Transformational Preaching

Even above informational or inspirational, I like the adjective transformational when talking about bible sermons. For me, the bottom line regarding preaching is changed lives. Our sermonic goal is to enable people to be more Christ-like.

Message-making certainly involves conveying information that is factual, interesting and vital. And if that isn’t done in an inspirational manner, it probably won’t engage the hearers. Unfortunately, however, I have listened to any number of informational and inspirational Sunday sermons that were missing the transformational factor.

Here is a second question that needs to be answered early on in the sermon-preparation process. The first question is “What is my subject?” Question two is “What is my desired response?” Re-said, what is it I want my listeners to do? Or, what life change is the Holy.

I would guesstimate that with 90% of the church sermons I have heard, no clear response was stated. In fact, my belief is that even the person preaching couldn’t have answered that question. When putting the sermon outline together, he or she probably never thought about it.

Will such a sermon be transformational? The answer should be obvious!

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Is That What Jesus Did?

 I recall a pastor challenging what I was teaching regarding getting a handle on what your basic subject is early on in your church sermon preparation. His argument was that Jesus obviously didn’t do this. For example in His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about many topics.

I was just ready to respond when another minister attending the seminar spoke up. “Oh, but Jesus did,” he exclaimed. “In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord’s subject was the new Kingdom lifestyle. If people were going to follow Him, those many topical sermons you referred to all fit under how they should live as His followers. And our Lord’s conclusion was that if they obeyed His words they wouldn’t wash out, even in the great storms of life. But to hear His instructions and fail to obey them would be like building on sand, which as a foundation would not stand up to such storms.”

The two men continued talking back and forth for a while, after which the first pastor seemed to be satisfied, and the class continued.

I’m not altogether sure it’s necessary for me to have the backing of Jesus on this point about church sermon subjects, because nobody’s eternal destiny is at stake. But I can vouch that it helps immensely to early on in your sermon series preparation know what the subject is you plan to talk about, and the sooner you nail that down, the better off you are.

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Do You Keep a List of Sermon Ideas?

Every so often I will talk with a minister who asks me, “How do you come up with so many creative subjects to talk about? I mean, sometimes I sit at my desk and getting started on a new sermon series is like being asked to do the impossible task.”

My normal response is to ask, “Do you keep a list of possible topics? I have a long list. Often I add ideas during my quiet time. The number of possible topics is almost limitless.”

Faith — Prayer — Witnessing — Overcoming Temptation — Forgiveness — Guilt — Contentment — The Kingdom — Fear — Excuses— Pain — The Tongue — Revenge — Tears — Aging — Prophecy — Gossip — Hospitality — Freedom — Stewardship — Missions — The Conscience — Trust — Patience — War — Enemy — Salvation — Hope — Bitterness — Fame — Judging — Human Dignity — Lying — Revival — Conflict — Praise — Boasting — Heaven — Confession — Dreams — The Holy Spirit — Stress — Family — Work — Values — etc., etc., etc.

Some topics are on my list because they are an area I’m working on in my personal life. Others made it there because I picked up sermon ideas in a conversation with someone who said it was an interest or an area of personal concern. Sometimes the idea comes from an article I read, a movie I watch, or even someone else’s church sermon I heard.

Without writing these topics down, however, I find the sermon ideas too easily escape me. But once I capture them on paper or my computer and add a few notes, they are mine to return to whenever I get stuck.

Rather than having to start from scratch, I find that a good list of sermon ideas quickly engages my mind and sets it off and running once again.

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I’m Changing Subjects Now

There is a reason why it’s important early on to clarify what your church sermon subject is. Doing so should ensure that you stay on topic as you then craft your Sunday sermons. I used the word “should” because I have worked with numbers of pastors who have told me what their sermon subject was, only to somehow forget this in the process of putting their thoughts together.

Look at Luke 14:12-14, where our Lord tells us that when we have guests we should invite people who can’t repay our kindness. Examples would be the poor, the blind, the lame, etc. So the subject is something like “Hospitality According to Jesus.”

Everything in the sermon series should relate to that overall theme. Even so, I have heard sermons on this passage that have gone in various directions, including the need to witness more about the faith and also spend more time reading the Scriptures. I have no idea how those themes made it into the sermon, but they did!

Again, there’s a purpose for making sure you know what your basic church sermon subject is. It’s to ensure that you not get off-track as you lay out where you are going with your message.

Ministers will sometimes object and tell me, “But I want to talk about two or maybe three subjects in my sermon.” I tell them they can talk about as many as they want as long as they stay to their listeners, “I am finished talking about ‘Hospitality According to Jesus,’ and now I want to talk about a different topic, which is ‘__________.’”

This way, at least their people understand what’s happening, and hopefully the preacher does as well!

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