How to Prepare a Sermon (easy)
Perhaps one of the most common challenges a pastor faces is the preparation of a strong and motivating sermon each week. Your congregation likely looks forward to hearing you speak about different issues and your audience trusts you to share what the Bible says about life topics and problems. Whether you've had public speaking experience before or are new to preparing sermons, there are several steps you can take to deliver an uplifting and spiritual message to your church.
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Instructions
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Select a topic or theme you want to cover. If possible, choose something that applies to current world events or a topic that coincides with things your Sunday school classes are currently teaching. For example, you could discuss the theme of war as portrayed in the Bible or talk about the issue of adultery.
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Locate scripture references to share during your sermon. Use the concordance in the back of your Bible to find verses that relate to the issue at hand or use a separate, professional concordance to find a larger variety of passages. You can buy an expansive Bible concordance at any Christian bookstore. Incorporate the scripture throughout your sermon to back up key points.
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Prepare an outline to keep you on track while you preach. You may choose to share this outline with your congregation so they can follow along in their bulletins, or perhaps you'd like to keep this to yourself as a private guideline to help you stay focused while you speak.
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Share interesting, applicable stories throughout your sermon. You may choose to share a related joke or even a news story that applies to the issue at hand. Stories help keep your audience focused and interested in what you have to say.
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End your sermon on a high note. You may choose to end with a prayer, a song or even a call to action. The end of your sermon should offer hope to your listeners, especially if your sermon was dreary in nature. For example, maybe you chose to talk about sin or death and now your congregation feels a little down. Choose an uplifting song or share an encouraging verse with your audience to help them leave feeling nurtured.
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References
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