If you can tell a good story that fits your text or introduces your topic, people will be anxious to hear more.

Clarity is king in communication. If you’re not clear, people can’t understand you.

Who wrote the text? What was their background and biography? • When was the text written? Did any important historical events occur around this time? • To whom was the text written? Were they Jews or Gentiles, or both? Where did they live? What challenges were they facing? • What prompted the writing of this text? What is the overarching purpose of

You have to spend time with the people you pastor, and one way to take steps in that direction is to gather a few of those people together and talk through your sermon with them.

The problem is that we can’t self-help what’s truly broken in us. Sure, we can change some rudimentary behaviors, but we can’t redeem what’s gone wrong in our hearts. If what we needed was something we could do ourselves, then we would have no need for a Savior.

The quality of the close and the intentionality of our preparation are always connected. Again, I find the conclusion of the sermon to be one of the more difficult parts to write.

He then stomped back down the stairs and back to what he had been doing before. My heart didn’t exactly swell with pride during this moment. Sure, my son had done what I asked, but he hadn’t done it with a great attitude. Agreed? I don’t want my kids to simply obey; I also want them to want to obey. God is the same way.

One of my personal favorites is from Mark Dever, who says, “Expositional preaching is preaching in which the main point of the biblical text being considered becomes the main point of the sermon being preached.”

We don’t just wake up with hearts and minds ready to preach. They need to be primed. Worship is one powerful way to do this.