Every preacher wants to improve. We read books on preaching, listen to gifted communicators, attend conferences, and ask trusted friends for feedback. Most pastors know the obvious sermon mistakes: preaching too long, failing to prepare, lacking a clear structure, or speaking in a monotone.
But some of the greatest sermon weaknesses are much more subtle.
These habits rarely appear in preaching textbooks, yet they quietly diminish a sermon’s effectiveness week after week. None of them are catastrophic. In fact, many faithful pastors occasionally commit several of these mistakes. The good news is that once you recognize them, they are usually easy to correct.
Here are fifteen largely unnoticed ways pastors unintentionally weaken their sermons.
1. Saying, “Research shows…” without citing the research.
Few phrases sound more authoritative than “Research shows…” Unfortunately, it has also become one of the most overused expressions in preaching.
If you’re going to appeal to outside
