Changing habits doesn’t come easily for people. Because of this, it’s wise for preachers not to set unrealistic expectations regarding their sermons.
If you think a powerful sermon on witnessing is going to magically transform your congregation into a team of soul-winners, you’re naive. A series of well-crafted sermons on prayer still won’t result in everyone becoming a disciplined prayer-warrior overnight. The truth is, most people are very slow when it comes to changing the way they live. Because of this, it’s wise to set more realistic expectations regarding the effectiveness of your messages.
I remember back when we were producing 50-Day Spiritual Adventures. The 50 days involved eight consecutive Sundays and the seven weeks in between. I had pastors tell me they were disappointed because only 10 or 15% of their congregation did everything they were asked.
My response was that this was phenomenal. It also meant that another 15 or 20% finished a good number of the assignments. That’s incredibly high!
If 10 or 15% of those who hear you preach a given sermon or series do what you suggest, you’re way ahead of the game. At that rate, over a period of years you should see change in a high percent of your people.
My experience tells me that a 10% life-change rate would be extremely high—maybe higher than even our Lord Himself got!
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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.
