The Top 5 Preaching Questions Asked
What is your current, most pressing need when it comes to preaching? If I could spend just a few minutes with you, I’m sure I could guess. That’s because I’ve talked with pastors just like you and I know what preaching questions they’re asking.
I am incredibly blessed by God to do what I do. It all started with a vision when I was still a teenager, to come alongside pastors and help them be better at what they already do well. Now, for the last ten years, I have helped pastors all over the country with sermon prep, sermon research, sermon writing, and sermon delivery.
In this blog, we will look at the 5 top questions asked by pastors and leaders:
#1 How Do I Find Fresh Content?
#2 How Do I Compel My Listeners?
#3 How Do I Stay Connected With Them?
#4 How Do I Keep It All Straight?
#5 How Do I Get Better?
In those consultations, I’ve listened to the heart of pastors. I’ve heard what they need. It’s not always just a sermon for Sunday, it’s often more than that. It’s about how to be the most effective Gospel communicator they can be!
Here are the top questions I get asked on a regular basis. I wonder if you’ve also thought these same things.
Have you ever sat down to write your message for the weekend and realized you don’t know where to start? Take a look at the Sermon Starters PDF for a multitude of effective strategies to get you started.
“How Do I Find Fresh Content?”
Every pastor I know feels the pressure of weekly sermon prep. No matter what, Sunday is coming. And they want to provide the freshest, more impactful sermon for their audience.
It would be easy to just copy and paste another pastor’s sermon. But the reality is, they’re preaching to a different audience than you are. Their church is not your church. So, your sermon can’t be their sermon.
But that means you need a new sermon fifty-two times a year. Without repeating the same thing over and over again, that can be a tall order.
With the Church University Preaching Track, we don’t give you more resources, we show you how to make the most of the resources you’re already using. And we equip you to make your sermon prep more effective and efficient so you can get on with your other tasks.
“How Do I Compel My Listeners?”
You want your sermon to be compelling, not just new. But how do you make sure your audience is listening and engaged? It comes down to one idea – practice.
When you know what you’re going to say before you say it, you have a chance to sculpt it for maximum effect. That means you can work and rework that message until you know it will have the influential impact you want.
But let’s be honest, who has time for practice? It’s much easier to wing it sometimes. There are ways to keep your sermon prep time under control yet completely effective, and we want to show you how.
“How Do I Stay Connected With Them?”
Many pastors are confident in preparing and delivering their sermon regularly. But what about how they stay connected with their audience after stepping off the stage each Sunday?
This is really a question of making disciples. A Sunday sermon is usually the main way to disciple Christ followers. That’s because it’s consistent and simple. Small groups are effective, but often run the risk of losing focus. Why not combine the two? Use your sermons as conversation starters in each week’s small groups. Or better yet, take what you’ve talked about on Sunday and share it on social media Monday through Friday.
Want your sermons to get better every single week? Check out It Takes a Team to learn about 4 teams you can build or involve in your sermons.
“How Do I Keep It All Straight?”
With so much on their plates, pastors are struggling to keep it all straight. They feel like a thousand plates are spinning in the air, and it’s all on them to keep it going.
There are simple ways to keep things straight when it comes to sermon prep and writing. Scheduling techniques and to-do lists can work wonders at keeping you focused throughout the week. Checking in with your staff or key volunteers keeps everyone in the loop right up to service time each weekend. The fact is, you don’t have to keep it all straight because it’s not all on your shoulders.
“How Do I Get Better?”
Over and over again I hear pastors asking this one question. They are never content to be as good as they are. They have a growth mindset, for their church members and themselves.
Where do you go to grow? I’m not talking about spiritual growth, although maturing your faith is paramount to becoming a better minister. No, I’m talking about those books and conferences and tapes that promise to make you better quicker.
Instead, what if you had a guided resource that you can learn through at your own pace? Step by step instructions from a trusted teacher who brings a couple of decades of experience to the table. That’s what the preaching track of Church University aims to offer.
Getting better at your craft marks you as someone willing to do what it takes. It’s not about completing a course and getting credit. It’s about sharing in the wisdom gained through putting it into practice. As you follow along, you’ll discover new ideas that can help you get better at what you’re already great at.
So, are you ready to start the journey?
So, we hope you have found this resource on preaching questions helpful.
Check out these blogs on preaching, as well.
It Takes a Team to Create Sermons
Why Should You Ask for Help with Preaching?
How to Preach Online and In Person
Sermon Illustrations: Finding the “Just Right One”
Emotionally Healthy Preaching
Doug Clay on Preaching Sermons Online
Practical Tips on How To Do Sermon Prep
5 Ways to Get That Sermon Started
Preaching for Life Change
Fighting the “Last Minute” Fatigue
The 3 Parts of an Altar Call
2 Preaching Lessons Learned from COVID-19
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