Most pastors have the opportunity to hone their preaching skills because they preach at least 45 or more times every year. In some cases, that number doubles or even triples if a particular church has multiple services.
But what if you happen to be an Associate or Assistant Pastor who only has the opportunity to preach occasionally? How can you develop the kind of excellence in preaching that you may desire?
That’s the topic of my Podcast No. 189. I encourage you to click the link on this page that will take you to my Sermon-Coach.com website and listen to this Podcast. In the meantime, let me share with you here just a few of the comments that I made on this particular Podcast.
You see, I can actually identify with what an Associate or Assistant Pastor may feel. In my current situation—after having spent many years pastoring a church and then hosting a national radio and television broadcast—I now very seldom have the opportunity to preach. I know full well that developing and maintaining the kind of skills that will prove effective in the pulpit represents a significant challenge to those who only have the opportunity to preach occasionally.
Obviously, when you preach only occasionally, you cannot hope to change the world through your one-and-off sermon. So, you must limit your expectations. This does not mean that you don’t work as hard as you can to develop a well-thought-through Subject and an equally well-thought-through expected Response. You also must invest in creating some practical How-Tos that will help those listening to your sermon make the kind of Response you hope to have them pursue.
You also must consider How Long it will take for those hearing your sermon to begin to enflesh the truth you’ve presented and see some positive effect on their lives. And, you must also make certain to construct a Key Sentence—we sometimes call this the “Key Biblical Truth Statement”—that summarizes your chosen Subject and expected Response.
I urge those of you reading this Preaching Tip to consider that even if you only speak occasionally, God can still use you to powerfully proclaim the truth of His Word and to help the people listening to you develop proper spiritual formation. Do not minimize your role as a forth-teller of God’s truth.
Pour yourself into the task of preparing your sermon. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the exact truth He wants you to share. Do everything you can to develop your skills as a communicator. Take full advantage of the Sermon-Coach Method of Sermon Development.
When the time comes to share what you’ve prepared, do so prayerfully, carefully, and with enthusiasm. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that you only get to preach on occasion. Rather, pursue every opportunity with the same kind of dedication you would give if you had the task of preaching every week.
I do encourage you to listen to Podcast No. 189 to hear the other suggestions that I offer. And know for certain that God will use you in a special way every time you faithfully share with His people whatever He has laid on your heart.
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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.
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