Is there anything more satisfying to a minister than knowing he or she has preached a sermon that’s a real winner?

The subject of the message was understandable. The response called for was both appropriate and practical. More importantly, God has been truly honored.

People attend church to hear a word from the Lord, and this was one of those times when His thoughts were made unmistakably clear.

What’s even better, in my mind, is when such a powerful sermon is surrounded by service elements that not only fit the theme of the spoken word, but enhance the overall church experience. How the worship relates to the message is obvious. There are no dangling unrelated service parts that detract from the whole. Instead, the various ingredients all work together in a delightful mix.

It took teamwork, including good communication and working ahead, to pull this off. But the end result was gratifying to all.

Was it worth the effort required?

You tell me.

Is there a difference between simply hitting a single home run and knocking one out of the park when the bags are loaded?

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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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“He’s a dream to work with!”

That comment came from a music director at a large church where I was recently the guest speaker.

“His sermons are always planned out weeks ahead. This gives me all the time I need to choose music that dovetails with what he’s planning to say.”

Here’s a key secret to getting ahead on your preaching schedule. Don’t think you have to finish a sermon before you can share what you have to say with another staff member or volunteer. All you need is the sermon subject and your desired response, plus the assurance that you won’t change these two essential elements.

It’s to your advantage to have these nailed down several weeks ahead of time anyway, so that your subconscious mind can be on the lookout for related materials.

“Three Sundays from now I plan to be preaching on the subject of ___________________ and the response I will be calling for is ______________________________.” That’s all you need to know to make your coworkers think that you too are a dream to work for. It’s more than enough time for them to plan a related drama, choose a choir number, pick fitting hymns, plan an appropriate children’s sermon, prepare a related Scripture reading, look for film clips, etc.

My prediction is that once you get used to working ahead on your sermon subjects and responses a few Sundays out, you’ll never go back to the last-minute, late-night way of doing things.

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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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