I sometimes listen to preachers with amazement, if not awe. So many of them are incredibly effective in communicating God’s Word, so much more effective than I ever was or will be. I certainly understand that assessing effectiveness is a very subjective assignment. But, simply put, a number of preachers I have observed are incredible in explaining and applying the Word. As a consequence, God changes lives and saves people.
The best I can do is to be a student of these preachers, and to share with you seven key habits I have observed in most of them. I regularly ask these preachers about the way they go about preparing, preaching, and evaluating their messages. My list is fallible, but I do hope it’s helpful.
- They give preaching a priority in their ministries. A pastor has a 24/7, always on call schedule. It’s easy to let sermon preparation slide with the demands of the moment. The outstanding preachers I know give preaching a very high priority. They make certain they put the hours in to communicate effectively and powerfully.
- They make their sermons a vital part of their prayer lives. Here is a quote from one of those preachers I believe to be one of the most effective alive today: “I cannot imagine sermon preparation and delivery in my power alone. I regularly plead with God to anoint my preaching and to guide me in my sermon preparation.”
- They have a routine in sermon preparation. To the best of their abilities, these effective preachers set aside many hours a week on their calendars for sermon preparation. And while emergencies will happen, they do their best to stay committed to that time. Most of them have specific days and times of day when they work on their sermons.
- They constantly seek input about their messages. I know one pastor whose wife listens to each of his sermons ahead of his preaching. She offers valuable input to her husband. Many of these pastors have mentors and church members who help them evaluate their messages. And a number of them watch and listen to their recorded sermons within a week after preaching them.
- They stay committed to a specific sermon length. The pastors with whom I spoke have sermons that range in length from 25 minutes to 45 minutes. But they all are consistent each week on their specific length. In other words, a pastor who preaches a message 30 minutes in length will do so consistently each week. They have learned that their congregations adapt to their preaching length, and that inconsistency can be frustrating to the members.
- They put the majority of their efforts into one message a week. Some of the pastors were expected to preach different sermons each week, such as a Sunday morning message and a Sunday evening message. But, to the person, they all told me they can only prepare and preach one sermon effectively each week. The Sunday evening message, for example, is either an old message or a poorly prepared message.
- They are constantly looking for ways to improve their communication skills. So they do more than just seek feedback, as noted in number four above. They read books on communications. They listen to other effective communicators. And they are regularly in touch with the context of their church and its community, so that their messages are not only biblical, but relevant as well.
The readers of this blog include some very effective preachers, and it includes many of you who listen to effective communicators. I would love to hear your perspectives on effective preaching.
Check out our $5 ebook, Sermon Starters: Outlines for Every Holiday & Occasion to kick start your sermon preparation process.
photo credit: Chris Yarzab via photopin cc
Posted on March 26, 2014
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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93 Comments
Spot on, especially the first 3! If the first 3 are not practiced then burn out and depending on self will soon take over!
I would also like to add that #4 is extremely tough for some of us. We have to let go of our pride and accept the fact that our sermons have room for improvement. Listen to constructive criticism. Welcome it. Learn from it. Grow from it.
Tough but true, Jeremiah. Thank you.
On the subject of “preparing 3 sermons per week”, I’m not aware of any effective churches ( = growing disciples, multiplying congregations, engaging lostness) in our geographic locale that still have the typical Sunday morning-Sunday night-Wednesday night weekly format.
I’d encourage any pastors / churches that do to read the book “Simple Church”. It changed my life and ministry forever.
Thanks Tony. I know the authors!
Cameron –
Allow me to give you three outstanding representatives of three different approaches to preaching: Matt Chandler, Johnny Hunt, and Andy Stanley. Of course, there are many more. By the way, if you want to hear another young outstanding pastor I know pretty well, you can listen to Sam Rainer.
Thom,
As a young leader I benefit from your leadership articles from week to week. Thanks for your consistent and helpful blog.
You might not feel comfortable doing so but would you recommend any particular preachers for pod-casting, that you feel embodies the qualities you cited above?
Thanks,
Cameron
As I am a newbie at being the pastor of a church plant (4 weeks old), I have never had to do more than one sermon a week. I’m glad that God has provided me the opportunity to hear from those who have paved the way for me. My mentors have all said that they would have loved to have someone tell them what they are telling me or what I’m learning from you all.
I honestly count my blessings for good counsel (face-to-face and through electronic means).
Thanks again for another good read. This hits home for me. I work full-time outside of pastoral ministry and pastor a church of about 70 folks in the northern wastes of New England. So my time committed to sermon prep is very valuable to me. I appreciate the constant encouragement I get here.
Leaders like you, Todd, are my heroes. You are on the front line of ministry in a challenging mission field. I am simply sitting behind a keyboard reporting on ministries like yours. I owe you the thanks.
Oh, to be a more effective preacher! On the subject of second and third weekly sermons, is it the same thing to say “poorly planned” as “preaching from a passage previously studied in depth?”
Thom, can you clarify something about your sampling of effective preachers? What percentage (est.) of them are solo pastors vs. preaching pastors in churches with multiple staff? Not that this should change the definition of “effective,” but perhaps to demonstrate the value of “distribution of labor.”
Aaron –
I hesitate to call my survey a sample, since it really was just a series of informal questions and conversations. To answer you specifically, I spoke with just over 30 pastors. About 20 of them had multiple staff; the rest were solo pastors.
I’m so glad you included #6 (majority of effort into one message). For the first 13 years of my ministry, I was expected to preach three times a week. I struggled in silence because nobody wants to hear their preacher complain about the privilege of preaching – especially school teachers.
Your advise is spot-on. If we effectively wrap our hearts and minds around that one sermon which will make the greatest impact, all will be blessed, including us.
I would add one more option for Sun/Wed night resources – material from other pastors/authors (be sure to give credit). I think it is a better alternative than a poorly prepared message. LifeWay has a lot of free resources for pastors at lifeway.com/pastorstoday. There are many helpful articles as well as a “sermons” tab on the top of the page that will give you access to hundreds of free sermons.
Thanks Mark. Your advice is good. And thanks for pointing folks to Pastors Today.
Dr. Rainer,
I first want to thank you for investing in the lives and ministries of pastors around the world. I truly appreciate your leadership and mentoring.
1) It is a great task that you remember, and know well, to prepare a sermon week after week. For many, like myself, that preparation includes 3 sermons during the week. I have struggled often.
2) I am learning from you and others the importance of communication, and the practice of listening and watching my sermons most recently preached.
**REMEMBER THE GONG SHOW?? Ouch!
I understand. Every time I watch/hear myself on video, I conclude I am the worst preacher/speaker ever!
Actually no, I am…lol. A few months ago, my wife told me that the sermon on that particular day was real good. I asked her where she had been…lol! BTW, I always enjoy reading your blogs/articles and I always benefit from them. Also, as a bi-vocational pastor preaching three sermons per week, I spend as much time as possible preparing sermons and Bible Studies.
You are one of my heroes Jeff.
As a young man called to preach, this is a great article to come back to on a regular basis. We should always seek ways to hone our skills in every area of ministry.
Thank you Gary. God’s blessings as you become a more effective preacher of the Word!
I disagree with number six. If we are full time and it’s our job to preach, then we should be fully prepared for as many sermon opportunities as God can give. Can you imagine Lebron James saying that he can only be expected to play one good basketball game per week and that if he plays more it will be poorly played? I personally preach 3 different sermons a week and my people deserve my absolute best for all 3.
Thanks Josh. How many hours a week do you typically put into preparing three sermons?
I usually spend one full day (8 hours) on my Wednesday sermon, one full day on my Sunday night sermon and two full days on Sunday morning.
I’m curious Josh. I assume you get one other day off during Monday through Friday, and then Saturday. (Forgive me if I’m wrong here) And you preach on Sunday. If you spend four full days on sermon prep, and then Sunday services (as the fifth day of ‘work’) how do you manage your other responsibilities during the week? Or has the church been organized to take other things off your plate to free you to spend that much time on sermon prep?
I try and take mondays off, but there are no days off in ministry. I try and take evenings off, but there are no evenings off in ministry. I try and stay with a set routine of study hours, but there are no set routines in ministry. Often I find myself behind on my studies and staying up all night to catch up. Thats ministry…
Josh,
I am concerned about your schedule and assertion that there are no “days off, evenings off, etc” in ministry. Brother, if you continue with that belief and the hours you are putting in, you will burn out and become less effective. I assume there is no wife and children from the response, if I am incorrect, please remember that our wife and children come before the congregations needs. I have known many ministers with a similar work ethic and non of them lasted in the ministry. Please only take this as a concern and not criticism.
Agree with Brett.
Where do you fit in pastoral care with your schedule? I find that I have to spend a great deal of time merely in emails, phone calls, social media, visitations, even cleaning my office, Bible studies, etc and struggle to find time for Sunday.
I find this unwise. Where do you fit time for family and other responsibilities? I’m a bivocational pastor, but even for someone who is fully supported 32 hours on sermon prep doesn’t leave much room in the schedule for other important things.
>try to take mondays off.
There is no try.
There is success or failure.
What I am wondering is what you do for 8/16 hours to prepare a sermon, and how long that sermon lasts.
Josh, I understand your concern, but preparing a sermon is nothing like playing in a basketball game. If Lebron was expected to learn entirely different tactics and strategies for each game, then I could see the connection. But each time we preach, we must sit down anew with each passage to learn that passage, study that passage, structure our messages, prepare effective illustrations, and all the other work that must be repeated each time we prepare.
And I believe I share your concern, but it’s about the wording. I wouldn’t call my Sunday night sermons “poor,” I just wouldn’t call them polished. Sunday mornings, the sermons are polished, neatly arranged, and everything is meticulously prepared because I have 30 minutes or less to effectively present God’s Word for many whom I will not see again until next Sunday. Sunday nights, I get 45 to 50 minutes to talk to specific audience of specific adults in a much smaller crowd. Again, I wouldn’t call Sunday nights “poor,” I would say “relaxed” would be a better term. I loath the idea of presenting a poor sermon.
Wednesday night is straight Bible study, and more than once, I’ve presented ideas I’ve heard, old lessons, or material from my quiet time as spiritual food for thought.
But ultimately, I agree: Only one sermon during the week is going to be top notch.
Thomas, I respectfully disagree. I believe that its my job to present top notch sermons to my church 3 times per week and 52 weeks per year. Its my job to pray, prepare and to present sermons and thats what I do. But to each their own…
time to get back to praying and preparing so I can be presenting a top notch sermon tonight…
3 sermons a week at 52 weeks a year? Don’t you take vacation?
Also, who are these sermons for? You keep mentioning bringing forth top notch messages for the church but are they for the explicit purpose of glorifying Jesus?
The way your responses are worded give me the implications that perhaps the message are more for yourself than for the purpose of glorifying God. That may not be your intent but that’s how I keep reading your responses. The purpose of preaching is not to say how great the preacher is but to elevate the congregation’s eyes to God so people say “How Great Thou Art.” Hopefully, you agree with that too.
Steve,
I believe that Josh was using the “top notch” terminology to refute the argument presented in the initial blog post.
Point #6 infers that concentrating on more than one sermon a week means that the one sermon would be “top notch” while the other one would be “poorly prepared”. He is arguing that he, in fact, can produce three impressively prepared sermons without neglecting one of them because the congregation deserves his best.
My dad was a coal miner and worked 60-70 hours a week underground. He came home tired, dirty and in pain every night. He didnt take days off or weeks off because that was his job. I figure if my dad gave his all underground then I can give my all for God. If that includes 32 hours of sermon prep for 3 sermons a week, I am blessed because Im not underground. If that includes late night visits, emails, calls, hospitals and funerals, I am blessed because Im not underground. If that includes no vacations or sundays off, I am blessed because Im not underground. If that includes the occasional person saying I am doing it for myself and not for God, I am blessed because Im not underground. If that includes sore fingers from typing and hurt eyes from reading, I am blessed because I am not underground.
My dad always tells me, God blesses hard work…
Ponder on the Catholic Priest that technically has to deliver between 7 and 49 homilies per week.
(I know that the majority of Catholic churches only have Mass thrice a week, if that, but if they operate according to Cannon Law, Mass would celebrated daily, either during Lauds, Matens, or Vespers. Add Prime, Terce, Sext, and None if the priest wants to celebrate the full complement of Liturgical Hours.)
I’d love to hear your sermon on the Sabbath Josh…
Funny, this article was forwarded to me and I love it. My only concern was with the wording of #6. Enjoyed Thomas McCuddy’s thoughts. Tough balance with a schedule like Josh’s and doesn’t seem like much time for family, outreach or discipleship. Jesus was often mingling with his men and dealing directly with sinners. (I understand Acts 6…”Give ourselves more fully to…”) but isn’t there a social side to pastoring?
I look at sermons as meals. Some are meaty and like a juicy steak off the grill with a cream cheese jalapeno wrapped in bacon. Some are like a burger with fries (or salad if that’s how you roll) but nonetheless, if you apply the other 6 suggestions to each of the three sermons, put in the study and pray to get the mind of God for that service. Plus if you have a healthy flow of new converts you really don’t lay in heavy every time.
Have any of y’all ever worked on sermons with a pastor friend? (I call it sermonizing) But that was huge for me as a bi-vocational pastor cranking out 3 sermons a week. We would connect and in an hour or two have a couple sermon outlines with many illustrations and cross references. Than in private time personalize it and finish it up…Curious if that’s worked for others?
J.W., I have done sermon prep with a buddy – even preaching the same sermon on the same day. Great experience! Way better than “on my own”.
Josh,
Reading your comments on here I have to wonder if you have a family. You keep saying there is no time off in ministry and I think you are heading for trouble with that mindset, in many ways. I’m trying to figure out how you build a relationship with any of your people with that schedule you seem to have.
If you can do all that, have a personal touch with your flock, take care of your family as God calls us to do, and still get some sleep, congratulations. However, I think most of us regular humans are not so driven to be as perfect in the pulpit as you.
Called to give our best!
Worship is a time of awe and reverence, focusing on the One True God. We surrender to Him and delight in His worthiness. His power and beauty, grace, mercy, and love fill us with a passion that declares His excellences. How can we argue anything but giving Him our best at all times? The Apostle Peter writes, “Because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” Our Lord described the widow’s gift as “everything she possessed – all she had to live on.” And, David said that unless it has costs don’t offer it to God.
Nevertheless, your analogy of a great athlete playing his best game without proper rest is flawed. Rest is necessary to perform at our best and serve at our best. Dr. Rainer and those who have concern for you are speaking from the heart. God calls us to love Him will all our heart, soul and mind. And, your passion to give Him your best is heartwarming and not to be discouraged. Committed athletes will give their best at all times, but a good coach will recognize fatigue and rest the athlete for the benefit of the team.
I believe Dr. Rainer’s point is that you train for the big game, which is generally speaking, Sunday morning. That doesn’t mean that Sunday evening or Wednesday night is less important. It simple means you are not the main attraction. Christ-centered leadership gives ownership through a team concept. Jesus invited us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Christ instructs His followers to lead by following His example. Jesus not only taught servant leadership, He modeled it as He gave His life for many!
Volunteers need to be purposefully engaged in significant roles throughout the church. Pecking orders typical of secular organizations are increasingly being met with resistance by a detached world hungering for personal relationships. Notwithstanding the need for competent Christian leadership; biblical principles command a team approach to leadership. The New Testament church is an organic, not organizational, notion. Jesus is the head of the church, He is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Open-participatory fellowship is God’s plan toward change in the lives of His people. Shared-life, experiential spirit lead transformation, according to God’s plan, is from the beginning Christ-centered. Authoritarian governance disengages believers and cools the Spirit. God warns against quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Interpersonal relationships committed to shared responsibilities and authority is what Christ modeled and taught to His disciples. A spiritual body cannot function under control of any one member or select group of members. Every Christian has a spiritual gift(s). Use the gifts of others in your church. Let Wednesday evenings be a time for prayer meetings. We are called to bear one another’s burdens. You will be amazed at what you learn about others by listening to them pray. Let Sunday evening be a continuation of the Sunday morning service to go a little deeper. Most people who attend on Sunday evening are seasoned and desire more.
Preaching is your gift, but being a good husband, father, son, and friend and brother in Christ is also your God given responsibility. Listen and learn from those who have been there and done that. Dr. Rainer is dead on.
God bless you for all that you do in the name of Christ Jesus. I am praying for you.
Steve
I agree with Josh and want to add that only on special occasions should there be preaching. Matt 28 says TEACHING, and if a pastor was teaching that book it would not be “A” sermon but a series that people could follow in their own Bible, write notes,etc but most important they would learn what Jesus Instructed us to do and that is teach. Even if you miss one sunday in the Matthew “series the pieces of Sunday would fit together like a puzzle and listening to the message would help fill in the gaps on your absent sunday, Ideally we will follow the verse and our small groups during the week will use the pastor’s last sunday message as a spring board to defining application to our lives. Always good topics on here.
Hi Josh, How old are you? Do you have a family? How big is your church?
Where did you get your training?
I would like to remind all of you that the Puritans of old preached 7 to 8 sermons a week. I know that seems extreme, but I agree with Josh that we have set our sights too low. Should the pastor right out of seminary preach three times a week and expect good preaching in all? Definitely not. I began preaching once a month, then twice a month. Now, after a decade of regular preaching, I preach every Sunday morning and 2 Sunday evenings month. I spend close to 30 hours of a 60 hour week (including Sundays) preparing sermons, leaving plenty of time for other pastoral duties. I have a wife and six kids and am able to fulfill my duties there as well. Dr. Rainer already explained how this is possible: #3: routine. When I arrived in my current position, my schedule was full with one sermon. But, as my routine became routine, my time management increased so that after two years, I was able to add in the extra sermon twice a month. As that became routine, I now am used to the routine and have little trouble with it. Am I able to do what the puritans did? Not right now! Will I ever be able to write/preach/deliver that many sermons? Probably not. But I’m not content to simply say I should only preach once a week. My desire is to preach as often as I can, as well as I can, not that I have achieved all this, but to this end I strive with the energy of Christ working in me.