Direction from life's surprises
Many sermon series have surprised me. The planning process I've used for 25 years has been interrupted by inspiration and circumstance. I learned to listen to these interruptions, for the Spirit often speaks through them.
When a prominent church couple's marriage publicly disintegrated, the congregation and I were stunned. We needed healing. So over the next two and a half months, the congregation and I engaged in sermonic "group therapy." We addressed several marital wounds, from divorce to substance abuse. The Spirit prompted me to respond to the circumstances, and he used the timing to minister to us all.
My discernment is fallible, and I rely on others' advice to check my judgment. An attorney in our church once alerted me that I had made a crisis in my life the focus of my messages. I was preaching out of frustration. An honest colleague provides God-sent accountability to keep my motivations spiritual, rather than self-centered.
Warren H. Stewart Sr. pastors First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona whstewartsr@fibcaz.org
Find your congregation's "hot book"
I preach book by book through Scripture. But not just any book. There is a time for the Old and a time for the New, a time for Ecclesiastes, and a time for Jude. My challenge and joy is discerning which is the "hot book"-the book God addressed to people who faced the same struggles and questions my congregation is facing today.
For example, if I discern legalism is strangling our church, the hot book may be Galatians. If we're planning worship, Psalms may be sizzling.
Recently, I was troubled by Australia's unbiblical attitudes about sex. Nearly every engaged couple that came to me from outside the church had been sexually active. Our movie rating system grants graphic sexual scenes a PG rating. Then one night, I overheard a teen in our church admonish another, "Sex isn't a good thing." Our congregation was confused by conflicting sexual messages. Many in our church were wavering between cultural pressures and over-reactive piety.
Knowing chapters 6 and 7 would address sexuality, I determined 1 Corinthians was the hot book. But I didn't skip ahead. I began in chapter 1 to introduce the Corinthians, their culture, and the struggles Christians there were having. The church got to resonate with those ancient people, to see how much we had in common. Five weeks later, when we got to, "Flee from sexual immorality," (6:18) and, "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband," (7:4) my congregation was listening to Paul as if he were talking directly to them.
Phil Campbell pastors the Mitchelton Presbyterian Church, Brisbane, Australia philcam@tpg.com.au
I've heard you
Ten women are waiting when I arrive at eight A.M. The shelters closed an hour ago, so refuge and hot coffee are urgent here in rainy Seattle. Our congregation is made exclusively of homeless and formerly homeless women, gathered in from shelters, camps, doorways, and tiny rented rooms.
Even after four years as their pastor, I wonder how I dare to preach to them. As a "home-blessed" professional who has never been unemployed, let alone homeless, how can I connect the gospel to the harsh realities of a life I've never known?
Sporadic attendance makes a formal series unworkable here. Instead I discern one theme and preach weekly variations that reflect the core message.
I derive the themes from pastoral care and counseling. Because I hear their crippling self-blame, I preach grace and forgiveness. Because mental and bodily illness burdens so many, I tell stories of healing. Because the women live in close quarters under great stress, many sermons address love and respect amid differences. When crisis hits-a woman missing or attacked, for instance-all plans are laid aside as we seek comfort and strength.
Many women ask, "Pastor, what have I done to deserve this? Why has God done this to me?"
From that broken-hearted cry came a theme on blame and forgiveness. One variation identified the poor decisions some women made; and enabled them to accept their mistakes, find forgiveness, and learn from the past. The second variation identified others who drove the women to the streets. I helped the women to stop blaming themselves for others' sins and to forgive those that hurt them. A third variation asked where God was in their plight. I assured them he does not come with a stick to beat them down, but comforts, encourages, and enables them to start a new and better life.
Ministering to the homeless is not a peculiar ministry; reality is just more exposed here. Every preacher will face abusers and victims, sometimes sitting side by side. The pews of every church hold souls struggling with addiction, mental illness, or despair.
Day by day my people are teaching me what they need. The more I listen to them, the better they listen to me.
Pat Simpson pastors Church of Mary Magdalene in Seattle, Washington
We interrupt this series
I preach verse by verse. Sometimes word by word. I've joked that my listeners develop creases in the spines of their Bibles from opening to the same page for weeks.
But occasionally, I interrupt the exposition with a remedial mini-series inspired by a difficult passage.
Matthew 5 was providing ample material for sermons on Christian character. But when I got to 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them," I saw an opportunity to help my congregation connect the Old Testament, New Testament, and today.
At that time, there was a public controversy over displaying the Ten Commandments. Certain displays had received national attention and headlined evening news programs. So I interrupted the sermon series to bring a special bulletin.
The next Sunday I began a mini-series on Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments.
Families wanted to hear how the Law applied to them, and attendance rose. Budding theologues began debating the relevance of the Old Testament. Several people said those remedial messages clarified issues they had secretly puzzled over.
M. Scott Bashoor pastors Bible Church of Buena Park, Buena Park, California sbashoor@earthlink.net
Great authors inspire great sermons
Six staff members sat on my porch. It was early, and some of us would rather have been asleep. But after prayer, devotions, sharing our lives and a pot of coffee, I had found my next sermon series.
Our youth pastor had said, "I think we need to recharge our outreach."
"We've been there before," someone said.
But when the young adults pastor shared her experience with Becoming a Contagious Christian training, we captured a fresh way to teach a familiar topic. We decided to build a church-wide ministry theme, including a sermon series, based on it.
Elim Church has enjoyed book-based themes before. Mike Yaconelli's Dangerous Wonder and Ken Gire's Windows of the Soul were favorites.
We planned eight weeks for Contagious Christian. Our Sunday school, youth group, and small group ministries incorporated the theme. We made copies of the book available at discount prices. We encouraged the congregation to discuss the book. And I preached a coordinating sermon each Sunday.
For example, Contagious Christian's chapter "Maximum Impact" emphasizes Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples . …" At that point, I preached John 15:5, "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from you can do nothing," to teach that "maximum impact" disciple-making is only achieved through abiding in Christ. I was able to preach a sermon that balanced and deepened the book's message.
Our congregation has discovered book-themes to be fun, tangible prompts for ongoing discussion and transformation.
Penny Zettler pastors Elim Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota penny@elimchurch.com
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