this is today

One of the best changes I have made to my weekly routine in the last 12 months is to use Mindjet MindManager software to put together my messages.

MindManager is a mind mapper; it enables you to easily and quickly arrange and re-arrange your thoughts, which for me has made all the difference in the time I take to put together a message.

I previously typed my messages long-hand, almost word-for-word as I would speak it. This was not great for a couple of reasons 1) I never stuck to the ‘script’ anyhow and 2) it took forever to write and then edit / re-edit.

The new regime has revolutionised all that. I can easily add and amend the key thoughts in the message, colour-code the verses, quotes and examples I am using, and have the entire message in front on me on a single page! If you love to see the big picture like me it’s brilliant!

To get an idea of what it all looks like here’s an image of what I take with me to preach. At risk of sounding like an infomercial, I’d really recommend you check out this sort of software and approach to your message prep and save yourself a heap of hours each week in the process.

Update: Here is a larger image of a sermon using the mind map (jpg)