How to Prepare for your first or trial sermon

If you are called to preach, you will eventually get the opportunity to preach your trial or first sermon. I offer tips to ministers beginning in the ministry to help them as they prepare for their first sermon.

Things You'll Need

• A call to preach
• Obedience
• Discipline

Instructions

1. Start seeking the mind of God when you find out that you are going to be preaching your trial sermon. Keep a spirit of prayer going at all times.

2. Fast a couple a days out of the week so that your flesh can be silenced and you can hear from God as to what to say to his people.

3. Spend quality time with God and keep a notebook and pen handy at all times. You never know when God will drop something in your heart. Don't rely on your memory, write down everything that God is speaking to you. When I was preparing for my first sermon, I would spend time alone at the park in the car and just observe nature. This is where God gave me my first sermon.

4. Study the scriptures that God gives you. Use a good study Bible to do cross referencing. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible is a good bible for studying. My pastor personally recommends the Ryrie Study Bible.

5. Use Bible Study Aids like Bible Commentaries, and different Bible Versions to get a better understanding of the scriptures. Be sure you understand the Hebrew or Greek meaning of words so that you can explain the word of God better.

6. Make the Word of God applicable to today when you preach.

7. Write out your entire sermon word for word. Practice it over and over again, then make an outline of your sermon and highlight key points you want to say.

8. Pray for the anointing of God. I once heard a preacher say that if there is no anointing, then all you did was give a speech. You want the power of God to be upon you in such a way that people will want to change, people will be uplifted and will be led to Christ.

9. On the day of your sermon, arrive early and have prayer. Pray that God will anoint you, give the people a ear to hear what is being said and also save someone.

10. When you are called to the pulpit to minister, give honor to God and also honor those in leadership.

11. If time allows, sing a short song and begin your message. Be sure to speak up in the microphone. Do not yell, but speak at a natural tone. Be yourself and let God use you.

12. Pray again at the pulpit before you begin your sermon. Tell the congregation your scripture and the subject of your message and begin your sermon. Let the Holy Spirit have its way.

13. NEVER EVER go over the time you were given to speak. If your sermon time is 15 minutes, you should be done in 15 minutes or close to it. It shows that you are obedient. Being disobedient is no way to begin your ministry.

14. Don't try to tackle pastoral topics. You are to preach Jesus and Him crucified. Encourage the people of God. Let their pastor deal with issues like clothing, tithes and other sensitive subjects.

15. When you are done, return to your seat. If it is customary to kneel and have a word of prayer after your sermon, do so. When church is dismissed, greet the people and if they tell you you did a good job, be sure to give the glory back to God. Never think it was you who did the preaching or anointing. Always glorify God.

16. Continue to praise God throughout the night, because the devil may try and fight you and make you think you did not do well, or that you should have said this or that. Thank God for the opportunity to preach. Worship him throughout the night and get some rest if you can. (smile)

17. Continue to study and dedicate your life to God. You never know when God will open doors for you to minister again.

Tips & Warnings

• Obey your pastor because they watch for your soul and have to give an account to God for you. If your pastor is telling you to sit down and continue to learn, and not take preaching engagements, do just what they have said even if it hurts. Your pastor sees things that you may not see and may know some things you do not know. If you do something your pastor has told you not to do, you are in disobedience and God will not honor what you do.

• Don't let people be the cause of you failing in ministry. Sometimes when we are getting a lot of accolades, we may take it to mean that it is time for us to go out into the ministry full time or go get a church. You need to wait on God's timing and don't let people move you beyond where God has anointed you to go.

• If you are anointed people will know it. You do not have to do anything to promote yourself. Be a humble servant of God. Don't go out looking for engagements, let God open the door for you.

• Buy books that will enhance your ministry.

• Study - Study - Pray - Pray - and Study some more.

• Remember now that you have acknowledged your calling and it has been made public, the devil is going to turn up the heat on you. You have to continue to ask God to protect you and help you not to be deceived. Continue to devote yourself to Christ and live what you preach.

• << Proverbs 16:18 >> Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (KJV)

Resources

• Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
• Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages
• Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
• Preaching & Preachers
• The Ryrie KJV Study Bible Hardback