Creating Sermons That Stick

The polls are consistent. When asked what their favorite part of the job was, the vast majority of pastors said it was preaching. Moreover, when asked what they felt their ministry strength was, they again said that it was their preaching.

Yet, according to one 2022 survey 94% of sermons are forgotten by congregants by Wednesday. Even more disconcerting, the survey said that 44% reported that they had forgotten the sermon by Monday!

As a preacher myself, I can tell you that really stings.  After pouring one’s soul into study and preparation, only to realize that you really didn’t connect with your listeners like you’d hoped for is heartbreaking.

In this week's blog, I’d like to offer pastors and church leaders three keys to creating sermons that stick.
 

Key #1 – Hook them early.

Congregants don’t enter your church as “blank slates.” As they slip into their seats on Sunday, they are facing all sorts of issues that dominate their thinking. Unless you grab their attention early on, they will tune you out and start drifting mentally. 

However, here’s something hopeful in all of this: people are willing, even eager, to engage in content that piques their interest. But you only get a few moments to establish this. If your opening doesn’t create curiosity or address a felt need early on, you can lose your audience before you even get to your text.

So, in your sermon preparation, don’t discount the importance of the first few minutes. Start thinking about the struggles, the longings, or the fears that people are grappling with. And then open your talk with a compelling question, a surprising fact, or a relatable story.

This creates a “hook” which draws your audience in with a sense of, “Hmmm, I want to hear more about this and how to handle it.”

Remember: the first few moments are critical to capturing their attention. So don’t waste them lest you end up with listeners who have already bailed out.

 

Key #2 – Identify the “big idea.”

It’s been said that a mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew. If you can’t summarize the “big idea” of the sermon in one single, succinct sentence, you need to rethink your preaching.

A pastor named Brian Chapell regularly submits himself to what he calls the “3 A.M. Test.”  The 3 A.M. Test requires you to imagine a spouse, a child, or a parishioner awakening you from a deep sleep in the middle of the night and asking you, “What’s the sermon about today?” 

If you cannot give a crisp, concise answer, you know your sermon is half-baked.  Thoughts you cannot gather at 3 A.M. are not likely to be caught by others at 11 A.M. 

To clarify your overarching point, ask yourself, “What is the one thing I want people to remember in this talk?” Everything in the sermon should address this big idea, and if it doesn’t, cut it out.

Most sermons do not fail due to a lack of content. They fail due to too much content. And with so much to consider, the hearers don’t know where to focus.

More is not necessarily better.  To add historical detail after detail or to wax eloquent about the original language (that which might be incredibly interesting and important to the preacher), all too often causes the eyes of his/her listeners to glaze over.

Sometimes, less is better. In the words of Chuck Swindoll, “The best preachers are known for what is left on the cutting room floor.”

 

Key # 3 – Offer Monday morning application.

Successful preaching isn’t simply a matter of teaching biblical truth. It’s a matter of demonstrating how that truth can be lived out in the real world. People crave practical, actionable steps that can help them do this on Monday morning.

Here’s the deal: By the time most preachers get to the end of their message, they have spent so much time offering content that they are forced to skimp on application, offering vague generalities that help no one.

In light of this, homiletics professor David Larson recommends that his students spend two-thirds of their study time on the last one-third of the message.  You may not agree on that percentage of time allotment, but you should at least acknowledge that it makes no sense to spend the least amount of preparation on that aspect of the sermon that holds the greatest potential.

There are three filters that I’ve found to be helpful in assessing my application. Is it biblical, measurable, and attainable? There is a danger in neglecting any of these. 

If the application is not biblically supported, you face a credibility crisis: “What makes you think I should do this?”  Instead, your listeners should conclude, “We must do this because it is what we have seen the Bible says."  

Secondly, the application needs to be measurable, that is, specifically targeted.  All too often, the impact is lost in either the vagueness or the immensity of the challenge: (For example: “never worry” or “love everyone”) 

Third, if the application is not attainable, if it cannot practically be done, your listeners will quickly get frustrated with their capacity to obey. “Maybe super Christians can do this, but I sure can’t.”

Everyone should see that they not only should respond, but that they can respond.

Here’s where the power of story comes into play. Tell stories about how ordinary, garden-variety disciples acted upon this truth in their daily lives. Such stories not only inspire, but they also offer hope.

Remember: effective preaching isn’t simply a matter of giving information. It’s a matter of facilitating transformation. 

One more thing. Pastor and blogger Cary Nieuwhof has come up with a great tool to assist in the preparation of sermons. He calls it a preaching cheat sheet, and you can get a free copy at preachingcheatsheet.com.

I encourage you to take a look at it or send it to a preacher you know and love.