Rick Rusaw compares preaching to delivering a baby on Sunday and waking up Monday morning only to find that you're pregnant again. And with recent advancements in technology, it's only gotten more difficult. Today you find yourself speaking to people who in the previous week may have watched Charles Stanley preach on television, heard a Rob Bell podcast, or listened to Chip Ingram on the radio. And now they sit in front of you, expecting a word from the Lord every bit as compelling and gripping.

With such expectations from people week after week, it's easy for a preacher to lose sight of what is most important—being centered on Christ. Being Christ-focused doesn't happen automatically; it takes intentional preparation. Recently retired basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, "Many have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare." In my years of preaching, I've learned that my heart is the battleground, and this is where the most important preparation ...