Valid Expectations

June 30, 2010 by admin

Changing habits doesn’t come easily for people. Because of this, it’s wise for preachers not to set unrealistic expectations regarding their sermons.

If you think a powerful sermon on witnessing is going to magically transform your congregation into a team of soul-winners, you’re naive. A series of well-crafted sermons on prayer still won’t result in everyone becoming a disciplined prayer-warrior overnight. The truth is, most people are very slow when it comes to changing the way they live. Because of this, it’s wise to set more realistic expectations regarding the effectiveness of your messages.

I remember back when we were producing 50-Day Spiritual Adventures. The 50 days involved eight consecutive Sundays and the seven weeks in between. I had pastors tell me they were disappointed because only 10 or 15% of their congregation did everything they were asked.

My response was that this was phenomenal. It also meant that another 15 or 20% finished a good number of the assignments. That’s incredibly high!

If 10 or 15% of those who hear you preach a given sermon or series do what you suggest, you’re way ahead of the game. At that rate, over a period of years you should see change in a high percent of your people.

My experience tells me that a 10% life-change rate would be extremely high—maybe higher than even our Lord Himself got!

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Whether you need to create a Topical Sermon, an Advent Sermon, a Christmas Sermon, an Easter Sermon, a Sermon Series, or any other Sunday Sermon, David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

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What Was That Sermon About, Anyway?

June 28, 2010 by admin

Do you want your listeners to discuss your sermon? I presume most ministers would respond “yes” to such a question.

My wife and I regularly talk about the sermons we hear. We think this is a good practice. Usually we do this on the way home from church. Sometimes we stop for a meal and continue our discussion over lunch. It’s not infrequent that one or the other person will also refer to the sermon sometime during the day.

One recent message precipitated extremely profitable discussion times for us well into the week. Conversely, another sermon left us with little to talk about. That’s because we couldn’t even figure out what the subject of that sermon was. We both knew the text. It was a Gospel account of one of Jesus’ many miracles, and a good part of the message was a retelling of what happened.

We eventually agreed on what the sermon subject apparently was, but we noted that this didn’t surface until about 20 minutes into the presentation. Working together to come up with this answer, we eventually concluded that to the best of our ability to figure things out, this must have been what his sermon subject was.

“It would certainly have helped if he had told us sooner in the sermon that was where he was headed,” observed my wife.

My response was, “It would have helped him if he could have said sooner what he was preaching about!”

It seems like such an elementary observation to make, but early on in a sermon, a listener ought to be able to identify what the message is about. (Not just the text, but the sermon subject.) Said differently, early on in a sermon, a preacher ought to be able to make clear exactly what it is he/she is talking about!

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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about? Or, what will you preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon? David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help you learn how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons. Just click here to visit David Mains’ website.

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Still Thinking About It!

June 25, 2010 by admin

A good sermon, like a good book or a good movie, is something you want to talk about. You don’t just leave church and go on to the next thing on your “to-do list.”

If it’s a good sermon, your mind has been stimulated and you want to interact with others regarding what you heard. Were they as moved as you were? What questions or comments do they have? How are the planning to respond?

I heard a sermon like this recently. My wife was away at a conference, so I went to church on my own. There were no guests to pick up, no responsibilities I needed to prepare for. I guess I went more out of habit than anything else.

But I heard a truly remarkable message. It engaged me on every level. In fact, I called Karen that very afternoon and talked with her about it on the phone. Then I went out to dinner at a quiet restaurant and wrote several pages of notes related to what had been said. It’s now several weeks later, and would you believe, I’m still wrestling with this sermon.

The message reminded me of some important biblical principles, but it also left me with the job of figuring out what I was going to do with them. I’m glad the speaker didn’t try to leave me with a finished product. It made me work through everything on my own. I think he purposely preached with this in mind. In fact, I’m sure he did.

The experience has made me wonder what people do with my sermons. Do they just say “nice message” when they leave the sanctuary, or do they talk about them with their friends, even mentally process them repeatedly in the days that follow?

Come to think about it, I’m certain that was the response of people when they heard Jesus preach!

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You can learn how to develop highly relevant Sunday sermons that grab the attention of your congregation and help your listeners respond effectively to the deep truths of God’s Word. David Mains and Mainstay Ministries have a whole range of helpful solutions. Do you need to prepare a Topical Sermon, an Advent Sermon, a Christmas Sermon, an Easter Sermon, a Sermon Series, or any other Sunday Sermon? You can find help on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons. Just click here to visit David Mains’ website.

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Is Anybody Listening?

June 23, 2010 by admin

I filled another person’s pulpit again this past Sunday. I thought I did a good job … at least for a little while I did.

The 9:30 a.m. service was followed by a 15-minute break. Then I was the guest of the young-adult Sunday School class. Instead of a normal lesson, they were given the opportunity to discuss the sermon with me. For a while I wasn’t sure the message I preached was the one they heard.

After a few minutes I quickly revised by personal opinion of my sermon. Obviously I had talked at a level that was beyond their ability to comprehend. About halfway through my message, I had sensed that some of the people weren’t following me all that clearly. This was certainly confirmed in the discussion time.

Actually, I felt pretty good about the give-and-take of the class. I was able to clarify a number of points. When the class was over, I felt that the two sessions combined made for a good morning, at least for that given group.

All told, it made me aware of the need to always go over a sermon with a sample group of people before preaching it to a whole congregation. This is harder to do when you are a guest speaker. But I now know I would have done a much better job if I had.

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Pastor, when “sermon prep day” rolls around each week, do you face the task of preparing another sermon with a frown on your face? If so, you’re not alone. Many pastors literally dread preparing their Sunday sermon. There just doesn’t seem to be an easy solution. The good news: David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help, whether you need to create a Topical Sermon, an Advent Sermon, a Christmas Sermon, an Easter Sermon, a Sermon Series, or any other Sunday Sermon. For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.