Hi leaders and pastors. How long do you study to prepare a sermon?
I wanted to know how long do you study each day to prepare a sermon or blog post or presentation? Do you know of any books/resources I can read for encouragement? I went to google and was unsure how to google this and didn't get much results.
As leaders and pastors it's critical to research, study, read the Word and I wish I had more info on things like this or at least a book.
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It takes me generally 15-30 hours for a sermon. 5-10 hours for a lecture-based class. 4-8 hours for a smallgroup Bible study lesson.
John MacArthur in Rediscovering Expository Preaching Page 334 (Link takes you to the book in Logos Library if you own it) says the following when asked about preaching prep time:
How long does it take you to prepare a sermon?
I spend less time now than I did earlier in my ministry. I used to spend about fifteen hours on a sermon, but now it is about eight or ten hours. Over the years of my ministry, I have accumulated more information, more knowledge of the Scriptures, and more Bible-study skills. These allow me to dig deeper into a text in ten hours than I could in fifteen hours earlier in my ministry.
The big challenge facing me now is not just in the area of interpretation, but in communication. I have been at the same church for more than twenty years, so I have to fight to keep from falling into a pattern of similarity. It is a challenge for me to be fresh, and not just say the same things over and over in the same way.Do you find it easier now to develop a sermon from a passage?
I never study to make a sermon. I study to understand the text. As I have grown in the Lord and in the knowledge of the Word, I have been able to dig deeper into the passages I study. I just keep studying until I have discovered all the rich truths I can from a text. I only preach part of what I find in my study process. Even doing this, however, I often wind up with a three- or four-week series from what began as a single message.
Preaching is a science, an art, and an adventure. It is a science in that it is based on the well-defined and absolute rules of hermeneutics and skills of exegesis. Interpretation is not whimsical, but implements literal, historical, grammatical, and contextual principles.
But preaching is also an art. Preaching a passage is similar to painting a picture. No two artists, though they use the same tools and techniques, will paint exactly the same picture. In the same way, no two preachers, even using the same principles of interpretation, will develop the same sermon. Applying the principles of sermon preparation and delivery is an art, the manner of application depending on the skill, experience, and perspective of the preacher.
Preaching is also an adventure. A spiritual dynamic is at work when I step into the pulpit. I find myself saying things I had not planned to say as the data from my study come together in a way I had not seen before. When this happens, I may depart from my notes and amplify the new thought. That is why it sometimes takes me several weeks to preach through notes originally designed as one sermon.How do you guard your preparation time?
I use a system I call “planned neglect”: I plan to neglect everything else until my studying is done. I set aside Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to prepare for my Sunday messages. Not until I have accomplished what I need to on those days do I then stop and care for other matters. I have an assistant and two secretaries who help shield me from the affairs of a large ministry that would deluge me and rob me of my study time. Of course, I am available when I need to be.
I realize all pastors do not have a personal assistant or a large staff to share the responsibilities of their ministry. Neither did I in the early years of my ministry. But my commitment to studying the Word has never changed. If other details take my time, I simply put in longer hours that week. Our goal as pastors is not to do all the work of the ministry ourselves, but to equip our people for ministry (cf. Eph. 4:11–16). We can only accomplish this effectively through preaching based on thorough study. So I know that time spent in preparation will result in more sharing of my load by a maturing church.
Thomas, R. L. (1992). Bible Translations and Expository Preaching. In Rediscovering expository preaching (pp. 334–336). Dallas: Word Publishing.Jacob Hantla
Pastor/Elder, Grace Bible Church
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In Well-Driven Nails, the following is said by Byron Yawn, Pages 54–56, referencing necessary prep time, again alluding to MacArthur:
The Importance of Finding it for Yourself
I don’t need fifteen hours to prepare a sermon. I can prepare a sermon in half an hour. I need fifteen hours to understand the text with clarity. It’s hard to get to the point of clarity. You have to be driven to understand it. But, if you step into the pulpit with a substantially clear grasp of the biblical concept it has a profound effect on how you preach.
There’s a reason John MacArthur sounds like an authority on the various subjects he deals with when preaching. By the time he’s finished preparing, he usually is. His research is the stuff of legend. Some of the insights he produces in the midst of his expositions are mind-boggling. Like when John exposited the twenty-third Psalm. It was like watching the Learning Channel. Everything you ever wanted to know about sheep. A professional shepherd from New Zealand was also present. When John was done the gentlemen said, “I had to come all the way to the desert metropolis of Los Angeles to learn something new about a subject [on which] I knew all there was to know.” John has the remarkable ability to teach the most learned Bible student something new about the most familiar verses. MacArthur has a depth and richness in his preaching that is unique.
Where does all that stuff come from? According to him, it’s basic. It’s the result of an insatiable desire to understand the Bible for himself. All those remarkable sermons are the result of a basic question, “What does the Bible mean by what it says?” His love for God’s Word is palpable. To sit and listen to him, in one way you’d think he was a new convert. He comes across like one of those people we love to have in our church, the one whose vigilant hunger and enthusiasm for the Lord and His Word has not yet been blunted by “churchianity.” MacArthur’s heart still burns deep within him (Luke 24:32) after all these years. I expected to learn about preaching and I certainly did, but I also walked away from our time with a deep impression of his life. The man loves Jesus Christ, so he studies. There’s no secret skill. He’s absolutely sincere, and that is why he’s clear. He is “driven to understand.”
This discovery hit me between the eyes. The implication is hard to swallow. My inability—at various moments—to preach with simple clarity is not a failure in skill, but a failure in reverence. It means I don’t yet believe what I’m saying to a degree which is obvious to my audience.
Let’s assume for the sake of argument that personal giftedness is not what distinguishes John MacArthur from the “average” preacher. What is it then? It’s a combination of personal passion and sincerity. Passionate sincerity or sincere passion. It’s what drives him deep into the heart of the text and builds bridges to his audience. As I was sitting listening to him explain what he does, something occurred to me. What I’ve been listening to all these years is not just John’s clear explanations. I’ve also been hearing his conviction and his heartfelt belief in what he’s explaining. The combination of these elements has produced his trademark simplicity.
John is first and foremost a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is an underlying desire to discover the greatness of God and to know his Savior deeply. As an individual, he is supremely dissatisfied with superficial treatments and obvious answers and is incurably analytical and curious. These bents also mark his approach to studying the Word of God. Someone described John as “studying at the level of a scholar and communicating at the level of a friend.” That’s the best description I’ve heard thus far. He’s a well-spoken scholar, or he’s a well-informed friend. Either way, what may not be obvious is that this skill rests on a zeal for the things of God. Not ability, but zeal with knowledge. In a word, worship. John demonstrates that the quality of our delivery must rest not on cleverness, structure or personal skill, but on the integrity of our relationship to Jesus Christ.
Yawn, B. F. (2010). Well-Driven Nails: The Power of Finding Your Own Voice (pp. 54–56). Greenville, SC; Belfast, Northern Ireland: Ambassador International.Jacob Hantla
Pastor/Elder, Grace Bible Church
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Janice said:
I wanted to know how long do you study each day to prepare a sermon or blog post or presentation?
It varies depends upon the length of time available and the number of sermons given in a week. It ranges from 50 hours or so to 20 minutes on short notice.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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It varies a lot for me as well. It is also difficult to tell because often I'm studying passages and topics for months before I finally write out what I want to say.
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Janice said:
Do you know of any books/resources I can read for encouragement?
In a search in my preaching collection on "prep* time", these 4 titles yielded the most hits:
Olford, Stephen F., and David L. Olford. Anointed Expository Preaching. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998. (9 hits)
Fabarez, Michael. Preaching That Changes Lives. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 2002. (7 hits)
Robinson, Haddon W., and Craig Brian Larson. The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Communicators. 1st ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2005. (6 hits)
Hamilton, Donald L. Preaching with Balance: Achieving and Maintaining Biblical Priorities in Preaching. Geanies House, Scotland: Mentor, 2007. (6 hits)
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Janice said:
I wanted to know how long do you study each day to prepare a sermon or blog post or presentation?
Never long enough.
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On average, I would say 10-15 hours for the whole process. But there are exceptions both ways: super-easy passages or sermon preparation frustrations.
When I started, I relied on step-by-step methods and I wrote down a manuscript, followed the advice to work on memorable sentences, seek out contemporary illustrations, etc. The first became unneeded with experience. The rest I found to be misguided though I understand the reasoning and commend the intention.
My preaching ministry has fared very well in multiple cities and countries and I have found for myself that matters the most are the following:
- Be diligent as a student of the Word in order to preach the truth and submit to it (that is, to the One who speaks it). This is not something that is to be reserved for sermon prep only but it must become a quality of life. The attitude of submission is also cultivated in prayerfulness and a true desire to be assisted/led by the Spirit of God.
- Address the people of God as such, as brothers and sisters. Talk to them, personally, with conviction, with care to see them grow, be strengthened, believe and obey the Lord. Some methods put so much emphasis on the sermon as product that while it may be a literary and oratory masterpiece, it lacks soul. In my opinion, we need to speak "normal" when we preach, not making a show of ourselves out there or "performing". We should also preach the Word not traditions or political agendas.
- Meditate first of all on the Scriptures you are going to preach in order to internalize personally and start application "at home". To me, this is the key to preaching with conviction, sincere faith and a clear conscience. Prayer comes in too at this point. Then I formulate the question that this passage answers (for instance, my last one was "what kind of lifestyle does discipleship require?" And write down the main answers that come out of the passage(s). I preach from a very short outline (half a page maximum).
- I take my outline and practice it at least once, more if I find it needs adjustment. This again, allows me to internalize the sermon. When the time comes, I can focus on communicating with the brothers and sisters, spending more time looking them in the eye than looking down at my notes. All my energy can be spent in exhortation, encouragement, pleading, persuading, etc.
But as I said above, I have done this for a long time. If you are a starter, give yourself time to acquire experience and be prepared to spend more time on unfamiliar territory. As long as you are diligent and really seek to serve the Lord well, if you keep your focus in the right place, I have no doubt that you will do very well and be used by His Spirit. He will train you provided that this is what He is calling you and gifting you to do.
All the best as you proceed!
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Hi Janice,
I recall Tim Keller giving a similar answer to John MacArthur: something like 10-15 hours per week. But when he started, it was significantly longer. So he warned the students asking the question that they will have to put in the time as they begin in ministry. Really, every hour you spend in preparation is cumulative--they will carry over with you through ministry. So even though a preacher with 30 years experience may only take 15-20 hours per week to prepare, the truth is that they've taken 30 years + 15 hours to prepare.
Personally, when I first began preaching, it was about 40 hours of prep time. I'm still relatively new to it, and it seems to take about 30 hours. I don't target a time. I prepare until I'm done [or run out of time].
My favorite book on homiletics is Bryan Chapell's Christ Centered Preaching. Very practical in addition to providing the "theoretical" foundation for expositional preaching.
Blog writing is a bit more loosey-goosey. May be a quick 15 minute thought. May be several hours over several days laboring on a single idea/post. I blog for the writing practice, but you may have other objectives.
If you're new to teaching, this is what you need to do: find a trustworthy mentor who will give you honest feedback and help train you. You'll have to be willing to humbly accept constructive criticism along with the encouragements you'd like to hear. You will have natural gifts--strengths that you can build your teaching personality on while you work to improve your weak areas (don't neglect your strengths though). Take as many opportunities as are available to you to teach and write and be very intentional about your evaluation of those things.
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Dr. David Seamands was a legendary Methodist preacher at Wilmore United Methodist Church for 22 years. (His sermons were about 45 minutes long, but seemed about 15 minutes. I never saw anyone better at holding his congregation's attention.) I once asked Dr. Seamands how long it took him to prepare his sermons.
He answered, "Oh, about 56 years, so far.". Then he added, "My whole life experience goes into every sermon."
I am just now beginning to understand what Dr. Seamands meant.
My freshman year of seminary, I was a janitor at Dr. Seamands' church. I think I learned more from watching him than from seminary.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley0 -
most importantly.. PRAY before you prepare your sermon.. I mean really PRAY to God to open your mind and heart so you'll know what is in the Father's heart.. not speak just what's in your heart.
PRAY before you prepare the sermon, PRAY before you deliver the sermon. PRAY for the people you will minister to. It is very important to pray for those who will hear the message.Without prayers it will just be "your own effort".
It's good you have thousands of Logos books and no time left to add to your sermon note, but with PRAYERS..God can open the things you will miss / not find in books you read..
PRAY so that you know WHAT'S THE CURRENT NEED of your congregations. Feed them with the right food from God. Don't do any guessing in picking your sermon.
How many hours should you put into it? .. I don't know .. all I know it has to be proportional. Great sermon requires lots of PRAYERS.
hope that helps. I learned this from pastors of small churches not mega churches . (<70)
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I liked J.R. Miller's sermon preparation video using Logos.
I feel like I never have all the time I need to plan them. One of the most important thing is to be in prayer. We are just the tool God uses.
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When I was an undergrad student, our homiletics professor taught the "rule" of 1 hour of study for every minute of preaching. That has usually been my practice, but that hour of study isn't just an hour sitting at the computer (or paper), it includes my prayer time, my counseling time, my "waiting on the Lord" time, and spending time getting to know my congregants wants/needs. Michael Childs quoted another preacher saying "my whole life" and he is right on the money.
I preached my first sermon when I was 15 and it took me many hours of study and agonizing over the text (and that sermon lasted about 15 minutes). One of my mentors has written several in-depth, critical commentaries and when he was asked how long it took him to prepare for a sermon, he responded by saying, "Only about 20 minutes after I've spend 20 years writing the commentary!" Take lots of notes The more ways you can interact with your brain, the more likely you will be to remember.
And as has already been mentioned by others, bathe that sermon in prayer, before - during - and after, your study and presentation. Once you've preached it, reflect on it to see if there was anything else you wanted to say (or remove something that didn't "work"). File it for future reference.0 -
Michael Childs said:
"My whole life experience goes into every sermon." (Seamands)
I concur. I preached my first sermon in 1974, when I was a schoolmaster in the Highlands of Scotland. I had no reference books at at all for that sermon apart from the Bible itself. (I lived many miles from the nearest bookshop and I'd been asked to preach by the minister at fairly short notice.) I still remember it. It was about Peter - a Changed Man, comparing Peter's behaviour in Mark 14 and Acts 4, asking "What made the difference?" and reflecting on what the Holy Spirit's transforming power needs to do to us.
Having been called into the full-time ministry 25 years ago, I have read through the Bible very year devotionally – just the Word and me. I have read extensively. I have studied at university. I have learned from more experienced ministers (and less experienced ones too!)
Forty years on I study more but I still let the word of Christ dwell in me before I commit anything to paper/computer and before I read what anyone else has written/said. Then I
translate the passage for myself
ask myself: "What's this about?"
pray and sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
(I often choose the praise at this point and begin to think about mentally composing unwritten prayers)
reflect on all of the above, praying more (really just talking informally to the Lord)
read what others have written (Logos is really helpful at this point onward)
make notes (often clippings from commentaries etc.)
recall other sermons, bible studies that illuminate the passage
consider how to apply the above (at this point a swirl of thoughts/feelings/reactions) to my own life
build a mind-map of the sermon – headings, scriptural quotations, citations from other preachers/writers
include application, exhortation, confession, consolation
(I used to produce a full text, before "graduating" to headings. Since 2006 it's been mind-maps.)
if possible leave for a day then revisit, reconsider revise, refine
… then it's Sunday.
The whole process takes about 15-20 hours at the desk. The mulling over (on the back boiler) is done in the course of visiting, driving, leisure.
yes, I'd say my whole life is preparation … for the Lord, His Day, His Kingdom.
There is no finer, more worthwhile calling.
(Keep close to the King!!)
Every blessing,
Alan
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Wow! Thank you everyone for your response. I love how it's not just a sentence, but everything well thought out and said.
Now, I'll be going back over the comments and taking notes. Really appreciate your time! [:D]0 -
I believe this book is well worth your time.
http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Homiletical-Bridge-Tony-Guthrie/dp/0982533217
I refer back to it often.
He was my "Principles of Expository Preaching" professor and is used mightily of God.
http://www.sermonoutlinesfromthebible.com/welcome-to-expository-preaching/
He also is very welcome to emails and phone calls.
No doubt its been mentioned but anything by Haddon Robinson and Jim Shaddix is worth a look too.
Blessings / Joshua
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