How to Write a Meaningful Message
A practical guide for writing devotions that matter
We had been in our house for a few years, and my wife and I decided it was time to update our bathroom on the main floor. This was not a complete renovation, just a facelift. The only problem was that I didn’t know where to start. Thankfully, I have a friend who does home renovations, and he helped me through the whole process.
I’m assuming you are reading this article because you’ve been asked to give a devotion, sermon, or speech, and you felt like I did when I updated my bathroom. You want to “construct” a helpful message, but don’t know where to start. I can give you a few ideas to help you get going.
This article is for anyone who wants to communicate a message that matters. It will not explain the many essential variables of public speaking, like the importance of the setting, your volume, hand gestures, etc. And although this is in a Christian context, I’m not going to go into great detail about how to study the Biblical text and the importance of identifying and applying the law of God and the good news of the Gospel. Many other great resources talk about such things, and I will mention the ones that have been most helpful to me at the end of this article.
What I will attempt to do is help you get started in organizing your thoughts as well as writing out your message. And by the end of this article, you should have what you need to build a meaningful message for the people you serve.
Why focus on having a “meaningful” message?
For over a decade, I have been strongly influenced by the work of Dr. Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychologist who survived the Holocaust. Because of the challenges he witnessed and experienced in Auschwitz, he gained new insights into human psychology, namely that humans are primarily motivated by meaning, not pain and pleasure, as Sigmund Freud proposed. Unlike other creatures, we need to know that our lives matter. We want to see why we are here. What is our purpose?
We bring those same questions when we listen to a sermon, devotion, or speech. We want to know why we should keep listening. Will this message improve our lives? What’s the point?
If the speaker doesn’t answer those questions, the audience will begin to check out and start thinking or scrolling for something that brings more meaning into their lives.
And that’s why, as we continue to build our message, we must never forget that we must present material that matters, making our audience’s lives more meaningful.
Five questions you must answer
In his book Communicating for a Change, Pastor Andy Stanley gives five crucial questions to answer before you write your message. I continue to use this framework when studying a text for a message.
1. What do I want them to know?
2. Why do I want them to know this?
3. What do I want them to do?
4. Why do I want them to do this?
5. How do I make it memorable?
Each question and the order in which they are asked are essential. The answer to the first question is usually some form of good news. Make sure you keep the answer specific to the text. There are lots of true things that could be said about God and the Bible. But what does this text say?
The next question reflects our need for meaning. We are creatures who ask “Why” questions. So you need to explain why it is so important that your audience knows this special idea about God.
Question three is about taking action. Some Christians might feel uncomfortable encouraging their audience to do something. They might wonder if such commands undermine the message of the Gospel. But directives don’t negate grace-they flow from it. The Biblical pattern is that God’s grace leads to a response. Consider the message below that Paul tells Titus:
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13. At the same time, we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.[1]
Our messages ought to lead people to change, to be different kinds of people than the ones who originally came. The change the text wants them to make might be to stop, slow down, rest, and reflect on the goodness of God. They might think about someone else besides themselves. Whatever it is, we are called to direct people how the Lord would have them go. And it’s okay to get as specific as the Biblical authors are.[2]
Again, Stanley encourages us to follow the action step with a “why” question. Why is it so important that God’s people take these steps? What will happen if they don’t?
Finally, the last question is about incorporating an illustration or story to help explain our main idea. It is essential to answer this question after you have studied the text and have clarified what you believe God wants us to know and do. Sometimes, speakers can get so excited about an illustration that they try to force it into a text about something else.
When you get to this question, think about ways to show the main idea, not just tell it. Where does this main point come up in nature or culture? Lately, I have relied more heavily on stories than visual aids or other metaphors. Stories have a way of connecting with an audience at a very deep level.
Outlining your message
Now, you are prepared to build a meaningful message that will connect with your audience and lead them to make positive, God-directed changes in their lives.
Here’s the basic outline of most of my messages:
1. A memorable story that hints at the problem.
a. State the question I want to answer in the message.
2. Give a brief background of the text, the context, setting, and challenges.
3. Explain what I want them to know and why.
4. Explain what I want them to do and why.
a. Give clear examples of how to do it.
5. Retell parts of the opening story with closure.
a. End with a Gospel-motivated command.
I begin every message with a story or illustration (my answer to Stanley’s question #5). This is the hook that draws them in. I try to make sure that I end the story on a cliffhanger. I want the message to begin with tension that only God’s Word can resolve.
At the end of my introduction, I usually state a question I want to answer in the message. This shows the congregation that the message will be about one thing. Stating a question also creates another level of tension. Hopefully, God’s people will stay engaged until the question is answered.
Then, I get into the meat of the message by briefly explaining the text, the context, history, and meaning of the verses.
This leads to what I want them to know about this specific section of Scripture and why. Again, I try to make the point that this text is making. God wants us to know many important things, but what does this section reveal to us about God? Usually, this point is the answer to my opening question.
Next, I explain what I believe God wants them to do or change, and why it is so important to take this action. My wife (who puts up with listening to lots of my sermons) has always encouraged me to get specific in this section. Instead of being too general, she says people want clear steps. When you help them make such a practical application, people will begin to see that the Bible wasn’t written only for us; it is still written for us.
Finally, I use my opening illustration again, but I try to tell the story or explain the visual aid in a way that brings a conclusion and resolution to the message.
The last sentence usually repeats what I want them to do. This gives God’s people clear direction as they leave. Hopefully, they now see that their life will be somewhat different because they listened to this message.
This is the structure that I use for 99% of my messages. You might wonder if sticking to a specific format will cut off creativity or bore the audience. But that has not been my experience. I confuse and frustrate my audience whenever I veer from this structure.
In the same way, most TV sitcoms and dramas have the same format for every show. Yet, each episode has a lot of variety, so each of my messages follows that same pattern. Still, the unique texts and illustrations bring variety and creativity to my presentation.
So I would encourage you to give it a try. Answer the five questions as you begin to study the text. Then plug those answers into the outline that I gave you above. And you will see how this structure will help you build a meaningful message that will change the lives of your hearers. To God be the glory!
Final tips
Below are a few recommendations based on my experience (and many failures) as a pastor. Hopefully, they could serve as a guide or guardrail to keep you on the right track.
1. If you confuse, you lose.[3]
Your audience already has access to all the information in the world in their pocket. What they need from you is not a lot of information thrown at them, but a simple message organized in a way they can grasp. The more focused and singular your message, the more likely your audience will remember and apply it. Better to be simple than complex and complicated.
2. Let Jesus be the hero of your message.
Make sure every message is ultimately about Jesus. The audience usually can’t relate to your success. And they typically aren’t that interested in how great you are anyway. You might talk about yourself, but stick to your challenges and failures. That’s what connects. And then show them how Jesus and his Word are the answer to our collective challenges.
3. Let your message be an act of service to your audience.
If I’m ever nervous before speaking, I know I’m too focused on myself and too concerned about what others will think of me. But when I focus on the audience, what they need, and how this message might help them, my nerves go away. My attention is where it should be, on those for whom I’m serving.
And speaking can be an excellent service! It is an opportunity for a group to experience transformation together. Jesus and his prophets and apostles saw the value of serving God’s people through speaking. It was not only a great way to communicate a message, but also a way of creating communal change.
Recommended Resources
Books
Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences. New Jersy: John Wiley & Son, Inc.
Frankl, V. (1984). Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Heath, D., & Heath, C. (2007). Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Random House.
Keller, T. (2015). Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism. : Viking.
Miller, D. (2017). Building a Storybrand: Clarifying Your Message So Customers Will Listen. Nashville: Harper Collins.
Stanley, A. (2006). Communication for a Change. Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books.
Pastors who have influenced my preaching
Pastor Mike Novotny (For his ability to teach in a fun and engaging way)
Pastor Timothy Keller (For his thoughtful, Gospel-centered messages)
Tim Mackie of the Bible Project (For his scholarly yet accessible style)
Pastor John Mark Comer (For his emotional depth)
Pastor Andy Stanley (for his style, not his theology)
[1] Titus 2:11-14
[2] "Follow me."
"Let your light shine before others."
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
"Do not worry about your life."
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."
[3] (Miller, 2017)
