h. Identify the subordinate points under each main point.
i. If you have questions regarding the meaning of the text, consult various resources such as commentaries) listed above.
j. Think of illustrations for each point. Usually one illustration for each point is sufficient. Illustrations make the sermon interesting to the listener. Illustrations should be things that a particular congregation understands. Illustrations form abridge from the Biblical text to the lives of the listeners. So put yourself in the place of your listeners, and choose illustrations they will understand. As much as possible, the languageused in the sermon should be concrete images, not abstract language. People understand and remember concrete imagery. The word love is abstract. Describing a mother kissing her baby is a concrete picture of love.
