A simple prayer may fittingly introduce the sermon. For example:
“God, we have been praising You to the best of our ability, and we trust that You will accept what we have done as a sincere expression of our feelings, thoughts, and convictions. Now help us as we listen to You speak to us through our pastor as he opens Scripture. Give us insight into Your truth and a desire to apply it to our lives. Amen.”
Again, whatever is used during this time must result in a positive reply to the question: “Is this a means by which the congregation can be better prepared at this point to comprehend the message I am going to give?”
Properly and carefully preparing an audience for a lecture is about as basic to good programming as one can get. Yet, it is amazing how little this primary knowledge is applied. The countless situations where a congregation moves into a message cold are unbelievable.
Once, many years ago, I was invited to speak in a very fine suburban church. My sermon dealt with the dynamic principle of Christians being a third force of reconciliation in our divided American society. I shared words of Christ that I felt related to war, poverty, and racial division. It was a vital and pertinent message! Before I spoke, however, a dear lady sang about flowers and birds—pastoral allusions that even by the wildest stretch of imagination had no bearing whatsoever on what I was saying. It is this kind of ludicrous contrast that careful planning seeks to prevent.
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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. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
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.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
