Dan Czaplewski posted on January 09, 2007 08:08
The most important thing I do each week is to prepare and preach a sermon. Sometimes I wish that different, but I have come to this inescapable conclusion: I reach the most people and have the greatest impact through my preaching.
For that reason, I have worked hard to improve as a preacher. Among other things, I subscribe to several periodicals and read on the subject as much as I can. One of the best things I get every month is a CD from Preaching Today that contains two audio sermons and one workshop/interview on preaching. The most recent installment of Preaching Today Audio d had an interview with Kevin Miller on “The Sermon’s Supporting Cast.”
Miller noted how the preacher is in the business of life change (actually, that is the Holy Spirit’s business, but preachers pray He uses us). The 15 to 20 minutes that I have on Sunday morning is probably not enough to see meaningful life change in my hearers. The most important supporting cast member in Miller’s view (and mine) is prayer. Prayer for the effectiveness of the sermon needs to be undertaken by many more people than the preacher. The application is simple: please pray for your preacher during this week of preparation and the minutes of delivery.
Speaking of application, which is another one of Miller’s supporting cast members, it takes more than 15 or 20 minutes to apply a biblical principal to your life. So, rather than preaching 45 minute sermons, Miller has another idea that interested me. I am considering offering “Drive Time Devotions” or “Sunday’s Supporting Cast” or some other name. What I would develop is an audio CD that you can play in your car as you drive to work Monday through Friday. The CD would include five daily devotions of 3 to 5 minute each that would extend the application of the Sunday sermon into the week. The CD would be available to “subscribers” in their church mailboxes on Sunday and could be used the following week. Before I attempt this, I need to know it would be used, so drop me a line to tell me how you feel this would or would not be useful to you.
God bless your week!