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Biblical Sermon Outlines for Preaching and Teaching God’s Word
Preaching is more than delivering a religious speech. For many pastors, using outlines can help clarify their message. It is opening the Word of God, explaining what it means, and showing people how its truth applies to their lives. When crafting your sermon, outlines are essential for organizing your thoughts clearly.
The Sermon Outlines at What’s It Mean? are designed to help pastors, teachers, Bible study leaders, and students of Scripture understand and communicate the message of the Bible clearly.
These outlines are not intended to replace prayer, personal Bible study, or dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Instead, they provide a biblical framework that can help you organize your study and prepare to proclaim God’s Word. Moreover, a strong sermon structure typically starts with well-considered outlines.
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2
What You Will Find in These Sermon Outlines
Each sermon outline begins with Scripture. In fact, thoughtful sermon outlines serve as a roadmap for effective preparation.
Rather than starting with a topic and searching for verses to support it, these studies seek to discover what the biblical text actually says. The goal is simple: understand the Word, explain the Word, and apply the Word.
Depending upon the passage or subject, an outline may include tools similar to the kind found in helpful sermon outlines:
- Key Scripture passages
- Historical and biblical background
- Full manuscript
- Main preaching points
- Explanations of difficult passages
- Illustrations
- Practical applications
- Slide Deck
- Questions for reflection
- Invitations to respond to the Gospel
You may use these outlines as the foundation for sermons, Sunday School lessons, small-group studies, personal Bible study, or devotional teaching. Try customizing outlines to fit your unique style.
Old Testament Outlines
The Old Testament reveals God’s work in creation, His covenant promises, His dealings with Israel, and His unfolding plan of redemption. Each of these themes can be powerfully presented with the help of outlines for sermons.
Genesis Outlines
Walk through the beginnings of creation, humanity, sin, judgment, covenant, and God’s promises through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. With effective sermon outlines, your exploration of Genesis will be clearer.
Explore Genesis Sermon Outlines
Psalms Outlines
Discover sermons dealing with worship, suffering, prayer, repentance, trust, thanksgiving, and hope through the songs and prayers of God’s people. Sermon outlines can organize Psalms’ varied themes.
Explore Psalms Sermon Outlines
Daniel Outlines
Study faithfulness in a hostile culture, God’s sovereignty over nations, biblical prophecy, and the coming kingdom of God; all these themes can be structured using sermon outlines for clarity.
Explore Daniel Sermon Outlines
Ezekiel Outlines
Explore God’s holiness, judgment, restoration, the responsibility of the watchman, the valley of dry bones, the future of Israel, and Ezekiel’s extraordinary prophetic visions—outlines will help keep your teaching focused.
Explore Ezekiel Sermon Outlines
New Testament Outlines
The New Testament reveals Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive promises and explains the Gospel and the Christian life. Each New Testament book benefits from structured outlines.
Gospel of John Outlines
Meet Jesus through John’s Gospel and examine His signs, teachings, claims, death, resurrection, and invitation to believe. Consider how outlines tailored for each sermon can aid your series on John.
Explore Gospel of John Sermon Outlines
Romans Outlines
Study Paul’s great explanation of the Gospel—from humanity’s need for righteousness to justification by faith, sanctification, God’s sovereign purposes, and the transformed Christian life; creating manuscripts, outlines, and slide decks can make these doctrines accessible.
Explore Romans Sermon Outlines
Revelation Outlines
Explore the messages to the seven churches, the throne room of Heaven, the seven seals, trumpet judgments, the 144,000, the two witnesses, the rise and fall of Babylon, the return of Christ, final judgment, and the New Jerusalem. Comprehensive outlines will help in unpacking these complex topics.
Explore Revelation Sermon Outlines
Topical Sermon Outlines
The Bible also speaks directly to the great questions of Christian faith and daily life. Outlines are particularly helpful when preparing topical sermons.
These outlines explore important biblical doctrines and Christian practices, including:
Salvation • Grace • Faith • Repentance • Justification • Sanctification • Holiness • Prayer • Scripture • Worship • Baptism • The Lord’s Supper • Spiritual Warfare • Wisdom • Providence • Suffering • Perseverance • Mission • Christian Ethics • Calling • Work • Money • Family • Resurrection • The Return of Christ • New Creation
Explore Topical Outlines →
Preaching Christ From All of Scripture
Although the Bible contains sixty-six books written by many human authors over many centuries, it tells one great story—the story of God’s redemption through Jesus Christ. Connecting each passage to this story becomes easier with well-constructed sermon outlines.
Jesus told His disciples:
“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
— Luke 24:44
Therefore, faithful Christian preaching should ultimately help people see how Scripture fits within God’s great work of redemption. Sermon outlines will guide your congregation through that story.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible points us toward God’s saving purposes fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
From Bible Study to Sermon
A good sermon does more than provide information. That’s why effective sermon outlines are so valuable for preachers.
It answers three important questions:
What does the Bible say?
We begin with the text itself, often using outlines to clarify its message.
What does it mean?
We consider the context, language, history, and teaching of Scripture.
What should we do about it?
Biblical truth calls for a response. God’s Word confronts our sin, strengthens our faith, changes our thinking, shapes our behavior, and draws us closer to Christ. To this end, using outlines provides a helpful structure for calling people to action.
That is the purpose behind What’s It Mean?
We want to make the Bible easier to understand without making its message shallow. Organized sermon outlines keep the message focused.
Using These Outlines
Feel free to use these outlines as starting points for your own preaching and teaching. Everyone’s outlines reflect their own experience and passion.
Read the biblical passage carefully. Pray over the text. Study the context. Then take the outline and make it your own. In each step, a clear sermon outline is your companion.
Add your own illustrations to personalize your outlines.
Apply the message to the people God has entrusted to you. Tailoring outlines to your congregation makes each sermon more powerful.
Most importantly, preach the Word rather than merely preaching the outline.
An outline provides the structure needed, but the heart of great sermons is more than just outlines.
Scripture provides the message.
Start Exploring the Sermon Outlines
Whether you are preparing for Sunday morning, teaching a Bible study, leading a small group, or simply studying Scripture for yourself, I hope these resources help you understand God’s Word more clearly and communicate it more faithfully. Remember, sermon outlines can benefit every aspect of your teaching and study.
Choose a book of the Bible or a biblical subject above and begin exploring outlines for your next sermon.
And whenever you open God’s Word, keep asking the question that gave this ministry its name: for whom are these sermon outlines most helpful?