Over the years I have heard many sermons that were listenable, but they weren’t necessarily memorable. In other words, the preacher held my attention for the entire time he or she was speaking, but none of the thoughts stayed with me throughout the week.
My guess is that most of those in attendance mirrored my experience. They listened politely, even laughed at the appropriate times, but once the service was over, they quickly forgot what was said.
This is not only true of sermons. The same could be said of many movies, plays, and television shows. When they’re over, they’re over. And, we don’t retain in our minds for very long what we experienced.
So what gives certain presentations staying power? What keeps bringing them back to the mind of the listener throughout the week?
One factor is the congregation being able to relate personally to what was seen or talked about. Most of us are not cops or killers. So we watch such shows but aren’t likely to think about them for very long.
In a similar fashion, we’re not kings or priests or prophets of Israel, so the preacher needs to somehow bridge that gap between the truth of the scripture passage and where we live.
Therefore, a key sermon issue with which to wrestle is, “How does what’s being talked about touch the lives of my people—and not just superficially, but in a truly meaningful way?” If that connection isn’t made, the sermon’s staying power is going to be short-lived.
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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. 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.
