12 Time-Saving Sermon Preparation Tips for Busy Pastors

As a pastor, you wear a lot of hats.

You have to give time to the needs of your congregation, community outreach, administrative tasks, and more.

It can be overwhelming at times, especially when it comes to sermon preparation. You want to deliver meaningful and impactful sermons, but finding the time to do so can be a challenge.

In this article, we'll discuss 12 time-saving tips for busy pastors to help with your sermon preparation. These tips will not only save you time but also help you deliver compelling messages that resonate with your congregation.

Set Aside Dedicated Study Time

The more interruptions you experience, the longer it will take you to finish your sermon. If at all possible, set aside significant chunks of time where you can work uninterrupted on your sermon. Treat this time as a non-negotiable appointment, just like you would every other appointment. This will help you stay focused and make the most of your study time.

Don't feel like you're being selfish when you set aside time to study and work on your sermon. You're serving the church by investing the time necessary to create an outstanding sermon. Without this dedicated time, your sermon probably won't be as good.

Create A Sermon Calendar

Planning out your sermon topics in advance can be a big time-saver. It keeps you from having to spend time every week thinking about what topic you're going to speak about.

On your sermon calendar, mark out what the topic will be, what primary scripture verses you’ll use, and any other key points or themes you want to cover. This will help guide your study throughout the week, saving you time in the long run.

Your sermon calendar doesn't need to be anything fancy. You can use a plain document, a spreadsheet, an actual calendar, or anything else that suits your fancy.

Preach Verse-By-Verse

Another time-saving strategy is simply to preach verse-by-verse through the Bible. This type of preaching is called expository preaching. It allows you to fully explore the rich themes of scripture without having to come up with new material every week.

By preaching verse-by-verse, you also have the opportunity to let the Bible speak for itself and guide your sermons, rather than relying on your own ideas or agendas.

Utilize Sermon Series

If preaching verse-by-verse feels overwhelming, consider breaking it into smaller series. For example, you could do a sermon series on the different types of love in the Bible. Or you could do one on the parables of Jesus.

Doing this allows you to focus on a specific theme or topic for a few weeks at a time, giving you more time to fully dive into each passage. It also gives your congregation a chance to explore a topic in-depth and see how different passages connect and build upon each other.

Reuse Content

You have to be careful with this one. By reuse, we don't mean simply preaching the same sermon multiple times. Rather, we mean reusing core ideas and scripture verses throughout the sermon. For example, if you have a core message about forgiveness, you could weave that theme throughout various sermons on different topics or scripture passages.

Reusing content also helps your congregation better remember certain aspects of your sermon. If they hear you sharing the same ideas again and again, they will be burned into people's minds and hearts.

Use Sermon Prep Software

There is some really powerful sermon prep software out there. This software can help you quickly find Bible verses, quotes from books, the Greek meaning of words, and so much more. Rather than spending hours trying to find the right verse or quote, sermon prep software can help you find them in minutes.

In addition to making your sermon prep more efficient, this software can also help you discover new insights and connections in the text that you may have otherwise missed.

Use AI Sermon Software

Much like sermon preparation software, AI-powered apps, such as Sermonly, can be a huge time-saver. Now, to be clear here, we are NOT recommending that you use AI to write your sermon for you. Nothing can replace time spent in God's word, extracting insights to share with His people.

However, AI-powered apps are very helpful when you're studying the Bible. For example, an app like Sermonly can:

• Provide you with cultural context for verses
• Draw connections between passages
• Enable you to see the big ideas of passages
• Help you outline your sermons
• And much more

Using AI-powered apps can help you gain a deeper understanding of God's word, and make your sermon prep even more efficient. Just don't forget the importance of studying and seeking God's guidance in crafting your messages.

Develop A Sermon Template

This strategy is a time-saver for when you're preaching topical sermons. A sermon template allows you to quickly plug in new content and stay organized. For example, your template could include sections for:

• Introduction: Hook, main idea, relevant story or illustration
• Explanation: Dive into the meaning of the text and how it applies to our lives
• Application: Practical ways to live out the message in our daily lives
• Conclusion: Final thoughts and call to action

Having a structured template can help you organize your thoughts and make sure you cover all the important points in your sermon.

Build A Sermon Research Team

If you have people in your church who are particularly good at researching and explaining the Bible in a clear manner, you may want to consider building a team of them. Again, this sermon research team doesn't replace your own personal study of the Bible.

However, they can provide valuable insights and perspectives that you may have missed in your own study. Plus, delegating some of the research to others can free up more time for you to focus on crafting your message.

Keep A Running List of Ideas and Illustrations

There will be times when you struggle to come up with a part of your sermon. Maybe you're searching for that perfect illustration. Maybe you can't come up with an overall topic. In these moments, it's tremendously helpful to have an ongoing list of sermon ideas and illustrations that you can dip into. 

You can add to this list as you encounter new ideas or inspiration from your daily life, interactions with others, or even from other sermons. Having a go-to resource for ideas and illustrations can prevent last-minute panic and help you deliver more engaging sermons.

Batch Prepare Your Sermon Outlines

Unless you're really smart and really fast, you probably can't batch-prepare entire sermons in advance. You can, however, create general outlines for your sermons well in advance. 

In addition to being a big time-saver, batching sermon outlines allows you to see the big picture, make adjustments in advance, avoid duplicating efforts, etc.  It's also a great way to ensure that you're providing a balanced and diverse range of topics and themes in your sermons.

Pray, Pray, Pray

Praying is never a waste of time when it comes to sermon preparation. When you pray, God does great things. He gives you insights you never would have otherwise. He helps you craft phrases so that they have maximum impact.  He helps you understand the hearts and minds of your listeners. And, perhaps most importantly, He uses your sermons to change the members of your congregation.

So pray fervently before, during, and after sermon preparation.

Time-Saving for the Glory of God

Ultimately, the goal is NOT to produce a sermon as fast as possible. The goal is to serve your church with an effective sermon that points them to God. As you seek to implement the above points, don't lose sight of this primary goal. Always keep in mind that the purpose of your sermon is to glorify God and bless His people. Use your time wisely, but always with this ultimate goal in mind.

Remember, sermon preparation takes time and effort. It's not a task that can be rushed or done haphazardly. By implementing these tips and practices, you can streamline your process and save time while still delivering impactful sermons that honor God and bless your congregation.

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