How to Write a Sermon Outline (Step by Step)

A sermon outline is the skeleton of your message. Without one, even the most passionate preacher can wander, repeat themselves, or lose the congregation halfway through. With a good one, your message has direction, clarity, and impact.

This is not a theoretical guide. This is the practical process that working pastors use week after week to prepare sermons that land.

Why You Need an Outline

Haddon Robinson, in his book Biblical Preaching (Baker Academic), argues that every sermon should be built around a single "big idea." An outline is how you organize everything else around that idea. Without it, you are just talking.

An outline also respects your congregation's time. According to Pew Research, the median sermon in the US runs about 37 minutes. That is a significant amount of time to hold someone's attention. Structure is what makes it possible.

Step 1: Start with the Text, Not a Topic

Expository preaching starts with Scripture and lets the text drive the message. Topical preaching starts with an idea and finds verses to support it. Both have their place, but if you are building a regular preaching rhythm, expository preaching keeps you grounded and prevents you from riding hobby horses.

Pick your passage. If you are preaching through a book (say, the Gospel of Mark or Paul's letter to the Philippians), your passage is already chosen. If not, ask: what does my congregation need to hear right now? Then find the text that speaks to it.

Step 2: Read the Passage Until It Reads You

Read the passage at least five times. Read it in the ESV, the NIV, and a more dynamic translation like the NLT. Each translation surfaces different nuances.

As you read, write down:

Tools like Logos Bible Software or the free Blue Letter Bible can help you dig into the original Greek or Hebrew, cross-references, and historical context.

Step 3: Identify the Big Idea

Boil your passage down to one sentence. Bryan Chapell calls this the "Fallen Condition Focus" in his book Christ-Centered Preaching (Baker Academic). What human problem or need does this text address? How does God respond to it?

For example, if you are preaching on Psalm 23:

If you cannot state your big idea in one clear sentence, your sermon is not focused enough yet. Keep working until you can.

Step 4: Choose Your Outline Structure

There are several proven structures. Pick the one that fits your text:

The Three-Point Outline (most common)

The Problem-Solution Outline

The Narrative Outline (for story-heavy passages)

The "Fallen Condition Focus" Outline (from Chapell)

For a passage like Ephesians 6:10-18 (the armor of God), a three-point outline works naturally because Paul lists specific pieces of armor. For a passage like the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, a narrative outline follows the story's own arc.

Step 5: Build Each Point

For each main point, include:

1. The Scripture reference: Read the specific verses aloud. Do not assume people will look them up.

2. Explanation: What does this mean? What is the context? What would the original readers have understood?

3. Illustration: A story, analogy, or example that makes the abstract concrete. Charles Spurgeon was famous for drawing illustrations from everyday life: farming, weather, family. You can do the same.

4. Application: What should the listener do with this truth? Be specific. "Trust God more" is vague. "When you get that phone call this week that fills you with anxiety, pause and pray before you react" is actionable.

Step 6: Write Your Introduction Last

This sounds backwards, but it works. Once you know what your sermon says, you can write an introduction that sets it up properly.

Good introductions do one of three things:

Avoid starting with "Today we are going to look at..." That is a table of contents, not a hook.

Step 7: Write a Clear Conclusion

Your conclusion should do three things:

1. Restate the big idea in one sentence

2. Give a specific call to action

3. Point to Christ

Every sermon, regardless of the text, should ultimately point people to Jesus. As Tim Keller often said, the question is not just "What does this text teach?" but "How does this text point to Christ?"

Step 8: Edit Ruthlessly

Read your outline out loud. Time yourself. If it runs longer than your target (most pastors aim for 25-35 minutes), cut something. The temptation is always to add more. Resist it.

Ask yourself:

Tools That Help

A good sermon notes app can make this process faster. Sermonary is popular for its clean writing interface. Logos is the standard for deep study. And Preach Notes is being built specifically for pastors who want to write outlines and share them directly with their congregation.

The tool matters less than the discipline. Pick one and use it consistently.

A Real Example

Here is a condensed outline for a sermon on John 15:1-8 (the vine and the branches):

Big Idea: Fruitfulness in the Christian life comes from staying connected to Jesus, not from trying harder.

Introduction: Have you ever tried to produce spiritual fruit through sheer effort? White-knuckling your way through Bible reading, prayer, and service? Jesus offers a different way.

Point 1: Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing (v.5)

Point 2: Abiding is not passive (v.4, 7)

Point 3: The Father prunes what He loves (v.2)

Conclusion: Fruitfulness is not about doing more. It is about staying close. Abide in Him, and the fruit will come.

That is a complete, preachable outline. It took one passage, one big idea, and three points that all serve it.

Start there. Refine it over time. And if you want a tool that helps you build outlines like this and share them with your congregation, join the Preach Notes waitlist.