A Word to Young Preachers
— Friday, October 30th, 2009 —
Your first few sermons are always terrible, no matter who you are.
If you think your first few sermons are great, you’re probably self-deceived. If the folks in your home church think your first few sermons are great, it’s probably because they love you and they’re proud of you. If it’s a good, supportive church there’s as much objectivity there as a grandparent evaluating the “I Love You Grandma” artwork handed to them by the five year-old in their family.
So your first set of sermons, unless you’re very atypical, are probably really, really bad.
So what?
The great thing about Christian ministry is that Jesus doesn’t start all over again with his church every generation. He gives older men in ministry who shape, disciple, and direct younger men in ministry. This includes (although it’s not limited to) critiquing your sermons.
Your sermons will be critiqued. You want them to be critiqued, and harshly.
Now you don’t want them critiqued harshly by your congregations (and a critical attitude toward your pastor’s preaching, church members, is not a fruit of the Spirit). But you want them critiqued, and you want them critiqued now.
Your sermons will be highly critiqued early on in your ministry, when you’re still being shaped, or you’ll just be left alone.
The great preachers you hear or that you read about in your church history books are not almost never those who were preaching great sermons from the very beginning of their ministries.
Great preachers are the ones who preach really bad sermons. The difference is that they preach really bad sermons when they’re young, and are sharpened for life by critique.
Mediocre preachers are those who start off with sermons that are, eh, pretty good, but they’re never critiqued and thus never grow.
So if you’re early on in ministry and you preach a bad sermon, so what? You’re in a train of previously bad preachers that extends from Moses to Aaron to Simon Peter to about every good gospel preacher you’ve ever heard with your own ears.
Your bad sermon says nothing about your future. If you’ve got folks in your life saying, “Hey, that was a really bad sermon,” that does indicate something about your future, so praise God for it. It’s probaby a sign that God has something for you to say, for the rest of your life.
51 Responses to “A Word to Young Preachers”
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An encouraging word for this poor preacher. Thank you Dr. Moore!
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@Eric Smith, thank you Eric! I’m sure you’re not a poor preacher, except in the kind of spirit poverty Jesus commends.
Now I’m hoping to hear that my first sermon is bad. :)
Jesting aside, I appreciate this admonition and encouragement. Especially since I’m taking Preaching II next semester and expect to be humbled.
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@Lucas Knisely, praying for you as you move to preaching II. It was a “gently but boldy critical” preaching prof/pastor at New Orleans Seminary the Lord used to keep me in ministry years ago.
Absolutely excellent post! I spoke with a Southern student today who said you were his favorite professor because you are a prof with a pastor’s heart.
I think this post is a great example of that. Thanks for the encouragement - and the perspective. Something to keep in mind.
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@Michael Smith, I’m humbled and honored by that. Thanks for sharing it, and God bless you and your service to the kingdom.
Thanks for the encouraging word! I sincerely appreciate your long-distance mentorship and example.
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@Chris Bell, keep announcing the kingdom! God’s using you!
thanks for this. i am entering the pastorate soon and am grateful for this reminder.
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@dan, I pray the power and wisdom of Christ as you go out to feed and fight for Jesus’ sheep!
What a timely and necessary encouragement for me. This is incredibly freeing for me as a younger full time leader who experiences the crippling pressure of regularly sitting under our nation’s best preachers via podcasts and mp3s AND has yet to deliver my first Sunday morning sermon. I’ll be quoting you in my first intro.
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@Sam Harrell, You’ll do great. God promises wisdom when it’s asked for (Jas. 1), including the wisdom to preach!
Yep, my first few were awful. I’m both sad and glad that my first sermon was not taped (or at least not to my knowledge). I was 17 years old, the sermon lasted 7 minutes long, and had no main point except maybe some vague idea of “Our comfort is from God” (and the idea wasn’t even expressed that directly).
Now, I’m probably somewhere around the “eh, pretty good” stage in preaching (although I’d say I’m probably closer to the “eh” part of that). If it’s not a great idea to ask for critique from my congregation, is there a place that I can upload my sermons to get critiqued? Possibly with video, too, as I think my downfall is mostly in my presentation?
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@Chris Huff, I can’t put advice in Dr. Moore’s mouth, but I’d say getting critiqued by people in your congregation shouldn’t be confused with a general call for critique (or constant criticism) from your congregation. Are there leaders, fellow students, accountability partners in your church that can help? Can you invite a friend to attend occasionally? They can help diagnose how the gospel is coming across in your sermons and how effective you are at “getting to the point.” For me, having someone help me just be myself would’ve been quite helpful. Toward your congregation, you might think of questions that help figure out what people are hearing from you so you can critique yourself by comparing that with what you tried to convey. : D
As for me… yikes. My first sermons were waaay too long. I think both clocked in around an hour, and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t that interesting. : )
@Chris Huff, hmmm….that’s a great question. Let me think about how to best to help you out there. You’ve got me thinking about some ideas…
@Chris Huff,
I too am a pastor, completing my second year of ministry. Here is what I am doing for getting feedback. I have 2 elders that are dear men who love God and both love me. I ask them to critique my sermons for content and style. Both of them are very different. One is a died in the wool, old school Christian Reformed elder. He tends to hit me real hard with theological critique but I know he loves me, so I can take it from him. The other is not as savvy theologically, but has a great pastor’s heart and so he tends to get me on the delivery method (style) and calls me to more gracious delivery, instead of always challenging and confronting. These two men are helping me hone significantly. Early on, it was hard to take the constant feedback, now it is a relief for I can tell a difference. I hope this might help you.
Dr. Moore,
Idea: let former students upload their sermons and have them critiqued (if they’d like) by current students studying preaching.
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Dr. Moore,
Thanks for the good advice. I am thankful that I don’t regret anything I said in my first sermon, theologically. Methodologically is another story. The low point was reading a long, long, long Charles Hodge quote to a tiny band of saints in a small town of 311….dumb. Probably dumb anywhere, but really dumb there.
Ryan
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@Ryan Fullerton, next time try Turretin, in Latin. They love that! Seriously, thanks for that. I had a similar quote-a-thon, except from Chuck Colson in my second-ever sermon. Grateful for you and your ministry at Immanuel!
Thanks Dr. Moore for your words of wisdom. I am not a preacher, nor am I in any kind of vocational ministry. My only concern is that this mentality seems to place too much emphasis on preaching as a skill/technique and not enough emphasis on preaching as a spiritual gift from God. I think it is important that we do not confuse the two.
I’m not sure how helpful it is for a new preacher to step behind the pulpit with the mentality that his preaching, at least for a while, will be categorically bad. Granted, his skills may not be as honed as they could be, but there is also a sense in which, if he has indeed been called into the ministry, he has been equipped and gifted by God to engage in preaching.
Having said that, I certainly encourage preachers to actively submit themselves to critique. There is a bit of a temptation, I think, particularly in Reformed churches, to assume that if you simply affirm and engage in the expository philosophy and model of preaching, that everything else in the church will work itself out. The art of communication is neglected and seen at times as inconsequential, as all that really matters is staying “faithful to the text”. In this view, the preacher has practically absolved himself of the responsibility of taking practical steps to sharpen his skills, especially as a communicator and therefore, the preacher never sees the need to seek out any criticism or critique.
I recently wrote a post about a similar topic at my own blog titled “Reformed Churches: Preaching as the “Magic Bullet” and the Neglect of Pastoral Care.” I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
http://www.theforemost.blogspot.com
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I am taking a preaching class this semester in seminary… my introduction was soooo boring, I bored myself when I reviewed the video.
Being critiqued in class in front of others is humbling to say the least, especially when others who have never preached do much better.
It is a hard lesson for me right now due to my pride… Lord forgive me and use this for your glory.
Paulie
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@Paulie, don’t worry about it if you saw that intro was boring. It should only worry you if you saw it and you didn’t recognize that it was boring! Your recognition means you’ve got the intuitions. They’ll develop in time and with experience. Keep preaching on, and be encouraged!
GREAT ADVICE DR. MOORE!!!
I just had a HORRIBLE outing a week ago & was critiqued within minutes from my wife!!!
Of course, I didn’t see it as a privilege in the moment. However, this helped me to realize how fortunate I am to have a wife who “critiques” with love!!!
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As a man with burden to make people fall in love with the Word again, and a prayer that God would make me a preacher people would want to hear, I greatly appreciate what you’ve said here. I can’t imagine the danger of a man left alone to equip, exhort, and examine himself in such a task as preaching. If there was a place where accountability and assessment are needed, surely it is the pulpit.
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I’m a layman who’s preached about forty or so times over ten years, and who had to learn his trade preaching to groups of no more than twenty people. From that POV:
[a] Tape yourself, and listen to it - you’ll find bugs that not even a senior pastor could
[b] Avoid long quotes (I’m guilty as well, except I possibly got away with it b/c I was quoting C.S. Lewis)
[c] Learn Powerpoint - the discipline this will put into your preaching is unparalleled.
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@Ross Clark, I agree with you on point b, disagree with you on point c, and agree with you in theory but not in practice on point a! I’m still unable to stand listening to myself preach!
Sending this to all our elders and interns
Brilliant!
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@darrin patrick, Thanks brother. It was good to visit with you in Chicago. I hope to see you at the Acts 29 bootcamp next week.
Dr. Moore
Thanks for a great post. As a pastor and preacher it is both humbling and necessary to have someone evaluate your preaching. This was a needed prompt for me to listen to my critics.
Do you have any questions or forms that you would be willing to share that we could provide to evaluators to encourage thoughtful critique? Also, any thought on how we can help people help us without them becoming constantly critical?
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@Andy, see the most recent post. Hope it helps!
I am a senior in high school and have been encouraged by these words. My first sermon was terrible in my eyes but after reading this I have some assurance I will get better. But like one mentioned I am glad I don’t regret anything I said theologically but I would have changed some things. Dr. Moore is a preacher I only dream I could preach like, may the Lord show me kindness and mercy, with an expositional yet passionate creativity in my preaching like one of my heroes in the faith Dr. Moore.
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@Brett, Thanks so much for that kind word. The very fact that you’re already striving toward the goal in high school means you’re in great, great shape for the future! And having the opportunity to start getting your “bad preaching” out of the way in high school is something virtually every preacher in the world would love to have!
As a proclaimer of the Gospel for over 30 years, I remain abundantly grateful for the critiques of my father, who is a layman. In those early days, he heard almost all my sermons and in the privacy of our home would offer compliments, criticisms (always constructive) and insights. I have tears now as remember the day he shook my hand and said “Good sermon”. Young preachers, find a mentor.
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@Donald Pounders, This brought tears to my eyes. What an honor and tribute to your father. He sounds like a great man. I look forward to meeting him in the Kingdom.
Dr. Moore,
I’ll have you know that my first sermons were outstanding - because I stole them from some great preachers :-).
Seriously, yours is a good, encouraging article.
David R. Brumbelow
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@David R. Brumbelow, That’s hilarious.
Dr. Moore,
I have seen the truth of your word on critique displayed in a young pastor friend of mine. He has solicited regular critique from more than one source that I am aware of (and likely more that I am unaware of). He is accomplishing several things in this midst of this wisely humble endeavor - one of which is demonstrating wise humility to others whom he is mentoring.
The really interesting thing is he is an excellent preacher and he has honestly solicited critique from someone who is not. It seems to me that a wise man will realize that he will benefit from the additional vision of others - even from those who may not see quite as well as he does.
Not to put him out on front street but his message this week was awesome. Here is the link: http://www.fulkersonpark.com/muscular-christianity-philippians-31216
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@ben, That’s a great testimony. I’m listening to your friend’s message right now as I type, and am enjoying it. He has a great, clear voice for preaching.
I have been ministering though preaching for over a year but I do not here much criticism. I want to improve. What is the best way?
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@Theophelous Pope, I’d pray for some geographically close guys in ministry who can listen to you, and walk with you through your strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. If you have an MDiv, I’d recommend doing a DMin. It puts you in contact with guys who are preachers, encouraging one another and critiquing one another.
I’m blessed that I was introduced to a Reformed church where there was a seasoned, veteran preacher. He is a great speaker/talker out of the pulpit, too. I read Why Johnny Can’t Preach (book available at http://sn.im/t1t00 ) and it gives some practical advice for preachers. The title is discouraging, but the contents isn’t.
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Dr. Moore,
Thank you for the encouraging words to a poor, young seminarian. Especially after the sermon I preached this morning! :|
Dustin
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Agree!!
Blessed is the young man who has good critics around him :)
I’ve actually been learning how to preach mainly by listening to great preachers and compare my sermons to their preaching. This is a little difficult because of different personalities, congregations and so on.
How can I grow if there is only “flat” critique like: “Give me more ‘practical’ steps to follow (not so much a God to worship)”, “You should wear a suit” and “You have too many ‘mmhs’ in your talk”?
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