Friends know that my work relates to helping ministers with their sermons. So they’re probably more open to me probing them with questions than they would be to someone else. Here’s one I’ve asked people any number of times. “Do you think you’ll reflect on today’s sermon again, or will it just kind of vanish from your consciousness?”

Usually the answer is that for all practical purposes the impact of the sermon was over as soon as the church service ended. It just somehow got swallowed up in the busyness of life. It’s not that the message wasn’t interesting; it’s just that for whatever reason, “poof” it vanished!

Every so often there are times when someone will say, “I found the sermon extremely helpful, and yes, I’ll probably reflect back on it any number of times.”

Having listened to a given sermon myself, I can usually predict what the answer will be. Strangely enough, it seldom has to do with what the subject was.

When someone answers, “I’ll probably think about the message a number of times this week,” it’s because a specific response was called for. On the other hand, if the challenge put forth wasn’t clear or was nonexistent, the sermon will probably die a quick death. But when a clear and fair response is called for, listeners could wrestle with the matter for some time before the issue is settled.

All of which prompts me to ask, “What response did you ask for last Sunday, and how does this observation relate to the next sermon you are working on?”

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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.

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A sermon I listened to recently illustrated what I think is a common preaching error. The speaker, who had a charming communication style, told a long (10+ minutes) closing story that had little to do with his text or his main sermon thrust.

Was it a good story? Yes, it was quite powerful partly because it came from his personal life. Did he tell it well? No question about that. You could hear the congregation respond at various points. Did it have an emotional impact? Absolutely! But did it fit his text and the point he had established early? Not really!

Later in the week I saw a neighbor and told him that I had seen the back of his head in church, even though I didn’t get a chance to say hello. “What did you think of the guest speaker?” he asked.

“I liked him as a person” I responded, purposely attempting to remain positive. He had a really winsome personality. “What about you?”

“Well, he certainly kept my attention.” he said. “But I couldn’t figure out what his last story had to do with his overall sermon. It seemed rather forced.”

“I had that same reaction.” I said, glad that someone else had noticed what was so obvious to me.

A great illustration helps make a sermon powerful only if the two mesh properly. I have observed numerous situations where this has been the case, and I’ve also heard any number of times when it hasn’t been.

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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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