My Sermon Calendar is done. I hope yours is too. This is generally where some second-guessing starts. A couple of reasons spring to mind.
Presumption
Jesus said:
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34 ESV)
For many, planning a year’s worth of sermons would seem to be undue anxiety about tomorrow. Jesus also said:
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28 ESV)
Planning then could be thought of as reasonable counting of the cost. For another Biblical example, the book of Proverbs reminds us that
“The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;” (Proverbs 30:25 ESV)
This would seem to indicate that preparing for the future is prudent and ultimately, productive. And then there is the story of Joseph which includes the following:
“Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”” (Genesis 41:33–36 ESV)
These scriptures do not contradict one another. Each teaches an important lesson about the right kind of preparation. The first key is to be faithful and open to what God is doing. The second key is to be diligent. Diligence will not replace faith. And faith without work, that is presumption.
None of our preparation should proceed with the notion that we oversee more than we actually do. It is a sermon calendar. It is written in pixels and paper. It should have flexibility built into it. It should recognize that in the real world, stuff happens. I live in an area where snow, ice, and sleet often require the cancelation of worship. A plan makes a person more flexible not less. When you know where you are going it is easier to re-route.
Unspiritual
Others might think a real preacher should just “wait for the Spirit” to impress a timely message on his mind. It is reliance on the Holy Spirit within me that compels me to invest time and energy in long-term preparation. The Holy Spirit has been operative in this entire process. The whole of the ministry is devotional, prayer-bathed, and Spirit-focused. The indwelling Holy Spirit is not like a fireman who shows up in emergencies. He’s there all the time. He should be active in our minds, over every word we read. He should stir within us every time we open Scripture. He should call to mind our sheep when we are contemplating our pastoral field.
This whole line of reasoning, at least to me, is simply laziness. Getting better at something requires work. Returns come from investment. The hard work of reading, writing, thinking, and preparing gives the Holy Spirit more to work with—not less. It is no wonder that so many in the broader Christian world are awaiting miracles. They’ve done so little themselves that it would take a miracle to preach a decent, Biblical sermon.
Now that we have those preliminaries out of the way, let’s consider some real reasons that second-guessing might become an issue at this point.
1. Time
At this point, I always wonder if I have left enough time to prepare for each sermon series as the work comes due and whether the various topics deserve more time than I am giving them. This is where using external controls is valuable.
My intention, virtually every year is to preach from one of the Gospels from “Christmas” to Easter. Christmas is in quotes because Mark and John don’t have “Christmas” material. I preached from John in 2022 and will preach from Mark in 2023. That means I have had to be more thematic and creative in selecting what I will preach this Christmas season. The same was true of last year, though John is a little easier than Mark who jumps right into the action of Jesus' ministry. It also means that I could have chosen a different order for the Gospels earlier in my ministry. I crossed over that bridge a long time ago and there is no point revisiting that choice. Yet, at some point, you’re going to have to preach from Mark and John, Christmas story or not.
That external constraint of “a Gospel from Christmas to Easter” puts a limit on how many sermons I will preach from Mark this year. I obviously want to end up on Easter with the resurrection. That means I either skip passages, compress the material, or preach very long sermons that summarize huge swaths of text. Not the best options. The solution: trace a thematic trajectory through the book. That’s why we should preserve what we’ve done in the past and review our work. I considered how I preached from Mark in the past, what themes I emphasized, and how prior series from Mark fit within the broader theme(s) for the years in question.
There are similar time constraints for every series and every Biblical text you choose. For example, I deliberately chose to preach the book of Ruth in four sermons, one from each chapter. Some people may think that certain portions of the text will not get adequate treatment in that scheme. Others that I’m spending too much time in a rather brief OT book. That is why prayerful, Spirit-led discernment is essential throughout the entire preparation period.
2. Talent
The next reason for second-guessing is simply, “am I good enough?” “Can I really pull this off?” “Am I smart enough to master a year’s worth of preaching material?” Yes, yes, yes, and the Holy Spirit.
You can improve your study habits. You can expand your planning toolbox. You can do the work. If you really and truly cannot, you have valid reasons to question your call to ministry. This is not the time or place for that discussion, but if you question whether you should be in the ministry you are going to find many, many reasons to dismiss what I (or anyone else who might try and help you) has to say.
If you need more training. Get it. If you need coaching, call me. If you need more specific guidance, I can provide it. I have a bunch of contacts in my Rolodex who can help you with virtually any general or specific needs you have.
There is no reason why you, an intelligent, equipped preacher of the Gospel cannot lay out a year’s worth of preaching, allow adequate time for preliminary preparation, and execute the plan that God gives you through an intentional process of prayer and study.
You will find, as you repeat this process for a few years that some aspects get easier. Through each planning season, you will quickly identify areas in which you need to improve. You will become more familiar with which tools help you grow and be more productive. You will identify your weaknesses and work on them while maximizing your strengths.
You will also find that after a few years some parts of the process get harder. You will become more aware of what themes or tropes you repeat, and you will find that you need to expand your inventory of tools. Even with positive feedback from your congregation and colleagues, you will get bored with yourself. To that end, think of it this way. Planning and studying for preachers are like practice for athletes. Sometimes only you know when you are improving, and that is enough to keep you going from one year to the next.
3. Treasure
Yes, there is a cost involved. Virtually any activity worth doing imposes costs upon the practitioner. You cannot read books you don’t have. Like any other discipline with a scholarly side, there is an avalanche of new materials released every year. The market is flooded with old, public-domain dictionaries, commentaries, and studies that can still be helpful. But there comes a time when you need to know where the current conversations about the Bible are conducted. You will need fresher commentaries, new dictionaries, and cutting-edge studies.
In addition to your own professional study materials, you are going to need to attend clinics, conferences, and seminars. This will allow you to interface and network with colleagues who do the same thing you and I do. Can you imagine a doctor who never takes guidance or advice from other practitioners? Or, what about an accountant who never takes a refresher course in His discipline?
And beyond formal training, you need a network of colleagues you can informally consult with regarding the study and preparation of your sermons. You need to develop a good network and have some of those people on speed dial. FYI, I talked to two other preachers via text or phone, today, whilst writing my sermon.
The anxiety for the preacher, presuming that you do not have hereditary wealth is how much to spend on what part of the preaching program? At least once or twice a month I look Mrs. Beckman in the eye and tell her “I could spend $25,000.00 on books, right now without even trying.” I don't even look at the CBD catalog anymore, it only leads to lust! Tools are expensive but necessary. You need to have a robust preaching plan so that you may have a reasonable acquisition plan. After a few years in the pulpit, with wise investment in a variety of resources, you should have a useful toolbox. It is better to spread the cost over your whole ministry than to spend it all upfront. Anyhow, I wish I had better advice here than, “good luck.”
Mark, Acts, Ruth, OT wisdom literature, A practical “topigetical” series (Worship, Leadership, Stewardship, Discipleship), Philippians. That is what I’m preaching next year. There is a unifying theme (Beginnings) and a roadmap for the next 12 months. I trust Jesus. I seek to be responsive to the Holy Spirit. I will read deeply, study hard and keep my nose in the book, and work like it matters.
