A few weeks ago a good friend of mine called asking for advice / input about a new sermon series he was writing on the subject of spiritual maturity. Our on going discussions have been a blessing to me because they've served to remind me of a lot of doctrines that I haven't had a refresh on in quite a long time. I've been doing a lot of deep dives on several issues and it occurred to me that, while I've written the occasional essay here and there, and a Sunday school lesson a time or two, I've never even attempted to write a sermon and so I thought I'd give it a shot.
After starting to write the outline of my first ever sermon, I discovered quite quickly that the topic of spiritual maturity is not something one can cover in a single sermon and so I almost immediately decided it needed to be a series of sermons. At first it was going to be a series of twelve sermons but I've since decided that this was too many and so I decided to do a nine part series. Even that might come off to some to be quite a lot and so the goal is to do three sets of three sermons where each set of three can stand on its own apart from the other six if someone so chooses.
Also, I'm making every effort to write the sermons in such a way as my friend could preach these sermons at his quite conservative Baptist church without getting run out of the building on a rail. With that goal in mind, I've established the following parameters...
I started by developing an overview of the whole series where I could plan out the logic and flow of the series as a whole and then proceeded to begin writing the sermons. So far I have five of the sermons written and I've managed to stay pretty true to the original outline but not entirely so.
My intent for this thread is to post the overview and ask for input and advice, both as it stands with five sermons already written and continued advice as the series progresses. I'll post the sermons themselves on their own threads.
One final point, just for full disclosure: These sermons are entirely my own work. I’ve used ChatGPT extensively, but not in any way that could be mistaken for outsourcing the substance. So far, since June 1st, I've spent approximately 30 hours to produce the first five sermons, even with Chat GPT's help. The core ideas, the structure, the arguments, the Scripture selections, and the theological conclusions are all mine. The source material for these sermons are things you have all seen me say and make reference to many times over the years. GPT has been an editor but not to an extent that it could be rightly called a co-author of the material. It has been used to help with formatting and wording suggestions and other editing functions, but nothing that changes the meaning or direction of the material. If fact, I’ve had to correct GPT quite often, since it tends to drift back toward what it assumes is standard Christian doctrine. I’m the one steering the theology; GPT has been a tool, helpful for typing and organization, but the content is mine from start to finish.
I'll post the current series overview in the next post.....
After starting to write the outline of my first ever sermon, I discovered quite quickly that the topic of spiritual maturity is not something one can cover in a single sermon and so I almost immediately decided it needed to be a series of sermons. At first it was going to be a series of twelve sermons but I've since decided that this was too many and so I decided to do a nine part series. Even that might come off to some to be quite a lot and so the goal is to do three sets of three sermons where each set of three can stand on its own apart from the other six if someone so chooses.
Also, I'm making every effort to write the sermons in such a way as my friend could preach these sermons at his quite conservative Baptist church without getting run out of the building on a rail. With that goal in mind, I've established the following parameters...
- Three Sets of Three: The 9 sermons are grouped into three mini-series, each of which can stand alone as a coherent unit.
- Mid-Acts Dispensationalism: The sermons avoid overt references to Mid-Acts Dispensationalism but reflect the distinctives of Paul’s gospel and ministry, recognizing the body of Christ as a new and separate entity from Israel.
- Open Theism-Friendly but Subtle: The content avoids overt references to Open Theism but aligns with its principles (e.g., God is relational, responsive, and not meticulously controlling all events).
- Miles J. Stanford’s Influence: The doctrine strongly reflects Stanford’s teaching, particularly the truths of the believer’s position in Christ, crucifixion with Christ, and spiritual growth through reckoning and rest. Stanford is not directly quoted, but his theology permeates the series.
- Standard Baptist Church Compatibility: The language and tone are crafted to be acceptable in a typical Baptist setting, avoiding terminology that would raise theological red flags.
I started by developing an overview of the whole series where I could plan out the logic and flow of the series as a whole and then proceeded to begin writing the sermons. So far I have five of the sermons written and I've managed to stay pretty true to the original outline but not entirely so.
My intent for this thread is to post the overview and ask for input and advice, both as it stands with five sermons already written and continued advice as the series progresses. I'll post the sermons themselves on their own threads.
One final point, just for full disclosure: These sermons are entirely my own work. I’ve used ChatGPT extensively, but not in any way that could be mistaken for outsourcing the substance. So far, since June 1st, I've spent approximately 30 hours to produce the first five sermons, even with Chat GPT's help. The core ideas, the structure, the arguments, the Scripture selections, and the theological conclusions are all mine. The source material for these sermons are things you have all seen me say and make reference to many times over the years. GPT has been an editor but not to an extent that it could be rightly called a co-author of the material. It has been used to help with formatting and wording suggestions and other editing functions, but nothing that changes the meaning or direction of the material. If fact, I’ve had to correct GPT quite often, since it tends to drift back toward what it assumes is standard Christian doctrine. I’m the one steering the theology; GPT has been a tool, helpful for typing and organization, but the content is mine from start to finish.
I'll post the current series overview in the next post.....