This page was initiated in Spring 2025 during Rob Couch’s course. Also see page Micah.
From ChatGPT
Prompt: In teaching how to prepare a sermon, what do professors mean when they say the first step is to cite the claim, the second step is the focus, and the third is the function? Provide context and instructions for those three steps.
In homiletics (the art of preaching), when professors teach that the first step is to cite the claim, the second is the focus, and the third is the function, they’re giving a framework to help students move from biblical interpretation to a clear and purposeful sermon. Here’s what those terms generally mean and how they guide the sermon preparation process:
1. The Claim: What is the theological truth of the text?
Context:
This is the central theological assertion or truth that emerges from your exegesis of the passage. It answers the question:
“What is this text ultimately saying about God, humanity, or the relationship between the two?”
Instructions:
- Begin with solid biblical study (exegesis), understanding the passage in its original context.
- Identify one clear theological statement that the text communicates.
- The claim should be rooted in the text and not merely a moral lesson or general inspiration.
- It is not the sermon’s main idea yet, but the biblical grounding from which everything else flows.
Example:
For Luke 15 (the Prodigal Son), the claim might be:
“God’s grace embraces the lost before they can earn it.”
2. The Focus: What is the sermon about?
Context:
This is the central idea of the sermon – the main point that you want your listeners to walk away understanding. It’s drawn from the claim, but tailored for the context of your audience.
Instructions:
- Ask: “What is the one idea I want people to remember from this sermon?”
- The focus is the distilled message that connects the ancient truth (the claim) to today’s world.
- It should be clear, memorable, and concise – ideally one sentence.
- Avoid trying to say too much; one sermon, one focus.
Example (based on the claim above):
“God runs to meet us with mercy, no matter how far we’ve wandered.”
3. The Function: What is the sermon supposed to do?
Context:
This is the purpose or goal of the sermon — the transformational intent. It asks:
“How should this sermon affect the lives of the listeners?”
“What response am I seeking?”
Instructions:
- Think pastorally: What do your people need? Comfort? Challenge? Hope? Correction?
- The function is not what the text does, but what your sermon aims to accomplish in the lives of those hearing it.
- It should align with both the text’s message and the needs of the community.
- Express it as a verb-driven statement: “This sermon will encourage/call/remind/invite…”
Example (continuing above):
“This sermon will invite hearers to trust in God’s mercy and turn back to Him, knowing they are already loved.”
Summary Table:
| Step | Question It Answers | Purpose | Example from Luke 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claim | What is the theological truth of the text? | Root your sermon in Scripture | “God’s grace embraces the lost before they can earn it.” |
| Focus | What is the sermon about? | Deliver a clear, memorable message | “God runs to meet us with mercy, no matter how far we’ve wandered.” |
| Function | What should the sermon do? | Define the sermon’s intended effect | “Invite hearers to trust in God’s mercy and turn back to Him.” |
Example sermon outline using these three steps for Micah 6:6-8.
Micah 6:6–8 is a powerful prophetic passage that calls for heart-level obedience over ritual sacrifice. Let’s walk through Claim, Focus, and Function for a sermon based on this text, and then I’ll provide a simple outline.
Micah 6:6–8 (ASV)
“Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Step 1: The Claim
What is the theological truth revealed in the passage?
Claim:
God desires sincere, lived-out righteousness over extravagant religious offerings.
Explanation:
This passage contrasts superficial acts of piety (burnt offerings, sacrifices) with what God truly wants: lives marked by justice, mercy, and humility. It’s a theological statement about God’s priorities — He values ethical living and right relationship, not empty ritual.
Step 2: The Focus
What is this sermon about — the one big idea you want your listeners to remember?
Focus:
God calls us to live our faith through justice, mercy, and humility — not through appearances or performance.
Tip:
Use a simple, memorable phrasing for your listeners, like:
“What God wants most is not your performance, but your character.”
Step 3: The Function
What do you want the sermon to accomplish in the lives of your listeners?
Function:
This sermon will call hearers to evaluate whether their faith is performative or practiced — and invite them to align with God’s heart for justice, mercy, and humble discipleship.
Sample Sermon Outline: “What God Really Wants”
I. The Question of Worship (vv. 6–7)
- The speaker asks: What can I offer God to please Him?
- Lists extravagant sacrifices — even to the extreme of giving a firstborn.
- Reflects a religion of transaction, not relationship.
Transition: But then the voice of the prophet breaks in — not with mystery, but with clarity.
II. The Clarity of God’s Desire (v. 8)
- “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good…”
- God is not silent or hidden in His expectations.
- He wants three things:
- Do justice – Act rightly toward others, especially the vulnerable.
- Love kindness (chesed) – Live in loyal, covenantal love.
- Walk humbly with your God – A posture of submission and dependence.
III. The Call to Practice, Not Performance
- We are tempted to think religious acts are enough (church attendance, tithing, visible piety).
- But God sees deeper — into how we treat people, how we show mercy, and whether we walk humbly.
- This is not about rejecting ritual — it’s about aligning ritual with reality.
IV. Invitation and Challenge
- Where in your life might you be performing instead of practicing?
- Who needs justice from you?
- Where can you show kindness this week?
- How is your walk — is it proud and self-sufficient, or humble and dependent on God?
Prompt: Provide a short written version of this sermon — like a manuscript or devotional-style write-up.
Here’s a 15-minute sermon manuscript on Micah 6:6–8, titled “What God Really Wants.” It follows the claim-focus-function model, flows naturally for delivery, and stays within a concise time frame.
What God Really Wants
Text: Micah 6:6–8
Time: 15 minutes
Claim: God desires sincere, lived-out righteousness over extravagant religious offerings.
Focus: God calls us to live our faith through justice, mercy, and humility — not through appearances or performance.
Function: To call hearers to evaluate the authenticity of their walk with God and align their lives with His heart.
[Introduction] – “What Do You Get for the God Who Has Everything?”
Have you ever struggled to buy a gift for someone who already has everything?
Micah 6 opens with a similar dilemma — the people of Israel ask, “What can we bring before the Lord? What offering is enough?” They go big: calves a year old, thousands of rams, rivers of oil. Then even bigger: “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?”
The tone is sarcastic — they know something is wrong in their relationship with God, and they think maybe they can fix it with a better performance. Maybe if they just offer more, God will be pleased.
But God doesn’t want more stuff. He doesn’t want bigger shows.
He wants you — your heart, your actions, your walk.
[1. A Heart Misaligned – vv. 6–7]
The offerings in verses 6–7 sound spiritual, but they reflect a broken understanding of God.
- The people think they can buy God’s favor or cover over their sins with rituals.
- They’re offering things while ignoring how they live.
And let’s be honest — sometimes we do this too, don’t we?
- We show up to church, but ignore injustice in our city.
- We drop money in the offering plate, but withhold forgiveness.
- We say we love God, but live with pride and harshness.
God is not interested in hollow religion. He’s not moved by spiritual performance.
[2. A Clear Requirement – v. 8]
Micah cuts through the noise and says:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?”
And here it is — three things. Simple, but not easy.
Do Justice
This means act rightly — treat others fairly, especially the vulnerable.
It’s about more than personal morality; it’s about how we live in society.
Ask yourself: Are there people I overlook? Systems I benefit from that hurt others?
Love Kindness (Hebrew: chesed)
This is deeper than being nice. It’s covenant love — loyalty, compassion, mercy.
Loving kindness means seeking reconciliation, choosing grace, and practicing generosity.
Ask: Do I love mercy — or just tolerate it when it benefits me?
Walk Humbly with Your God
To “walk humbly” is to live in daily, faithful relationship with God.
Not rushing ahead, not lagging behind — but walking with Him.
It’s the opposite of pride. It’s dependence.
Ask: Am I walking with God — or performing for Him from a distance?
[3. What God Really Wants]
Micah reminds us: God’s heart is not hidden. His expectations aren’t a mystery.
God wants people whose faith is lived, not performed.
He wants followers who:
- Do what’s right even when it costs them,
- Show mercy even when it’s undeserved,
- And walk humbly even when they feel strong.
This isn’t about earning [buying] God’s love — it’s a response to love that’s already been shown.
Micah isn’t laying out a new law; he’s describing the fruit of knowing God.
[Conclusion & Invitation]
So the question isn’t, “What can I give to impress God?”
The better question is:
“What kind of life reflects the God I serve?”
Micah says we already know the answer.
So today, let’s take inventory:
- Is there injustice in your life that needs to be made right?
- Is there mercy you’ve been withholding?
- Is your walk with God humble, or has pride crept in?
God doesn’t need a performance.
He wants you — fully, honestly, and faithfully.
Amen.
Ideas to Include
Re: vs 8 – The old cliché is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; well, imitation of God’s loving nature is, in my view, the sincerest, or highest form of worship. – Chas Bledsoe here on BSA.
From Claude.ai – Critical biblical scholarship sees Micah’s prophecies as deeply connected to the historical realities of the Assyrian period, providing theological interpretation of momentous political events. The connections between Micah’s oracles and Hezekiah’s reforms suggest a complex interplay between prophetic critique and royal religious policy during a time of existential threat to Judah.
The enduring significance of Micah’s message—that true religion consists not in ritual but in “doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God” (Micah 6:8)—emerged from this specific historical context but transcended it to become one of the most influential ethical statements in biblical literature.
Next we move to Lachish. The second most important city in Judah after Jerusalem, Lachish was a military and administrative center in the Judean hills, but we know almost nothing about the Iron Age official cult there. Since the fortress city was besieged and destroyed by the Assyrians in 701 B.C.E., we have some information from extra-Biblical sources: From BAR.
