Preaching in Ways That They May Hear
In these gatherings, we’ll rejoice in how God moves when we preach, speak honestly about the challenges we face, and discover practical ways to help our people truly hear the Word that still speaks.
Time to Listen
Introductory Question SlidesAssurance for those who PREACH
Many preachers know the weariness that comes with the unending rhythm of preaching — the cycle that rarely pauses and sometimes leaves us wondering if our words are truly making a difference.
Assurance in God’s Action
ACKNOWLEDGING THE PLIGHT of Pastors and Preachers
Brick Walls Disguised as Complements
Consider each compliment. How can each actually represent an obstacle that we as preachers put in between God’s Word and our people’s ears?
“Pastor, you are so intelligent. I wish I could understand the Bible as much as you. I bet someday you will be a professor.”
“I love [my favorite political voice] too. You really gave it to them.
“Pastor, you provided so much information. I didn’t know [that] before.”
Pastor, you are always so nurturing. I really needed your encouragement today.”
Bricks in Our Communication Wall
Below are a few direct examples of how our preaching places obstacles between God’s Word and our people. Which of these do you think are the most damaging to our people’s well-being and their ability to truly wrestle with God’s Word?
INTELLECT
Person shakes the pastor’s hand on the way out of worship. They think, “Who talks like that? I have no idea what they are talking about.”
POLITICS
Thoughts from a member of our congregation sitting and crossing their arms, “Why does the pastor always talk about social justice,” or “Who does the pastor think they are to tell me that abortion is wrong?”
NEW DATA
A person in the congregation sits and listens to the pastor with a slight smile on their face. Their mind drifts to their responsibilities or life circumstances and gets lost in all the new information. They think to themselves, “What does this have to do with me?”
LACK OF NURTURE
The congregation sits and listens to a pastor preach. Collectively they wonder and ask one another, “What do they want from us? They never seem to be happy with who we are or what we are doing. I don’t want to be beat up every Sunday.”
Theology Meets Reality
Together with the author of Hebrews, we affirm that God’s Word is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. Still, we must admit that our human hearts are not always quick to respond.
Theology Meets RealityWellbeing of Pastors and Preachers
Given all of these factors and stressors (and more), how would you describe the wellbeing of the average pastor and preacher today?
PREACHING is sometimes like talking to…
How Our Training Can Build Brick Walls
Highly Academic:
Presbyterians are HIGHLY ACADEMIC. But psychologically, decisions and change are driven by EMOTION and then followed by LOGIC.
Discussion Questions and References: Emotions and Logic, and Brain’s Preference to Conserve Energy
Tricia’s Story Part 1Mismatched Vocabulary
Presbyterian preachers are not trained to spend enough time DEVELOPING and USING vocabulary our people can RELATE to and EMBRACE.
Tricia’s Story Part 2Mismatched Vocabulary Discussion Questions
Lack of Focus
Presbyterians preachers largely do not learn to prioritize and embrace a sermon’s FOCUS, and do not know how to STRUCTURE a sermon around this FOCUS.
Focus Worksheet and Sermon Structures That Work
Tricia’s Story Part 3Unbalanced Sermon Function
Our training allows Presbyterian preachers to prioritize COMFORT and NURTURE in our sermons while we frequently neglect the vital task of inviting the congregation into concrete, Spirit-led ACTION.
Balancing Nurture and Call: Insights and Discussion Questions
Tricia’s Story Part 4Windows Are Better For Communication than Brick Walls.
The Key is Being an EMPATHETIC WITNESS
References and Reflection QuestionsPreaching as an Empathetic Witness
Our People Hear God’s Word Better When They Are First Heard
References and Reflection QuestionsSome Ways to Embody Being An Empathetic Witness When We Preach
We can not remove every barrier between our people and God’s Word, but we can strive to remove the barriers we are aware of. Instead of allowing our training to be bricks in our communication wall, we can rethink our training to remove as many bricks in the wall as possible.
SPEAK AT THEIR LEVEL
Being an empathetic witness to our people allows us to see where they truly are, understand how they think and feel, and speak in language that meets them there.
SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE
Being an empathic witness to our people enables us to enter their language, honor its meaning, and use it as a bridge for speaking deeper theological truth.
INVITE ACTIONS AS A WAY TO RESPOND TO GOD
Being an empathetic witness to our people allows us to see their pain and gently invite them into new ways of living and believing that are faithful, righteous, and just. Our work is not only to comfort, but also to boldly partner with God in calling them to respond to grace.
FOCUS AND STRUCTURE OUR MESSAGES
Being an empathetic witness to our people means listening closely when they signal that our message isn’t connecting—and responding by shaping our sermons with greater focus and clarity, so they carry a deeper and more lasting impact.
Sermon Structures That Help
After we study, narrow down our focus, and have a few notes about how we want to invite our people into holy action, we still haven’t written our sermon. Take some time to review how Tricia could have structured her Beatitude sermon in different models.