What are Materials?

Welcome to Packrat Week! This is the second in a series of posts about the art and science of gathering material for sermon prep. Be sure to check out the rest of the series here.

What are Materials?
Yesterday, I introduced this idea of how to have a “packrat” mentality when it comes to content material for a sermon. But what are you supposed to collect? Everything. These materials are things that you may use in future prep for a sermon. Some you may use in a message someday, while some you might just use as inspiration. Basically, these material serve as both a creative “muse” for your thought process, as well as a jump start to filling and shaping your message. Here are some examples of materials:

• Jokes. A common staple of many sermons, the joke or funny story is an easy introduction or icebreaker. The joke may or may not relate to the topic of the message.
• Photos. Photos can be great visual stimulation or reinforcement for your message. They can also provide a comic relief. Examples include photos, illustrations, cartoons, and stick figures.
• Stories. Telling a story can often be more descriptive and interesting than merely lecturing. Personal stories tend to come across as more authentic, but any story that is on topic can be useful. News stories, editorial comments, blog posts, and anything else that someone has written is great material. The parable, a form of a story, is another powerful tool (I mean, it was good enough for JC).
• Other Materials. Songs, jingles, poems, sonnets, haikus, advertisements, logos, cardboard packaging, hate mail, and basically anything else that may be useful for prep.

Be sure to check in later today for a special Youth Pastor Toolbox, where we will look at resources from where you can gather these materials.