How far are you in your sermon plans for this coming Sunday?
My contention has always been that once you know the answer to four basic questions, the overall direction of your sermon has been set and the bigger part of your job has been done.
So first, what’s the basic subject you’ll be preaching about? Note that I didn’t ask what your text is, but what is your sermon subject? My sermon subject for this coming Sunday is _________________________.
Next I want to know the response you will be calling for. Here’s what I want my people to do or understand or think, etc. The specific response I will be asking of my listeners is _________________________.
Third, do your people know how to pull this off on their own, or will they need further suggestions? For example, the response of them being “more fully dedicated to Christ” could be unclear and probably hard for listeners to get a handle on. The how-to I am suggesting in my sermon is _________________________.
Finally, what about the how-long factor? How long will it take before what you are suggesting becomes incorporated into their lives? Is a one-week time frame reasonable? If not, what is? Listeners have a right to know what is a reasonable amount of time for them to adjust to this challenge. To pull off what I am preaching about should take ____________________.
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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.
For so many of us, the Christmas celebration can be a mile wide and an inch deep. We tire ourselves with an ever-growing list of gifts to buy, activities to complete, and traditions to uphold. And through a maze of cards and calls, outreach and entertainment, we struggle to connect with others in meaningful ways. Our intentions are sincere, but often trivial. When we look back on the season, we’re often left feeling like our holidays somehow lost the Christ in Christmas, and only touched the surface.
Every pastor needs resources to help him or her find appropriate Sermons for Advent and Sermons for Christmas. With Christmas Sermon resources from Mainstay Ministries, you can help your congregation season their Christmas traditions with the flavor of Christ. More than simply helping them to remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” you can encourage people to focus on Christ in the very traditions that have become part of our celebration of Christmas: decorating our homes, conveying Christmas greetings, giving and receiving gifts, gathering with family and friends, entering the new year with goals. Click here to see a list of special Christmas Sermon Packages available.
Looking forward to Christmas? Looking for key Sermon Ideas? Wondering what to preach throughout the Christmas Season? Searching for help in preparing for your Sermons on Christmas Day? In addition to the above special offer, Mainstay Ministries has many valuable resources filled with Christmas Sermon Ideas to help you plan for your Christmas preaching and for such Sunday Sermons, including resources for the following: Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermon, Advent Sermon Series, Advent Sunday Sermons, Christmas Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermon, and Christmas Sermon Series. Connect with us on-line by clicking here.
