Make Any Sermon a Great Sermon on Any Given Sunday by Doing These Three Things

Photo by Nycholas Benaia on Unsplash

Most people attending church on any given Sunday, will want to hear a great message. They hope for a strong, clear inspiration message that connects with their lives. And most preachers want to fulfill that desire.

We really do. I am one of those preachers! We have spent hours in our study getting ready to deliver a message, and we hope that it will not fall off deaf ears.

But if we have done our part, there is something the listener can do as well. You can help make most any sermon something that speaks to you. Here are three things (among many) that will help you hear a great message.

1. Read the Text: Your preacher is working off a Scripture passage from the Bible. Be sure to bring your Bible so you can follow along. It makes a difference to the preacher to see people engage in the text of the Bible. (Sorry, reading the Bible on a mobile device doesn’t cut it. Bring the hand-held version of the Bible. Bring the Book!)
2. Answer Three Questions: Find a notecard, bulletin, or scrap piece of paper to write a few notes during the message to answer to these three questions: 1) What is the preacher saying? and 2) What does it mean? and 3) What does it mean for me? These three quick, universal questions will help you listen carefully and find the gold.
3. Pray this Prayer: Your preacher is dealing with pressures, distractions, and worries like everyone else. Be a secret prayer partner with him or her. How should you pray? Simple! You can’t do better than to repurpose these words from King David: “Lord, may the words of (the preachers) mouth and the meditations of (the preachers) heart always be acceptable in your sight. For you are our Rock and our Redeemer”. (Psalm 19:14)

Try these three things and watch what happens. Honest. It will help you immeasurably. (And it will be a blessing to the people who preach!)