THE PREACHER’S JOB

Because it is a subtle temptation, the urge to take short-cuts in preparing messages can be a very insidious danger to those who are involved in preaching ministry.

There are many aspects of preparation, but the one that I want to talk about is probably considered the most mundane & challenging one. 

It is the study of Scripture.

Pastors & others involved in preaching ministry are busy people. They invest a lot of time & energy ministering to the spiritual, emotional, & social needs of others around them. This means that they tend to find ways to streamline the various other ongoing responsibilities that they carry. Which leads us to think about sermon preparation.

There are a lot of online resources available to the preacher. Some provide needed helps, especially when it’s hard to come up with a good illustration or to answer a question about how to understand a certain verse or passage.

The danger is that he might not sufficiently invest himself in studying the text for himself to hear what God is saying thru it.

One way you can help your pastor, & empower him or her to serve you, is to do your part to allow sufficient time to prepare messages that will feed the congregation. That might mean a little less social interaction or expectations about one-on-one ministry from the pastor. It might mean freeing him from some administrative responsibility. It definitely will mean doing whatever it takes to make sure he has enough time to adequately pray & study.

What can you do this week to serve your pastor & enable him sufficient time to study without distraction?