Logos 5 Sermon Starter Guide

Posted by Kevin Purcell on Nov 13, 2012 in Bible Software, Digital Bible Study, Preaching, Software | 0 comments

The Sermon Starter Guide sits atop my list of favorite new features in Logos 5. Think of it as the Passage Guide but for preachers. The Sermon Starter Guide helps preachers combine middle steps study and sermon prep into one easy report. I say middle steps because preachers should never use this guide early in the study process. More on that later.

For people who haven’t used Logos before, think of the guides as a digital research assistant. I tell the guide to go look in my library for content related to a passage or a topic. For example, I preached this past week on 2 Timothy 1:8. I did a search on the passage and on the topics of fear, witness, evangelism and power.

Using the Sermon Starter Guide

Find the Sermon Starter Guide under the Guides menu.

Now uses the Sermon Starter Guide to do one of two kinds of supported searches – passage and topic searches. While entering a passage might help if the preacher doesn’t understand his passage yet, I think the best start comes from entering the passage’s primary topic. Preachers should wait to do this until after they’ve studied the passage using the word study tools and the Exegetical Guide in Logos. Once that’s done, then do a topic or passage search using the Sermon Starter Guide.

For example, I ran a report on 2 Tim. 1:8 below.

The list of included data in a default Sermon Starter Guide shows the following:

• Theme – shows themes from the chosen passage
• Thematic Outline – an outline of topics related to the above themes with example texts, great for surveying what the Bible says about the topics in a chosen passage
• Collections – searches the passage or topic in a predefined collection of works
• Media Resources – visual resources related to the passage or topic
• Commentaries – commentary entries about the passage
• Outlines – outlines from books related to the passage like commentary outlines or Bible handbooks
• Parallel Passages – cross references of the passage or topic
• Topics – topcis related to the passage with references
• Illustrations – sermon illustrations from illustration books
• GraceMedia.com – media from the site useful only to those who subscribe
• SermonAudio.com – audio sermons about this passage
• Sermons.Logos.com – same as previous but text-based from Logos’ sermons database
• SermonCentral.com – same as previous but from this site

Customizing Sermon Starter Guide

This guide works great, but not all of these entries work for everyone. That’s why I love that I can create a different set of default data sets using the Add button to include more along with the default. Also an X button shows up at the end of the list items to delete that particular guide data set. Click on the Sermon Guide menu in the upper left corner of the guide window and choose to Edit the content to make your own guide for future use.

From now on, run this edited version instead of the default version to get a sermon guide that helps you.

Good Exegesis by Doing Sermon Starter Guide Last

Before leaving this topic, let me suggest that you not jump on this Sermon Starter Guide at the beginning of your sermon prep. Do the basic exegesis of a passage by studying the words using an Inductive approach and then do word studies. The Exegetical Guide helps in this second step. Then stop and think about the ideas included in the passage and run your sermon guides on those topics first and then on the passage last. This workflow will help you become more biblical and not as tied to third-party tools.

To summarize, here’s how I’d use Logos in my sermon prep in order of steps from first to last.

1. Find a passage using search tools – search topics first or just enter passage if you already know the reference of a passage you want to preach
2. Delineate the passage by reading it repeatedly using the Passage Analysis Tool and the Pericope Set to show the first and last verse in passage sections according to editors of the various Bible translations
3. Use the Text Comparison Tool to read the text over and over in different versions and consult the Passage Analysis Tool again to compare translations
4. Do language study – some will translate from Greek or Hebrew while others will run Bible Word Studies on important words in the passage and/or using the Exegetical Guide and looking up words in dictionaries using the Power Lookup Tool
5. Keep notes along the way using a note attached to a reference, not a translation
6. Using the Sentence Diagram tool under Documents, create a structural diagram of the passage.
7. Determine the topic or theme of the passage (I’m a Big Idea preacher from the Haddon Robinson school so I like to come up withe the Big Idea at this point)
8. Search for these topics or themes using the Sermon Starter Guide reaching as much as needed in the various resources returned
9. Collect media resources for presentation
10. Come up with the outline of the text and translate that into an interesting contemporary preaching outline
11. Use info from the Sermon Starter Guide where it fits by doing the four kinds of sermon development (explain ideas, illustrate them, prove them and apply them)
12. Put it all together and then look over it to determine if the sermon points to the glory of God or instead pushes us to “do better” and fix it if it fits in the latter

I hope this helps you see where the Sermon Starter Guide fits in the sermon prep process.

Proclaim Remote App – Control Presentation with Sermon Notes on iPad

Posted by Kevin Purcell on Oct 4, 2012 in Apps, Digital Bible Study, Preaching | 0 comments

Proclaim worship software isn’t my favorite, but they do offer something that I don’t think anyone else gives to preachers – the ability to not only control their sermon presentation but also see their sermon notes. This benefits preachers like me who use their iPad or Android tablet for preaching instead of using printed notes.

The Proclaim Remote app will wireless control a Proclaim worship software presentation from an iPad, Android tablet or smartphone or even an iPhone or iPod Touch. The Remote app integrates sermon preaching notes into the control app. Pastors can control the slides from their pulpit or lectern as they preach. At the same time they will see their sermon notes. See the details at Logos.

Proclaim offers a lot of other tools for use like PowerPoint integration, incorporation of services like Song Select for song lyrics and multimedia services like Highway Media and Graceway Media. Worship leaders who use Planning Center Online can also integrate with the software.

Proclaim runs on both Windows and Mac and comes from Logos Bible Software. They cost is based on a church’s worship attendance. Smaller churches pay as little as $10/month while large churches pay $20/month.

I’m not a fan of the Proclaim tool itself because it makes creating a worship presentation convoluted and clotted. It takes me much longer to build my sermon presentation than other tools, like my favorite MediaShout. I also don’t like the subscription model which forces people to keep paying.

Despite my qualms with Proclaim, it can offer some great options for those who use Song Select, want to subscribe to a media service and put together their sermon slides in PowerPoint to then import into Proclaim.

A Full Toolbox for Exposition Part One: Text Comparison

Posted by Kevin Purcell on Sep 6, 2012 in Bible Software, Featured, Preaching, Software | 0 comments

Does your Bible study solution offer all the tools needed to do good Bible exposition so you can preach the Bible using an expository style? That’s an important question before you select a tool, invest more money for resources to grow your toolbox or as you consider a change in software or adding a secondary tool.

Expository Preaching Needs

I believe all expository preaching requires a preacher to do inductive Bible study first. That means I will study God’s word without the use of any extra-bibilcal sources first. Then, I will do things like language study, comparison of translations and cross-reference checking.

Image credit: DrGBB on Flickr

Doing this kind of Inductive study requires a couple of things.

1. Multiple translations – it helps to read the text in more than translation before going to language study
2. Translation comparisons – It’s helpful to see how the various translations differ from one another so a student can focus on the places they differ wildly since this clues us in to complex translation issues
3. Language tools – Greek and Hebrew offer complex ideas that sometimes English doesn’t give an equivalent translation
4. Quick topical search and good cross references – the ability to quickly find passages that relate to the topics in my text helps me know how my text fits into the context of the book, the testament and the Bible

Tools to Look For in Bible Software

First, ask if your Bible software or a solution you might buy offers at the least the following translations:

• KJV
• NKJV
• NASB
• ESV
• NIV

Why those five? They’re the most used and popular translations today. Most of your congregation will likely read from them as you preach. I’m not a huge fan of the NIV, but more people likely will read from the KJV and the NIV in the congregation than any other, unless you’ve actively promoted one translation over another.

You might also want your favorite. I use the HCSB to preach because I love the way it translates the text into easily understood language while also keeping true to the original text. If the KJV and NASB represent more literal translations and the NIV or NLT represent a dynamic translation that’s not as “word-for-word” exact, then the HCSB sits in the middle.

Other tools to look for include the ability to visually compare the text. Some will highlight the words that differ between two or more translations. Some will simple put them in columns next to each other offer them in a parallel way with one line for each. I prefer the ones that offer a visual difference. Look at an example from Logos Bible Software. Below see the Text Comparison tool.

That’s just one that Logos offers. Here’s another way to compare the text using what they call the Passage Analysis tool which includes five different ways to visually see how the text differs in the multiple translations.

Notice Accordance 10′s ability to mark up a text to show differences between two translations.

If you’re Bible software doesn’t offers some form of text comparison tool, then consider a change. If you’re looking at buying one without it, look somewhere else.

These aren’t the only two that offer this kind of comparison. They’re just two that I often use. I’d love for the makers of other software or apps to comment below to explain how they offer this capability in their toolboxes.

Looking Ahead

In a future post I’ll consider the language translation tools in various applications. Then we’ll look into tools for doing cross referencing. If you’ve got a recommendation, let me know in the comments below.

How to Present Your Message Quickly and Concisely with Message Maps

Posted by Kevin Purcell on Jul 20, 2012 in Featured, Ministry, Preaching, Sermons, Video | 0 comments

Message Maps helps communicators effectively share a single idea in a moment. Use Message Maps to organize your ideas, express them simply and quickly, and effectively offer a convincing message to hearers.

The video below shows communicators how to do this. It’s focused on business communications, but I want to adapt it to Biblical communications.

Thanks to Lifehacker for the post and video.

As the video states, use three steps to help you communicate your truth with Message Maps.

Message Maps Start With a Twitter Friendly Headline

First, boil the message down to a single idea that you can share succinctly enough to post on a service like Twitter that limits the author to 140 characters or less. For preachers this means express the main idea or Big Idea of your message in this same concise statement.

For example, the simple message of the Gospel could be posted on Twitter like this:

Jesus knows you make a lot of mistakes, but he took the consequences for your sin and wants to forgive you.

That’s pretty simple and seems to encompass the whole thing. If I worked harder, I could word it better, but for demo purposes it suffices.

Share the Main Ideas

In the video the speaker shows how to pull the three main ideas from the Headline and state them in a map. You can use something like a mind mapping app or just a piece of paper or whiteboard. Draw a circle with the title in the center. Now draw a line coming from the center to these three other ideas. State them in as simple a fashion as you can. That will help you quickly present the idea to someone.

Using our above idea, we could give the following three lines:

• Jesus knows you sin
• Jesus suffered in your place
• Jesus wants to forgive you and work with you

The man in the video wants us to use three main ideas, but not all ideas include three. You could present two or four. In fact I might prefer to split the third statement above into two:

“Jesus wants to forgive you. Jesus wants to work with you sharing His forgiveness to others.”

Support Your Sub-points

Now that you have the gist of your message, support each of the main ideas. You only do this if your main idea and sub ideas get a hearing. For example, in a witnessing situation you could state the above and ask if its okay to talk with the person more about this. Or you might ask, “Can I tell you how this changed my life?”

In a sermon, you assume they want to hear more. Preaching teachers tell us that each idea must get treatment with the following:

• Explanation – appeal to the mind and answer the question, “What does that mean?”
• Illustration – appeal to the imagination and answer the question, “What does that look like?”
• Argumentation – appeal to the will and answer the question, “Is that true?”
• Application – appeal to the commitment of the person and answer the question, “How do I use that in my life?”

Use the following to do the previous four things:

• Stories: tell your story AKA your testimony of how you were saved
• Facts: share the facts of the Gospel AKA the Roman Road
• Examples: tell about what Jesus did for others you know, if your audience already knows your story

The above could serve as a good presentation. It’s not really a sermon since it’s not based on a text of scripture. It’s a presentation. Use it for a witnessing situation with a friend or as a short message to a civic group.

Other Uses in Ministry

I could see this being useful when you’re presenting ideas to your church board for a potential new ministry or a change in something the church already does. You might use it to communicate your church’s vision to the congregation. Share facts about how your vision will help your church minister. Give stories about ways people have served or how Jesus changed people’s lives.

What do you think? How could you use this ministry to effectively communicate the Gospel? How could an expository preacher use it to get across the idea of a text?

Improve Your Preaching with Free Videos from More Than Cake

Posted by Kevin Purcell on May 22, 2012 in Preaching, Sermons, Video | 0 comments

If you’re like me you’ve collected some online friends you’ve never actually met in person. Dr. Joe Miller is one of mine. He’s the brains behind More Than Cake, a YouTube channel dedicated to ministry, Logos Bible Software and preaching. He does a bunch of videos on his active channel that can really help any preacher who wants to improve.

Joe teaches, writes and preaches among other things. He also shoots some good videos that help us who like to use Bible software in preaching.

I try to watch each of Joe’s videos and always find them interesting, informative and sometimes even entertaining. Check them out over at YouTube. One of his best series focuses on the five day sermon prep process. You can watch the set below starting with day one.

The Topical Method of Preaching from Joe Miller

Posted by Kevin Purcell on May 16, 2012 in Ministry, Preaching, Sermons | 0 comments

If you’re a preacher, then you’ve likely used the topical method of preaching. My colleague Joe Miller shares his explanation and evaluation of Topical Preaching in a even-handed fair way. I’d likely not offer as positive view of it. I do agree with all that he says in this excellent video.

Check out Joe’s other videos and his excellent website More Than Cake. Also check out his book by the same name.