10-Hours to prepare a sermon. Go!

March 31, 2010
Leadership Clip to Evernote
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10OK. Something has happened, come up or changed. And guess what, you da one! You have to be ready to bring the Word with ONLY 10 hours of prep time. Now let’s say you are not allowed to re-heat something old, you have to bring something new. How would you divide your time in the following categories: (Please only choose your top (4), then rank them by #. the first being the one you would spend most time on, then next, etc.)

  1. Looking back at the things God has told you in your time with Him.
  2. Studying: (Other sermons, Commentaries & resources).
  3. Writing the sermon. (Outline, points or script).
  4. Working on Illustrations & transitions.
  5. Preparing with time in prayer
  6. Practicing it, or “talking through” the sermon

For me, mine would look like this: #1- 1hr, #5-3hr, #3-3hr, #6-2, #1-1hr. Top (4) in order=10 hour prep time. What would yours look like?

Input your Response & Reply bellow (↓)…

About artie: I'm the lead Pastor at Cornerstone, a Multi-Ethnic church in the heart of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Also the founder of the Comb Network.com, a movement to plant Multi-Ethnic, culturally relevant churches in smaller cities. I direct a gathering of small city leader called "The Sticks."

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  • http://www.jacook.org Ja

    Mine would look like:
    #1 – #5 – #4 – #3

  • http://blog.knightsquest.org Buddy Knight

    Mine would be:

    #5 1hr
    #2 3hrs
    #1 1/2hr.
    #3 2 1/2hrs

    Great exercise, Artie!

  • http://riverforkchurch.com Scott the sagaious

    hmmm…
    5 – 3 -1 – 6

  • http://artiedavis.com artie

    Let’s see. 2 so far starting with #1. 2 others starting with #5. Very interesting. If you think through that. Which came 1st, the chicken or the egg?

  • Kirby Vardeman

    #1 and #5 are all one piece to me. Call it 4 hours.
    #2 = 4 hours
    #3 = 2 hours

  • http://familyfrontiers.blogspot.com Richard

    #5–3 hrs.
    #1–1 hr.
    #3–4 hrs.
    #6–2 hrs.

    I think #6 would include work on transitions (& maybe illustrations), so I would include #4 in there also.

    This got me thinking!

  • http://blog.knightsquest.org Buddy Knight

    Artie; I would say that prayer would allow one to “look back” with clearer vision.

    But, I’ve been wrong before!!

    Buddy

  • http://hardwords.wordpress.com Aaron Armstrong

    Mine looks like this:

    #5
    #1
    #3
    #6

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      That was pretty close to mine. You must be an inspired communicator! Thanks Aaron!

  • http://conthis.blogspot.com Joe Sewell

    Given the original 10 hour time limit (vs. the 2-3 hours you have left, if you’re talking about yourself :) ), here’s my list:

    #5 – 10 hours

    Yep, that’s it!

    This reminds me of an experience I had some years ago at an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter at the college in town. I went to that college, and was one of the founding core members back in 1980. Several years after I graduated in 1984, several of the “old timers” who were still around (either living in the area, as I was, or still going to that same college for graduate degrees) were asked to share their memories about the chapter. Somehow I wound up dead last. The guy before me was part of another group, a chapter of the Navigators, that had been disbanded for being … well, let’s just say too many folks didn’t appreciate the less-than-subtle approach they apparently had. Anyhow, the remnants of that group had become a dorm-based Bible study group, and they merged with the fledgling IVCF chapter. The thing was, he took the history of the group through my time as well.

    Then it was my turn. I had nothing! Everything that I had prepared had already been mentioned. There may have been a few fragments left, but not by much.

    God is faithful, though! At that moment He gave me a message, “The Cluttered Prayer Closet,” based on my walk-in closet at home. (I had used it as a literal “prayer closet” for some time, since my parents weren’t too keen on God.) After a while, though, there was so much stuff on the floor that I couldn’t get in there & sit down on the floor.

    I really need to hear that message again. :)

    • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/artiedavis61 artiedavis61

      Joe! I love that story man. What a powerful example of how God can teach us and others @ the same time with power! Thanks for sharing!