World of Alliteration403 - Doctorate
Author:  Wayne Hinson Th.D; D.D.; Ep.D.

Chapter # 1  "The Matters of Alliteration"

There are many methods of preaching God's Word.  It is totally wrong, and a terrible mistake,
for the user of one method to ever criticize a user of another method.  It has been my privilege
to sit under the annointed preaching of some of God's finest preachers, who did not use 
alliteration, but did have the power of God upon their preaching.  With that principle settled,
this course is about one of the methods of sermon preparation which I have found to be a
great asset to any preacher who will develop these techniques. 

Before we examine the techniques of alliteration, I would like to provide you with some basic
principles concerning the preacher.  First, we will look at the matters of alliteration:

1)  It is a Heart Matter
      The two elements of heart preparation are prayer and meditation.  Some preachers think
these two are the same, but they couldn't be more wrong in that analysis.  A preacher cannot
conceivably spend hour and hours on his knees, and still have time to actually prepare his
sermon.  I am not under-emphasizing prayer, because a prayerless preacher is a powerless
preacher.  I am, however, placing an emphasis on meditation.  The Apostle Paul said, 
"Pray without ceasing".  Have you ever wondered how he accomplished this feat.  He cer-
tainly was not on his knees 24/7.  But what Paul meant was to be in the attitude of prayer.
This is meditation.  Yes, you can meditate on your sermon while performing the most menial
of physical tasks.  God created you as a multi-functional human being.  I have personally 
meditated on, and sometimes constructed a sermon while painting a house.  Many a preacher
has failed to meet their potential and expectations, because they never learned this priniciple.
You absolutely do not have to be in your study, on your knees, with your Bible opened, to 
meditate on your sermon.  One way to achieve this, is to find God's will for the sermon early
in the week.  Construct an outline then, and meditate on the meat the rest of the week.  If 
you truly meditate on that sermon, you will be ready, and I mean ready, to preach it on Sunday.

2)  It is a Head Matter
       Have you ever heard the saying, "Put your mind to it".  Well, that sure applies here.  Sermon
preparation and alliteration is a mind work.  These techniques and skills require the use of your
brain.  Scientists have theorized that the average person of average intelligence only uses 
about 20% of their mental capacity at any given time.  Now, while this might be acceptable for
the average person, you are not the average person.  You are a God-called preacher and that
requires that you must be above average.  The use of your mind can be expanded and im-
proved upon.  One simple way of achieving this, is reading.  Read what, some might ask.
Read anything you can get your hands on, that is morally, ethically and spiritually ok.  Read 
about flowers, animals, biographies.  Read about preachers and saints who went that extra
mile for God. Read, Read, Read,  The other way is to listen.  Most preachers are poor 
listeners.  Sorry, but this is true.  Ever noticed how preachers want you to amen and shout
over their preaching, but when it is your turn to preach, they turn into a wooden indian.  If you
want to be a dynamic preacher, you must learn to listen.  First, listen to God.  This goes without
saying, but I will say it anyway.  Next, listen to other preachers preach, whether in person, or
electronically.  They can teach you volumes that you will never learn any other way.  When you
go to a meeting and hear a preacher that attracts your attention, get the recording.  What you
will discover is that you probably didn't hear, more than you did.  The last way to expand your
brain, is to observe.  Watch people, because they make great sermon illustrations.  Watch
the birds, the animals, the clouds and the stars.  Be an observer.  A lot of people go through
this world without ever observing anything.  Do you think you are a good observer?.  Ok, what
did your wife wear to church this past Sunday?.. What color was her dress? You don't have
to answer, just adjust your mind to be an observer.

3)  It is a Hard Matter
     "No pain - no gain".  How true this is, in sermon preparation.  The question that is presented
to you, the God-called preacher is, "How effective do you want to be as a preacher"?  The call
comes from God, but the care, continuation and completion of that call is in your camp.  There
is no substitute for hard work.  God expects your best, your congregation expects your best.
Do you expect your best?. And the best you can do today, might not suffice for tomorrow's
challenge.  How much work is involved?  If your heart and head is right, the whatever amount of
work it takes for you to be a dynamic preaching for God is exactly the amount of work you will
yield.  Remember, hard work, or the lack of it, will show up in the pulpit - every time!

There are no books on the market concerning alliteration.  There are no set or stated rules 
that we can apply.  In this course, I have attempted to share some of my own techniques and
procedures that have proven profitable for me, and I trust that they will do the same for all 
students.

Now, we will look at the models of preaching:

1)  Do not be a Magic Preacher
     These are the ones who do nothing more than turn tricks in the pulpit.  They just tell one 
joke after another, or perform some trick to impress their audience. You are not a stand-up
comedian, you are a God-called preacher.  May I add, that a good joke, or something funny,
which is in good taste, and is relative to your message, is not out of taste or improper.  But 
once again, be a preacher, not a jokester.

2)  Do not be a Money Preacher
     This is the preacher, who is either smart enough, or dumb enough, to learn how to pull 
the emotional strings of people, for his own gain.   These are the so called "faith healers"
of our day.  Will people respond to these tactics?  By the thousands, and the number grows
every day.  However, do you want to be that man, who used these tactics, when he stands
before God in the judgment?

3)  Do not be a Materialistic Preacher
     Materialism is the ruling factor of our society.  It is also destroying our society.  It has 
become the downfall of many churches, saints, and preachers alike.  I personally know of
preachers who have mastered the knack of positive persuasion and the power of suggestion
and are using these tactics to manipulate their congregations for their own gain.

4)  Do not be a Mental Preacher
     I call these preachers "mental preachers", because their preaching closely resembles 
the language of a psychiatrist.  They use their position and power to promote themselves 
and their positive thinking agenda, and to enslave their congregations, to comply with their
man made rules.  Unfortunately, there are many of these around today.

5)  Do not be a Mislead Preacher
     These are the preachers who somehow believe, that since God called them to preach, 
all they have to do, is show up in the pupit, and God will instantly zap them with knowledge.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few of these around today.  They undoubtedly do not 
read their Bible, for Paul stated to the young preacher, Timothy, "study to show thyself 
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth".  While it is true that God's call is a divine appointment, it also true the Preacher's
commitment to study is the divine approval.  A preacher needs both the appointment and
the approval of God.

Table of Contents:

1.  The Matters of Alliteration

2.  The Method of Alliteration

3.  The Mandate of Alliteration

4.  The Maneuvers of Alliteration

5.  The Materials of Alliteration

6.  The Management of Alliteration

7.  The Mistakes of Alliteration