Preaching is the most important ministry task of a pastor. Communities of faith are shaped through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
Because preachers must present a new message every week, preaching is also challenging. As every writer knows, beginning each message with a “blank page” can be daunting!
Everyone has their own system of preparation. I’m always trying to improve mine (which always seems to need improvement!). I’ve written about my systems in the past; see 4 Ss of Sermon Preparation, which was an update to 5 Stages of Sermon Preparation. While systems can be helpful, the bottom line is, getting a message from God requires diligence and trust!
Preachers must keep plugging away, going from “blank page” to big idea to final product. Preachers must trust that God will inspire a message, and trust it will come together in time for delivery!
It takes trust because every week is different—sometimes it comes together more quickly than other times; sometimes, I wonder if it will ever come together! (Hence the need for a desperate preacher’s prayer guide, part of which asks, You write the words!.)
Preaching also takes trust because it’s not simply about conveying information—it’s about transformation. And, transformation is God’s work. God uses preachers’ words to transform people and shape communities of faith. What an awesome task!
A preacher’s gotta trust!