lectureprep_example

Lectureprep Example

The link below "Take Hold of Your Opportunities" is an example of how I prepare notes for a lecture, a talk or a sermon. This method was described in the article that you need to have read before continuing with this page (click here to return to "Preparing for a lecture"). As stressed in the article, the principles are more important than the method. Use the method you like best, but take care to remember the principles.

Title	Graphic	Related Themes	Kb	File Type	References for further study	Other Languages

Take Hold of Your Opportunities		Worship, Priorities, Time, Responsibilities, Care, Leadership.	27	pdf	Matthew 24:31-46 Matthew 25:14-30 Matthew. 26:6-13 Luke 10:30-37 Galatians 6:10 Matthew 12:50 Matthew. 15:24

Comments:
1. The main Bible references should be read fully. Those in brackets do not contain the main theme of this message. In order not to loose the listeners’ attention relate their contents briefly, mention the verse numbers, read verses as the Spirit directs you.
2. If you have Microsoft Publisher you can see the file on which the notes were made (Opportunities.pub) by clicking here.

Background story
on the notes for "Take Hold of Your Opportunities"

In order to understand the following account, you need to have looked at the notes "Take Hold of Your Opportunities". I would like to tell you how the notes ended up in their present form, because it will help you see more clearly how to apply the principles.

Several days before I was due to speak on this subject that the Lord had given me, the notes were not the same as you see them now.

The main statement, starting point and target were the same:

but the way from the starting point to the target was different.

At the beginning of the week, I simply wrote down the 6 works Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:31-46 in 6 boxes on my notes plan. My idea was that these would give me the stages of going up and around "the mountain" (see lectureprep.htm). These 6 opportunities are:

1: Hungry - give food
2: Thirsty - give drink
3. Stranger - invite in
4. Needing clothes - give clothes
5. Sick - look after
6. In Prison - visit.

I then wrote a few thoughts under each point. I had been praying for some time for the people in this church I was due to teach in. I knew some of the difficulties they had been going through. They needed encouragement and direction. The worst thing that could happen was that they would listen to me and be thinking "I've heard all this before" or "I feel more discouraged now than before he started talking". I am sure many need to hear this same message of Christ as a strong warning. However these people needed to be lifted up and shown that Christ is encouraging them them to do well. They needed to know that with His help they could look up and look forward.

Not Satisfied
The evening before I was due to go to the church, I was back to the Lord on my knees. I was thinking through what I had written on the paper. I was not happy with it, because it did not seem to be saying anything they did not know already. More importantly, I was not going to be helping them move forwards and upwards. As I prayed, the Lord reminded me of something that he had "whispered" into my heart at the beginning of the week while I had meditated over the passage of Scripture. Into my heart had come the words "Inquire" and "Identify". I had only thought little about them.

I realised that what I was written on the notes had no direction. It was simply information that they already knew. It is truth and it is very good, because it is God's Word. It is something that needs to be proclaimed. It is a steep hill that no-one can climb - a goal that, without Christ, no-one can reach. We do not feed the hungry as we should, nor care for the thirsty, show kindness to the stranger, give clothes to the needy, look after the sich and visit those in prison. We ought to. The people in the church knew that already, because they had heard and read it many times. But now I was sure they needed to hear WHY and HOW.

New Start
I took a new sheet of A5 paper and a pencil and started to write again. The way up the hill began to rise within my heart:

The WHY: our motivation for all we do is because of love for Christ, for what he did for us. We love because he loved us.

The HOW: my brothers and sisters needed to hear practical steps to help them obey Jesus.

They needed to be taught how to do what they know they should be doing. They had been taught many times WHAT to do. Now was the time to bring them a little further up the mountain, building upon what they have already been taught.

The next day I discovered that the Holy Spirit had already been preparing hearts. The leader of the meeting, who had no idea what I was about to speak on, seemed to have already read my notes. As he greeted us all, he quoted from Hebrews 6:11-12 (see also verse 10), encouraging us to be ready for Jesus' return with diligence and patience in our works of love. Later on, when it came to my turn to speak, I took the church round and up the path, often referring back to, and repeating all 6 of the Opportunities (see stage 2 in the diagram). Then I went on to explain 4 practical steps to love and obey Christ. God gave the church a wonderful responsiveness that amazed my wife and me. Here is how:

Nervous Steps
We were standing for the final prayer and a blessing at the end of the meeting. The leader of the meeting had just begun the first sentence of his prayer when we all realised that a lady near the front was speaking too. "Excuse me, wait a minute," she was saying, "I want to make a first step". She rushed out of the door and we all waited dumbstruck until she returned. She now was holding a collection box in her hand, which she held up in the air. "I know that giving money is not the only way we can love people," she began, "but I have been bringing this collection box for several weeks and I kept forgetting to put it out on the table in the entrance. With (a tiny amount of money) to (this organisation), each one of us can give a child (in a certain country) a whole midday meal." With these words she encouraged the church to give to the poor.

As soon as she had finished, a young lady, who had recently given her life to Jesus, came towards the front. She stopped before she got there, turning to face everyone, but was too nervous to look at anyone. She was full of emotion. "I want to take a second step", she said. "We have so many sick people among us, we really need to pray for one another. It would be so good if we could do it right now". She went back to her seat and all eyes were on the leader of the meeting, still standing at the pulpit. "Yes, let's do that" he said. "Pray for those nearest you whom you know have some illness or infirmity". He himself then walked from the pulpit to one of the church members who was sitting in a wheel chair near the front and, with others, began to pray for him. Many followed his example, praying for those near them, one with an 'incurable' foot injury, another with increasing deafness, another with an arm injury.

And so the meeting did not end for a time, while the people took hold of their God-given opportunity to bless and care for one another. This was followed later by their giving to the poor. Glory to God! Let us thank Him for the convicting power of His Word and of His Spirit.

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