Ever delivered a sermon that felt powerful in the moment but seemed to evaporate by Monday morning? The missing ingredient might be simpler than you think.
From my back porch, surrounded by nature and birdsong, I'm sharing a game-changing insight that transformed my own preaching: the art of ending sermons with purpose. Drawing from a personal experience where I preached what I thought was a compelling message about being "the light of the world," I reveal the critical mistake that left my congregation inspired but directionless.
Whether you're a seasoned pastor or just beginning your preaching journey, this simple shift in approach will help your messages stick, creating "Monday moments" that lead to genuine life change. Ready to take your sermons from informative to transformative? Listen now, and don't forget to share this episode with a pastor friend who might benefit from these practical preaching tips.
Episode Transcript
I'm sitting on my back porch just looking at the
woods, listening to the birds,hearing the wind, and it's
raining a little bit, and thisis a place I come to just gather
my thoughts and clear my mind,and I thought I'd share this
time with you and call this abonus episode.
Back Porch Preaching Tips BackPorch Preaching Tips.
(00:27):
And I want to give you somepractical ideas in five minutes
each week.
And so here we go.
In today's episode, I want totalk about how you end your
sermon.
Here's the truth.
Don't let the end just be apoint or an insight.
Okay, you have to end it withsome action, some application.
(00:52):
You've probably heard a sermonthat was rich in content, that
was full of truth, and then itjust ended and faded out and you
don't even know what you heard.
I've done this myself.
I can remember a sermon that Ireally loved, thought I was
doing well, great outline, greatpoints about being the light of
(01:14):
the world, and at the end ofthe service we had everybody
turn their light on their phoneup and hold it up and with all
the lights out, you could seeall these hands that had been
raised with their lights and itwas a great picture of how we
could be the light of the world.
And I said go be the light ofthe world.
And then I prayed, that was it.
(01:34):
I gave no instruction of whatthat meant.
I mean you can assume, but youknow it lays flat.
There's no action involved.
So what I did on the nextservice?
I changed it and I added thesethings.
I said give a good tip at therestaurant today to be the light
Wave at the person that pulledout in front of you Wave.
(01:59):
Don't give any other sign.
Okay, be kind to the person whocut in front of you at the
grocery store.
Be the light.
Put action, put application tothe end of your sermon.
Here's the great tip.
Great sermons land the planewith purpose.
They answer the question.
So what now?
(02:20):
You know Paul did this all thetime.
He gave theology, followed byapplication.
Jesus ended his parables tocall a call of action.
Go and do likewise.
So ask yourself your next sermon.
Why do I want my people to do,feel or change because of this
(02:44):
message?
What is the one thing they canapply today?
And then say it directly, makeit clear, put it in a statement,
don't just say so.
That's our message today.
I hope to help you Say thisweek forgive someone you've been
avoiding, don't wait, go do itnow and see.
(03:07):
That's a moment.
I believe that carries toMonday.
That's a sermon.
They live not just here.
So application for you todaywould be this week, as you write
your sermon, just don't end itwith a summary.
End it with a summary, end itwith a step.
Give your people one clearaction that brings the truth
home and takes it beyond Sunday.
(03:32):
Okay, well, thanks for tuning intoday to the Back Porch Sermon
and if today's episode was goodfor you, you got something out
of it.
Share it with a pastor friend.
Also, let me know what youthink and if you want to, you
can text Brian from the website.
I'd love to hear from you.
So I want to pray for youbefore we're done.
(03:52):
I just want to go ahead andpray.
I said Lord, help those who arelistening today to not just
preach but inform so lives maybe transformed.
Give us wisdom.
In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
Thank you for joining me todayand remember to speak life with
(04:13):
your words.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.