5 Biggest Blocks to Effective, Creative Sermon Prep
How we set ourselves up for sermon prep makes all the difference in our experience of preaching.
Below are five common mistakes preachers make that block effective, efficient sermon prep.
When we overcome these obstacles, our creativity expands and we craft sermons we believe in and are excited to offer.
And the process more often happens when we want (e.g., not during our personal time!), so we stay motivated and excited to share the Good News.
Block #1: Preaching out of obligation
This block is a risk any time we take a well-loved passion/hobby/personal endeavor and turn it into our job.
I had this experience when art I created for relaxation and love of personal expression shifted into commissioned work.
As soon as I had to fulfill an obligation, my creativity dried up and I dreaded heading into my studio.
However, my creative well and love of the craft filled up again when I stopped creating out of obligation.
Likewise, if we preach more from duty and obligation—and a desire to be paid or keep our job—and less from passion for God, the text, and the spiritual health of our listeners, we risk burnout.
This is why pouring energy and time into connecting with God and Scripture for their own sakes is never selfish or time wasted, but an absolute necessity.
Staying in love with the Source of our creativity and desire to share the Good News benefits everyone.
What will you do to stay in love?
Block #2: Waiting on the Spirit’s inspiration
Preachers are special and unique. But not that special or unique.
We are special and unique because we practice a unique, artistic endeavor with every sermon.
Our unique artistic lane weaves together God, the text, and the lives of our listeners, and endeavors to make the sermon interesting and relevant, usually on a tight deadline.
Our particular artistic lane is special and unique, but our process isn’t.
Every artist has a unique lane, and most work on deadlines—just like we do.
Writers, musicians, visual artists, graphic designers, and all others who create for a living have to find a way to produce on demand rather than at the whims of inspiration.
Yes, we depend on the Spirit to guide us.
But we don’t have to wait for the Spirit to show up because the Spirit is always already present.
Instead, we can go to the Spirit.
We can set up our calendars, hearts, and typing fingers to be available to the Spirit, who is already present and waiting on us.
What can you do to set up a creative routine that makes yourself available to the Spirit—on schedule?
Block #3: Not starting until everything is perfect
Waiting until we have the perfect process in place to begin working is an act of self-sabotage and procrastination.
If we think that we can’t begin until we have the exact right materials, or the exact right schedule, or the exact right amount of time, or are sitting in the exact right location with the exact right coffee or tea, then precious, valuable minutes are lost forever.
If we can’t start until…
…we’ll nearly always get behind on our prep because the perfect conditions hardly ever align.
What’s the least amount of “perfect” you’ll settle for to get started?
Block #4: Not having a plan
A plan doesn’t have to be perfectly executed to be effective.
Working our schedules backwards to know when we want our sermon completed— and getting the time on our calendars, knowing which materials and notes we’ll want available, and deciding where and when we’ll do our best work—all guard our focus for effective sermon prep.
However, even when the plan goes awry, a plan front-loads our decision-making about what needs to get done, and the fewer decisions we need to make, the lower the barrier to entry for getting started.
Any amount of prep at any time, even fifteen minutes here and there, adds up.
In addition, writing notes in the car, drafting a paragraph in a hospital cafeteria, reading an article while you’re on hold or standing in line—all of the pondering, studying, and scribbling in stolen moments provide forward movement.
Plus, having a plan to return to means we’ll be more likely to enter into a productive and creative flow, especially if we’re feeling additional stress because of the interruption.
And, not coincidentally, a sermon prep plan also prepares us up to meet the Spirit, who will be glad to get to work!
What’s an ideal sermon prep plan for you?
What’s a less-than-ideal plan that still lets you and the Spirit work together?
Block #5: Believing more time for sermon prep is the magic bullet to great preaching
Every preacher has a sweet spot of enough time for sermon prep to give it the devotion it requires, without too much time so that it becomes counter-productive.
Most creatives work best within constraints and on a deadline.
Constraints work because they limit our options.
And limits breed creativity.
That is, too many choices overwhelm and paralyze our decision-making.
For example, a painter doesn’t paint on one canvas with oils and acrylics and pastels and watercolors and colored pencils and markers.
If they did, they’d end up with a muddled mess.
Instead, working within the constraint of only one or two media unleashes more creative possibilities than using all of them.
Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ deserves more than the lowest common denominator of time by shoving something together in an hour.
On the other hand, simply believing that more time is necessary to create our best preaching isn’t true.
What constraints might you choose?
In addition to constraining the amount of time we give to our prep, we can also constrain:
the number of resources consulted
the number of hours devoted to exegesis
the theme explored over the next several sermons
More time doesn’t equal better sermons, but more constraints do.
When we adjust for these five common pitfalls, our efficiency and creativity increase, and our joy for preaching expands.
What will you try?
Interested in exploring ways to expand your creativity, increase your efficiency,
and grow your craft?
Check out The Collective+
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