This thesis explores the benefits of determining one point for the sermon prior to engaging the sermon preparation process. The beneficiary in question is the preacher who may struggle from week to week in the preparation of sermons. The value of having a focused sermonic point prior to preparing sermons was evaluated and confirmed through four sermon projects, which led to specific observations regarding the nature of the point itself. The sermonic point is discussed in terms of its quantity, quality, and acquisition. The thesis includes methods of obtaining the point suggested from the sermon projects and the contributions of several women and men who have articulated their process in book form or in interviews. It is argued that the sermonic point should be guided by prayer, grounded in scripture, declare the activity of God, involve a tensional component which is resolved, and be discerned prior to crafting the sermon in earnest. While the ultimate value of this study might be a better sermon for those who hear them, and a useful process for those who prepare them, the determining factor of success for this thesis was the increased level of my own joy in the process of preparing sermons.
