Lane Sebring on Elements of Killer Sermons

Описание: Hey, everybody, and welcome to the unSeminary podcast. This week’s guest is Lane Sebring of the website PreachingDonkey.com and author of the new book Preaching Killer Sermons.

Coming out of seminary, Lane saw that much of the focus was on having a biblically accurate sermon about the life and teachings of Jesus, but there wasn’t much help for how to best communicate those teachings. Too many people aren’t really hearing the words their pastor is saying so the point of the sermon doesn’t quite hit home. Preaching Donkey started from an idea Lane had on helping pastors learn how to better communicate their messages so that their congregation really hears and absorbs the teachings. The title of Lane’s website, Preaching Donkey, comes from the story of Balaam’s donkey in the book of Numbers, where God spoke through the donkey. Lane says, “If God can speak through a donkey, He can speak through us.” Today Lane is here to share just a few of the things Preaching Donkey encourages for communicating biblical truths today.

The communicator is always thinking about the listener. // The communicator thinks more about the listener whereas the preacher tends to thinks about the text first, the text second, and the text last. The text is primary and there should be focus on preaching the Word, but also important in preparing and communicating a sermon is considering “who am I talking to?” Without knowing your audience well, it’s difficult to connect with them on a deeper level. Understanding the concerns and challenges of your audience will help you know how best to communicate a biblical message each week that they can put into action.

Communication is team-driven. // If you’ve used the same method to communicate your message over the years, chances are your “well” is at risk of running dry. At Preaching Donkey, they encourage a preparation method that’s team-driven. Having a team that helps contribute ideas while you prep your sermons will generate fresh content each week. Furthermore, it can help keep the listener in mind as the content is being developed. Together, the team will look at the content of the message or the series, while keeping in mind the objective of the message and desired response of the listeners. By having a team focusing on not only the content, but what you want people to do with the sermon after they hear it, you’re much more likely to achieve the desired goals. “Many times, thinking about the end and the listener is an afterthought. We just push it to the forefront,” Lane says.

Build a team that works for you. // Some churches have formal teams that meet at a set time each week and work through a rehearsal of the message before weekend services. These teams can consist of pastors with various roles at the church. That may work well in larger churches with bigger staffs, but it doesn’t always work as well for smaller churches. However smaller churches can also use the team method – just in a more informal fashion. The lead pastor can form his own small group of lay leaders or volunteers who have an interest in the message and its communication. These people could meet over coffee or even just chat over email and bounce ideas around. Find a method that works for you and for your church. Most importantly, consistently reach out to your team for honest and specific feedback after weekend services. All of these things will serve to help you deliver weekly sermons that drive the people in your care toward growth and next steps.

You can learn more about Preaching Donkey at their website http://preachingdonkey.com/

Episode Highlights
00:34 // Rich introduces Lane Sebring and welcomes him to the show.
01:33 // Lane talks about his background and Preaching Donkey.
02:48 // Lane explains the reasoning behind the name Preaching Donkey.
04:29 // Lane talks about sermon preparation and presentation.
08:00 // Rich and Lane discuss the involvement of preaching teams to support sermon preparation.
09:58 // Lane highlights successful communication styles.
13:47 // Rich and Lane discuss and give examples of the importance of gaining honest and consistent feedback.
19:32 // Rich and Lane discuss rehearsing sermons as part of the preparation process.
21:14 // Lane introduces his book and offers his contact information.