd grip yourarm in support as you try a method loved and used by many preachers in church history a nd incontemporary pulpits. Are you a committed outliner or minimal-note exhorter? Approach this book withan open mind and consider how a manuscript may better serve both you and your hearers. Assomeone who preaches from outlines, I looked forward to Je ! 's case for manuscripting, and he'sconvinced me to try it. Now if I only had an iPad!- Mitchell Chase, Pastor, Author, The Gospel is for Christians and Behold Our Sovereign God

ENDORSEMENTS

When I began manuscripting sermons several years ago, I was amazed at how it improved my ability topreach the gospel clearly to an audience. In a unique and winsome way, my friend J.A. Medders willchallenge you to consider preaching from a manuscript not for merely practical purposes, but to helpyou enhance your communication of Scripture while also beneting your hearers. Why You ShouldManuscript Your Sermons will provide a breath of fresh air to those tired of fumbling through bulletpoints when trying to make a real point.

- Brandon Smith, editor at Gospel-Centered Discipleship, The Council on Biblical Manhood &Womanhood , and Projec t TGM

Je ! Medders wants to roundhouse your sermon outline. He wants to throat punch your bulletpoints. He wants to body slam your extemporaneous rabbit chasing. In their place, he wa nts toteach you how to manuscript your sermons. But more than anything, Je ! Medders wants you tolearn how to faithfully deliver God's Word to God's people. This ebook is a wonderfulintroduction (dare I say, 'apologetic') for manuscripting sermons.- Kyle Worley, Author of Pitfalls: Along the Path to Young and Reformed , thestrife.com
http://thestrife.com/http://thestrife.com/http://thestrife.com/http://cbmw.org/http://cbmw.org/http://cbmw.org/http://thestrife.com/http://thestrife.com/http://thestrife.com/http://thestrife.com/http://projecttgm.com/http://projecttgm.com/http://cbmw.org/http://cbmw.org/http://cbmw.org/http://cbmw.org/http://gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/http://gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/


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Why You Should Manuscript Your Sermons is both disarming and compelling. In a highlyenjoyable fashion, Je ! Medders unpacks the multifaceted benets to manuscripting yoursermons. Whether you are a die-hard outliner or just plain fresh to the pulpit, this short book willurge you to give sermon manuscripting a serious chance.- Andrew Burkhart, Pastor, Blogger, andrewburkhart.org

ENDORSEMENTS

J.A. gives compelling reasons for "on the fence" pastors to manuscript their sermons. Thisebook is not only compelling but also extremely practical. It has challenged me to rethink thehigh call of doing the hard work of sermon preparation. There is no reason why a pastor shouldnot give serious consideration to the importance of a sermo n manuscript. That is w hat readingthis helpful book has done for me.- Dan Sardinas, Pastor, Author, Gospel Confusion

If you struggle with sermon preparation or can't seem to lasso technology to serve yourpreaching and church than Je ! 's ebook is for you. He will engage you with humor, frank truthfrom his own experience, and a love for making Jesus famous through the preaching of thegospel.- Mathew Sims, Blogger, Book Reviewer , graceforsinner s.com
http://www.graceforsinners.com/http://www.graceforsinners.com/http://www.graceforsinners.com/http://www.graceforsinners.com/http://www.andrewburkhart.org/http://www.andrewburkhart.org/


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1.Thanks...to you and lots of folks.2.Manuscript for Humility.

My pride kept me from using a manuscript. How about you?

3.Manuscr ipt for Sermons with Pop & Bite. A manuscript help ed make my sermons crunchy, salty, bright, and smooth.

4.Manuscr ipt for Sermonic Transferability.Sermons dont ha ve a shelf-life. Make them portable and shareable.

5.A case fo r iPad preaching.Including: Its Not Weird // Shotgund Reasons // Apps & Tools // Pre-Se rvice Checklist.

CONTENTS


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THANKS, TO YOU . . .AND LOTS OF FOLKS


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First off, wow .

Just wow.

Thanks for downloading this ebook. Mad props.

I hope you enjo y it. And I hope yo u are convinced to try manuscriptingI think its awesome.

If you have questions, or youd like to connect, please hit meup: @mrmedders or www.jamedders.com

Thanks...to you and lots of folk

If you are looking for your extra goodies , the directions are onthe last pagebut dont go there yet. Theyll make more senseafter you read and digest.
http://www.twitter.com/mrmeddershttp://www.jamedders.com/http://www.jamedders.com/http://www.jamedders.com/http://www.twitter.com/mrmeddershttp://www.twitter.com/mrmedders


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MANUSCRIPT FORHUMILITY


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It all began with a blog series by Josh Harris where he postedsermon notes/manuscripts from various preachers.

Some of the great preachers of our day use manuscripts.I had no idea. Mark Dever, Ray Ortlund, John Piperall ofthem are manuscript guys.

It seemed that the preachers with thousands of miles on theirtires, typically wrote a manuscript.

This left me scratching my head and thinking, Why dont Imanuscript? These guys are heroes of mine. T hey m ust knowsomething I dont.

MANUSCRIPT FOR HUMILITY
http://www.covlifemedia.org/joshharris/ortlund_ms.pdfhttp://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-law-of-christhttp://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-law-of-christhttp://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-law-of-christhttp://www.covlifemedia.org/joshharris/ortlund_ms.pdfhttp://www.covlifemedia.org/joshharris/ortlund_ms.pdf


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I then noticed that the hyper-gifted pastors of ourday and of old: Spurgeon, Driscoll, and Chandlerare outline guys.

Again, I began to think, Im most definitely not attheir level of gifting. Why in the world am Ioutlining?

I came to the conclusion:I need a manuscript.



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Outlining was I all knew.I didnt know there was another reputable way.

If Im honest. . .

I sneered at the idea of a manuscript. It seemed like a crutch .

A crutch I needed.



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Heres the deal, this may not be true of you, but it was of me, Iwas outlining because I subtly thought I might be as gifted asmy heroesbut I was in the embryo stage.

Just give me time. Trust me.

Or maybe I knew I wasnt as gifted, but heymaybe Ill turnout to be.

Both are stinky.

I had to confess my pride and be ok with manuscripting.It didnt mean I would be less of a preacher. Nor was it going tostifle the work of the Spirit. Rubbish. Have you been blessed bythe preaching of Piper or Ortlund? Duh .



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I was writing an outline from pride and avoiding a manuscriptbecause of pride.Solution? Repentand write a manuscript.

And boyIm glad I made the switch.

The first descent from the stage, after breaking the manuscriptin, my wife leaned over and said, Do that every week.

Done deal. And that leads to the second reasonwhy I ditched the outline and stayedwith a manuscript.



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MANUSCRIPT FORSERMONS WITH

POP & BITE


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This disciplineI assure you, it is a discipline!improved mypreaching.

Writing a manuscript allows me to play with sentences andwordsdays before I preachnot seconds, like an outline.

Preparing a manuscript lets me retool and fortify sentences fortheir maximum human delivery.

Manuscripting lets me work with fresh and new ways to saythe same thing; as opposed to saying the same thing in thesame wayover and over and over.

MANUSCRIPT FOR SERMONS WITH POP & BITE


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Outline preaching, from a shallow well of knowledge, will

scrape for words in the preaching moment. And this can tendto many umms and uhhhs, or youll repeat yourself often. But this can be lessened, nearly eliminated, with amanuscript.

Instead of trying to figure out how to say something in themoment, manuscripting enables me to think of many ways tosay a phrase, point, or story, etc.

Dog Story in an outline, can turn into a powerful anecdotewith exact language to weave throughout the sermon.

Preaching from an outline provides guides and cues; but I will wanderfrom the path, chase something, and maybe wind up in trouble. Been

there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. No bueno

.



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A manuscript helps me know exactly where I am headed, howIm getting there, and what I plan to say on the way there.

All the verses I want to reference are there and wont beforgotten.

Ill think of others while preaching, and Ill quote those too.

The manuscript is your friend,not the Gestapo.



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Writing a manuscript has improved my preachingespeciallymy desired time frame.

Im not captivating enoughif at allto hold a crowd for fiftyminutes to an hour. Forty minutes is my goal. Thirty-five would

be butter .

Writing a manuscript provides a word count. And by trial anderror, I know my word count to sermon length ratio. 3,000words is too long, a danger-zone. 2,250 is where I try and live.

For this reason alone, Im sure Redeemer Church is gratefulfor the manuscript!

And I bet your church would be too.



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Now...

Let me address the mostcommon reason people dontgive manuscripting a spin.

It will hinder delivery.



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If you think that amanuscript will hurt

your deliveryuhm,dont let it .

Pretty simple.



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Be familiar with your manuscript.Read it multiple times.

By the time I preach, I have probably read my sermon fivetimes. Ive labored in the writing, editing, formatting (bolding,highlighting, etc.), and preparing my Keynote slides.

By Sunday, I know my manuscript pretty well.

Be so familiar with your manuscriptthat you could preach without itbut wont.



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Outlines are great because they are easy to deliver. So, make yourmanuscript look like a beefed up outline. Format your manuscript so its easyto read. BIG font size, bold, italics , diffe re nt colors (but not too many, a hippielooking manuscript will district you), etc.

I write my manuscript in paragraph form and then I edit it into blocks ofthought. One to three sentences at most. And when Im preaching I can lookdown, see what blocks of thought are next, and roll with it.

Im not reading word for word. I look down. Absorb. Speak. Sometimes the

first word of a sentence is enough to remind me of whats next. Im preachingfrom the short-term memory bank.

Its all trial and error. Practice. Practice. Do

what works for you.

Format for Delivery



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Example from sermon on Acts 1:1-11, titled: Gospel, Mission, Power.



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Let me address the second

most common reason peopledont give manuscripting aspin.

It hinders the Spirit.



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I believe all of the gifts of the Spirit are at work today. Since the

Spirit hasnt disappeared, it would make sense that his giftshavent either. Now, I dont carry an emergency tambourineand streamer set, Ive never spoken in a tongue other thanEnglish and my broken Spanish.

Though I use a manuscript, I dont try and stymy the leading ofthe Spirit in the moment of preaching.

If I sense the Spirit leading me to say something that isnt onmy manuscriptits going to come out. One Lords Day, athought rushed into my mind, a wet-cat of sorts, but I sensed itwas from the Lord.

I paused. Looked at the church and said, I pray you receivethis. . . When the Lord leads, you gotta follow.



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The Holy Spirit leads in the preparation and delivery of thesermon.

Exegetical explosions in the study, and

fire in the pulpit are all from the Spirit.Ive had moments of preaching where it feels like my skin is onfire. I like to think its the unction of the Spirit.

Though, it could be residual effects of a parasite I contracted inthe jungles of Thailand while on a mission trip.

Again. . . Id like to think its the Spirit.



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Lastly . . .

If you manuscript, you now have a check engine light builtright into your sermon.

A manuscript allows you to run adiagnostic on your sermon. You can seewhats missing, whats weak, and what

needs to be replaced.Here is the system I use, feel free to steal mine or make yourown.



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Every sermon, after the exegetical work has been benchpressed, needs three elements.

1. Illustration2. Application3. Gospel Amplification

Illustration helps relate the text to the church. This could be astory, a word picture, lyrics from a song, quotes, etc. This is

huge.

Application calls the church to obey the text, to obey God. Wedont want to build a church of hearers only, we are to be doersof the word. Gods word is to be obeyed. And its our job to

draw out for the sheep what God is leading us to do.



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Gospel amplification is the high-octane proclamation of the

gospel.

This is not a curtain closing presentation of the gospel.The gospel and its glories should be heard throughout thesermon, but there should also be one point where the nuke

goes off . A moment when sinners are called to place theirtrust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and Christians arecalled to keep looking to Jesus. A point where thesubstitutionary work of Jesus is explicit, the resurrection isproclaimed, and Jesus is presented as the Cosmic King

thats gospel amplification. Crank it up.

We are human. We will forget these 3 elements if we arentcarefulbut a color-coded manuscript will help you see if

you have forgotten one. . .or three.



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When I started manuscripting, it became pretty clear that Iwas weak in illustration. I just forgot about themIoverlooked illustrating the text. A big mistake.

To overcome this weekly oversight, I created a color-codingsystem.

Illustrations are always green.

Application questions, imperatives, orindicatives are always blue.

Gospel Amplifications are always red.



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With that system in mind, I can quickly see, Oh shoot. I

dont have any green. Time to focus on illustration.

Cmon, tell me thats not mega-helpful?

And heres a bonus. . .


I highlight my major points.

This helps me see the structure and flow of thought. If Idont have highlights, Im going to preach a foggy sermon.Fog is cool for photos, not preaching.


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MANUSCRIPT FORSERMONIC

TRANSFERABILITY


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This is a pretty easy one.

If you manuscript, your sermon content is

more accessible.

MANUSCRIPT FOR SERMONIC TRANSFERABILITY


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I dont know how many times someone has asked formy sermon notes and until I had a manuscript, withevery reply I felt like a dunce.

Well, I guess I could give them to you. Though they wouldnt help you muchits just an outline.

Wow. Thats helpful. * doofus *

But by having a manuscript I can provide a helpfulresource. And now we are able to post my manuscriptalongside the sermon audio on our church website.

http://makingmuchofjesus.org/sermons/sermon/2012-06-03/sodom--gomorrah:-where-the-wild-things-arehttp://makingmuchofjesus.org/sermons/sermon/2012-06-03/sodom--gomorrah:-where-the-wild-things-are


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When I have a busy week, sureI regretbeing committed to writing a manuscript

but I dont regret it Sunday afternoon.

Never have. Im glad I made the switch.

My challenge to you is to manuscript a sermon this week. Add a few extra hours of prepyour first attempt will need alonger runway. Know that going in. Dont give up. Itll be achallenge, but dont wuss out.

So. . . What Are You Waiting For?


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But seriously, Im not trying force a manuscript out of yourthroat.

Every pastor ought to preach how he feels led and what works

best for him and his church.

Im not saying you must write a manuscriptand then eat your peas, but why not give it a whirl?

I gave reasons why I switched, namely my pride and wrongthinking about manuscripting and my gift of teaching; you maynot resonate with my reasons and that is totally finejustdont expect a Christmas card or fruit cake.

So. . . What Are You Waiting For?


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When Paul says to do your best to present yourself to God asone approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed,rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)manuscripting is how I do my best.

Every pastor needs to ask,Am I doing the best I can when handling the word?

From the pulpit to the studyam I doing all I can do? Am Iworking as hard as I can? Am I leaving all I got out on the fieldthe study and preaching moment? And after Ive dumped outall I got, am I expecting the presence and power of the Spirit inthe preaching of the word?

If notwe arent doing our best, and changes are in order.

Whatever you do, do your best.
http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Timothy%202.15http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Timothy%202.15http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Timothy%202.15


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A CASE FOR iPADPREACHING


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Have an iPad and youarent using it topreach?

I bet I know why.

A CASE FOR iPAD PREACHING


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You think its weird .



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Dude.Its not weird. At all.



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Get over the hiphurdles. Technologyisnt trendy; its reality.

Use it.I remember thinking it would be too in your face to preachfrom my iPad, especially when they first came out. But theyvebeen out for awhile now; the oolala-factor has kind of worn off.



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If you already have an iPad and you want to use it in the pulpit...do it. Just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

As soon as I got my iPad I wanted to use it in the pulpit but

didnt. It felt weird .

Not in some ooga-booga way, but in a pish-posh, fanciful,rubbing-my-technology-in-someones-face kind of way.

Silly.

Now, no one was thinking those things. I shouldnt either.



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But if there are heart motivations , super-cravings to look hip and trendy and flaunt

your iPad in the pulpit repent of them,

sell your iPad and send me the cash.

Or...just repent of your desire for the

praise and approval of man and use thistool in a way that glorifies God and serveshis people.



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I wonder if preachers from yesteryearever felt weird using typed notes versushandwritten ones.

Did the typewriter draw scorn?Did Microsoft Word seem like someonewaving their stack of Benjamins to the

congregation?

Maybe.

But I really doubt it.



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If you feel some internal hurdle to use your iPad because of how you might beperceivedor judgedheres what you

can do.

Jump over that hurdleand get to work.



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If it helps,hide the iPad.

Dont draw attention to the iPad.Get a real case.Know your context. Know your church.

Here are 3 practical things you could do to ease your mind.



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1) Dont Draw Attention to the iPad.Pretty simple.

Dont mention that you are preaching from an iPad. Whatever

you do, dont say, Yes everyone, this is one of those iPadthingies. Thats a true story. *facepalm*

Operate as you normally would.

Walk up to the pulpit. Open your Bibleplease, please, pleaseopen your Bibleopen your iPad and get to preaching.

Preaching as usual.


C S O i C G


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2) Get a Real CaseDont use one of those smart covers.

If you dont want to draw attention to the iPad, cover up the

shiny silver back, it sticks out like a youngster in the fellowshiphall.

I use a leather cover thats roughly the same color as my Bible.There is nothing eye-catching as I walk up to the pulpit. Exceptfor my 7 & 3/4 size noggin.

I bet a lot of people at Redeemer Church have no idea I preachfrom an iPad, which is cool. But if they did know, thatd betotally fine too.




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3) Know your Context. Know your Church

If you are the only iPadder in your church, you may want toleave it at home. Each pastor should know his church and

know his context.

Maybe no one in your budding church plant has an iPad, butwhat about the surrounding culture? Could your iPad be ahindrance?

Sometimes you have to circumcise yourtechnology for the sake of the gospel.



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SHOTGUND REASONSTO USE AN iPAD

SHOTGUND REASONS TO USE AN iPAD


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1. Increased Readability

No matter your eyesight, the iPad can help you. You can makethe text HUGE if you want and it doesnt increase the amountof papers you have to carry. Its still a goose egg. And thebrightness of the iPad makes reading easier. You dont have toworry about a poorly lit room.


2. No Papers. No dropping. No getting out

of order.Ive seen guys drop their 12 pages, skip pages, forget pages,lose pagesblasted pages! You dont have that problem withan iPad. You open it up, and with the swipe of your finger, you

are cruising.



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3. Your sermon library is always with you.PDF files take up a gnats breath of space. You could probablykeep decades of sermons on your iPadtheyll be with you

just about wherever you go. You can reference them on the fly,email them to church members, etc.


4. Its so easy.

Remember, I was against using an iPad in the pulpit. But afterdiving in, using an 18 pt font (with 20-20 eyeballs)Im telling

ya, its so nice, so easy, so helpful. If you have an iPad and youbalk at bringing it to the pulpit, try it once. Use the .doctemplate Ive provided, and I bet you dont go back to a binder,

staples, or a stack of papers.


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APPS & TOOLS

APPS & TOOLS


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APPS & TOOLS

If you are going to dive in, you need theright gear. Creating the right workflowwith the right tools will spare you fromfrustration. A scuba diver would give upon scuba if he used snorkel gear.Here are the apps and tools Ive found helpfultheyll keep

you from snorkeling.

1. iA Writer2. Microsoft Word3. Dropbox4. iAnnotate PDF

5. iBooks

APPS & TOOLS


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APPS & TOOLS

iA Writer and Microsoft Word.I dont type the manuscript on the iPad. Yuck. Ive never been thrilled with the iPadstyping environmentbut if you dig it, well, dig away.

I write my sermons on my Macbook Air. I love it. I use two word processors, onesolely for typing and one for editing.

iA Writer is a simple, no fuss, no mess writing space. All you do is write. There areno font changes, no formatting optionsnothing but the text. As soon as you openit, there is a blinking cursor, ready for you to write.

I use it on the Macbook Air, iMac, and iPhoneand they all sync on iCloud. I canwork on the manuscript from anywhere on any device. Boomsauce.

Once Im done in iA Writer, I copy andpaste the manuscript right into Word.Ill bold, highlight, and color code. ThenIll save as a PDF to Dropbox.

Check out the template I gave ya. Hopeit helps.


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iA Writer and Microsoft Word.

APPS & TOOLS


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APPS & TOOLS

Dropbox

Dropbox is an easy file syncing system. If you save a file in aDropbox folder on your computer, it will be saved to yourDropbox folder in the skyand the other devices orcomputers synced with that Dropbox folder. Once I save the

PDF of my manuscript to Dropbox, it will sync to the iMac atour offices and the iPad app. So simple.

Dropbox gives you 2 GB of storage for free. You can alwaysbuy more but 2 GB is more than enough to get your feet wet.

Now, you dont need Dropbox to get your manuscript on youriPad. You could always email it to yourself. I like Dropbox, itsyncs on its own and its a step I dont have to think about. Andits on the iMac at my office, which Ill print and give to ourmedia team.

APPS & TOOLS


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APPS & TOOLS

iBooks & iAnnotate PDF

Once the PDF of your manuscript is on your iPad, either byemail or Dropbox, select the file to open in iBooks. I like

iBooks for preaching because it swipes from left to right, likeusing a physical book. Other PDF readers scrollI dont likethat for preaching.

iAnnotate PDF is a great PDF editor. You can go through and

highlight, cross out, underline, or circle text. You can also addmore text. If you preach multiple services, this will come inhandyyoull be able to make edits for the following services.


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PRE-SERVICECHECK LIST

PRE-SERVICE CHECKLIST


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Before you hit the pulpit, here are a few

things to not overlook:

1. Charge it

The night before you preach, close all of your apps and charge your iPad. Ive found that after two services, with 35-40 minutesermons, Ill use about 25% of the charge. But hey, be safe,charge it up.

2. Save PDF to Dropbox

Even though I dont have to think about what Dropbox does, Ialways double check and make sure the PDF made it to

Dropbox and is on my iPad before I leave my house.



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PRE SERVICE CHECKLIST

3. Volume Off

You dont want noises while you are preaching. Turn thevolume all the way down.

4. Orientation Lock

Go ahead and lock your iPad to whatever mode you want it in.I preach in portrait mode and lock it in place.

5. Airplane Mode / Notifications OffTurning on Airplane Mode, if you have an iPad with 3G, willalso save you some juice. Go ahead and turn off allnotifications. No bings and iMessages popping up while youare heralding the gospel.

These are all aimed at limitingpotential distractions while you arepreaching the word.



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PRE SERVICE CHECKLIST

6. Manuscript for Media Team

If you use Keynote or PowerPoint slides while you arepreaching, print a copy of your manuscript for the media team.The person who does the all-important clicking of the slideswill love you for this.

Full-disclosure: This wasnt my idea. Gail Fox, who clicks theslides most weeks, asked for it. Qu bueno .

Our slide-clickers know to click when they see. . .

The cue to clickit looks just like this,which is just like my main points, since

they go up on the screen too.

GETYOURGOODIES


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GET YOUR GOODIESIm really grateful that you gave me a shot and downloaded this ebook. I hope it was helpful. My heartis to serve Gods people to behold Gods gloryand if I could serve you to that end, well, Im honored.Truly. No smoke and mirrors here.

Now, dont forget to get your extra goodies.

Be sure to grab the .doc template that is formatted for the iPad screen and an example of a completedPDF manuscript.

www.jamedders.com/ebookgoodies

I hope it serves you and your church. We are in this together. Feel free to send me an email, tweet,smoke signal, etc. Id love to get to know you.

In joint effort for the fame of Jesus,

J.A. Medders

If you liked this ebook, tell your friends how they can get one too! If you hated it, well,
http://www.jamedders.com/ebookgoodieshttp://www.jamedders.com/ebookgoodies

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Why You Should Manuscript Your Sermons by Ja Medders