Sermon Preparation

I am currently working, rather diligently too, at building the first sermon I will be preaching to an actual congregation. I have struggled for a while on how I should go about it and how it will be an effective, exogetical sermon. I have been certain on the passage I should use. In fact, I lead a devotion with a basic 3 points from the same passage just over a month ago. I have been feeling that what I said there wouldn't be enough. It doesn't have enough meat to it, it isn't solid enough to build a full 20-40 minute sermon on. After reading the passage over and over, practicing some of my hermeneutic techniques on it, I still wasn't satisfied. This morning, I pulled out my Biblical Preaching book from one of my classes at Bethany U, and just started skimming the pages again. I soon realized that I had missed what many people consider the most important step, seeking the "Big Idea" of the passages as a whole. I've been thinking since this morning on what the big idea is for my passages, Joshua 1:1-9, and have weighed the "Be Strong & Courageous" theme, I've weighed the "Joshua stepped out and filled humongous shoes" theme, and every other thing I could think of. Unfortunately, I just didn't think any of them fit the entire passage. God has finally shown me something. The common thread is on the Lord's presence amongst his people. I finally have something that my sermon can be built on. Constantly, the book of Joshua comes back to the point of the Lord's presence, not only in 1:1-9, but in the entire book! From the beginning, it shows that the Lord is stepping in to move his people. I'm comforted and I know that this message will be one that is easily preached!