The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible – Psalms Part 2

The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible from Leadership Ministries Worldwide was developed to give preachers and teachers everything they need to develop their messages. They include the Bible in KJV, sermon outlines, commentary, illustrations, references, discussions, and lots more. This lets you save time in preparation without having to cut corners. This edition is Psalms volume 2 which cover Psalms 42-106. This is a softcover book with very thick paper.

Typography

There are multiple layouts depending on the type of content. This isn’t typeset like a regular Bible. Instead, it’s optimized for notes. One page might contain 8 verses and then there might not be any more Scriptures for several pages. The notes are the primary focus. This makes sense considering how many notes there are in a single volume.

The Bible portion is set in four columns. The two center columns are the Scriptures in a large 10-point font. The inner and outer columns contain outlines of the text which includes major points and sub-points. There are bold subject headings at the beginning of each section of Scripture. These are numbered.

Commentary appears below the Scriptures. The commentary is keyed to the subject headings within the text and outlines in the inner and outer columns.

Commentary

The notes draw from classic commentaries and reference works. It gives a list of these works in the front. It includes insights into the historical and cultural context. The notes do cover verse by verse, but they also cover the context of the passage. I like this because it helps keep the verses in their proper context and lets you see the big picture as well as the details. It’s filled with ideas and thoughts. It also has lots of Scripture. If the notes reference a passage, whether it’s from the Old or New Testament, the entire passage is printed within the notes. These stand out because they’re in bold print.

It takes a high level of depth and study and presents it in a way that’s easy to build messages from. It saves time because there’s less searching involved. The notes are designed to help ministers make a difference. It’s not just head knowledge. It’s the kind of tools that help the minters reach the hearts of their hearers. They provide excellent resources to get your messages started. The notes can’t answer every question or present every point of view, so this can’t be the only tool you’ll ever need but it does have a lot of good information and you won’t have to use other tools that often. As always, I recommend you include this with your own study.

It’s structured so that everything is easy to find. You look at the portion of Scripture you want the note for and get the number given in the margin or in the subject heading. Next turn to that number in the commentary.

Other Sections

Before and after the text and commentary there are several sections with information.

References

It has 3.5 pages of references and commentaries. References include popular study Bibles and well-known scholars and works that includes dictionaries and commentaries. These works are also cited at the bottom of the pages where they’re referenced. I like that this was added so you can know what tools you might be interested in buying and you can have the original sources so you can cite them in your own reference work.

Abbreviations

This is a table that includes common words and the books of the Bible with their names, abbreviations, and number of chapters.

Our Approach and Keys to Understanding Psalms

This is a 3-page explanation of their mindset when digging into the Psalms and the keys to understanding the different books within Psalms. It talks about the way Psalms is organized, the types and categories, the spiritual purpose, the titles and headings, musical terms, and the names of God in the Psalms.

Book Introduction

The book introduction takes 3.5 pages and includes:

• Author
• Date Written
• To Whom Written
• Purpose
• Special Features

All of this information contains a lot of depth and detail.

An Extensive Historical and Practical Background to the Times of Psalms

This is 12 pages and covers 7 divisions:

• The Story of Saul and David Part 1
• The Story of Saul and David Part 2
• The Story of David’s Personal Weaknesses, Failures, and Crises
• The Utter Disintegration and Fall of Israel, the Northern Kingdom
• The Utter Disintegration and Fall of Judah, the Southern Kingdom
• The First Return of Exiles from Captivity and Their Resettlement
• The Second Return of Exiles from Captivity and Their Resettlement

Outline of Psalms

This is a detailed outline that covers chapters 42-105. The outline is the same as the subject headings found in the text.

Outline and Subject Index

In the back is a 16-page index of subjects that appear in this volume. The subject gives you the verses to turn to.

Conclusion

The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible is an excellent tool for study and message prep. If you only have one tool then this one is a good choice because it references so many other works. Just like any study material, don’t let it take the place of your study. With that said, it’s a great resource for message prep. In fact it’s far better than most tools out there. It’s an excellent investment.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review. My opinions are my own.