In my week, Monday begins a new sermon preparation process. As one friend said recently, “As soon as I wake up on Monday morning I feel the next sermon tapping me on the shoulder.” Application is one important aspect of this preparation. As I work on sermon structure and content I am also stockpiling a list of potential avenues for personal and corporate application. Although it is time consuming and mind engaging, I don’t find this part of sermon prep particularly difficult. What is more difficult, in my view, is how to deploy the application.
One of the traps that preachers get into is a predictable routine. In the event that the preacher is organized he is often a bit too organized–and predictable. Surely you have heard sermons that have a story on the front end, the outline introduced (3 whatevers that ensure faithful….) and then the working through each of the points, a list of application points at the end, a quote, a plea, and then a prayer. Week after week these boiler plate sermons are served up with the creativity of a cafeteria lunch.
My plea is this: mix it up a bit. Keep reading
Photo credit: Pixabay, public domain
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