How to Build a Great Thesis

So, when I develop a thesis for a message, I ask myself a few simple questions - not necessarily in this order:

1. Is there a pre-assigned series or message theme? I used to worry about trying to tailor a message around a specific theme - it sounded very confining. But now my feeling is: the more details that are determined ahead of time, the easier it is to hone in on a thesis that will lead to an effective message.
   
2. Who is my audience? What are their primary needs right now? Answering these two questions is SO important. It will not only help form your thesis, but also your illustrations and general tone. These are the questions that change your goal from "speak a great message" to "partner with the Holy Spirit to help change lives." Knowing your audience is a big stinkin' deal and will be covered in another post.
   
3. Within the borders of this topic, what has made the most impact in my life ? It's hard to preach what you haven't lived yet. For me, in our Great Escapes series, I wanted to hone in on the great stuff that I have experienced - and everyone can - when I decided to pursue and embrace the presence of God.
4. If this audience only remembers one transforming truth from this talk, what would I want it to be? What would Jesus want it to be? This is really the money question and you should be able to answer it in one or two sentences. In my experience, the more I pray about it, the simpler and clearer the thesis becomes. Weird, huh?
   

Once you have a clear, concise thesis you can start to build the rest of the message. It's amazing to me how a workable thesis opens the door to all kinds of creative thinking and Holy Spirit inspiration. When you have a clear destination marked on the map, you can make great travel plans - but when you don't know where you're headed, it's hard to figure out how you're going to get there.

I know there's more involved in developing a thesis, but I want to keep it simple and automatic. If I've missed something, feel free to add it in the comments!