Some General Suggestions for Improving Your Preaching

If you’re a pastor, much of your time is probably spent thinking about, preparing for, and practice the task of preaching. And, this is a good thing! Our God is not silent, and we as preachers have the privilege of communicating the Word and will of God by opening the Bible and expounding its meaning to God’s people and the lost world.

Even though God’s Word cannot be improved upon, our preaching is always in need of improvement. We ought always to be growing as preachers. So to the end of helping you and me become better expositors of Scripture, here are ten suggestions for how to always be growing as a preacher.

1. Study, watch and listen to the sermons and methods of great expository preachers.
2. Cultivate a disciplined study and prayer life.
3. Continue to grow in your knowledge of the biblical revelation. You are called to be a life-long student.
4. Remember that your people benefit most from messages that apply the Bible to real, contemporary needs.
5. Plan your sermon series. This will aid the preacher in gathering material, allowing the subconscious mind to work, and saving time.
6. Understanding the biblical, historical, and theological foundations of preaching and teaching. This will make for a deeper understanding of the preaching task as you both prepare and deliver your sermons.
7. Use variety in illustrative material to heighten interest and retention in the sermon.
8. Study and understand the art of rhetoric and logic improve sermon composition and delivery.
9. Learn about educational teaching and learning theory. These insights, when applied to homiletics, can help produce better planning and preaching. (For example, did you know that people remember 10% of what they hear and 50% of what they hear and see? So provide and utilize study aids.)
10. Work at working yourself out of a job. Your people will receive more from your messages if they have been led to honor, read and study their Bibles on their own.

Which of these do you most need to incorporate into your preaching preparation and delivery?