So.... our Pastor is going to be teaching some Sunday night classes for the new believers during the Sunday PM service.
Therefore, he has charged myself (an ordained deacon / person with a minister's license) and an older gent (an ordained preacher) to split up the Sunday evening services for September and October.
So our Sunday evening service consists of our die hard group--- 50 strong. I'm at a loss for what to preach about. I'm assuming that the Sunday evening group consists of saved people. I know that a dear brother of mine who had to move away mentioned that the congregation as a whole is ignorant of the Old Testament. And it never hurts to review basic doctrines too. Or spend an hour on John 3:16.
I'm asking you this: if you were in my shoes, what would you preach about?
I'd love to hear your ideas. And, yes, I will pray about it and ask God for help, but I'm curious as to how you would use the time?
What to preach about?
Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by Jkdbuck76, Aug 29, 2011.
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I say this not to be cross, but because you asked what would I do. I would decline to preach. I'm not called to preach. I'd rather someone that is called to preach fill the pulpit. So, the first question you should ask is whether you are called to preach?
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The Old Testament has some great lessons. For example, each battle and each decission in the Joshua has a lesson for us today.
Also, I never assume that all in a group are saved, no matter who is in the congregation. I don't preach without at least mentioning salvation. The saved should not be offended and the lost need to be told. -
SBCPreacher Active MemberSite Supporter
I pastor a Southern Baptist church and I am preaching (teaching) the doctrines lined out in the Baptist Faith and Message, the fundamental doctrines the we believe as Southern Baptists. So far, it's been a pretty good study.
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I have been called to preach. I've known it since I was 12 years old and have run from it until I was about 28 years old. But I have always been the "go-to" guy. I don't want to be Batman; I am happy to be Robin. I was #2 in charge at the martial arts school, at my normal job, and at our local church. What I have a hard time figuring out is if God wants me to be the "go-to" guy for the rest of my life, of if He's using this to get me ready to be Batman---metaphorically speaking.
In the meantime, the Pastor has asked for me to help preach. -
You can get as in depth as you want and go for as long as you want.
So this would be a good study to do JKD. :) -
You can never go wrong with the minor (in amount not content) prophets.
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Avoid sermons that might chatise the church. Keep in mind that you are not the pastor. It's always safe to preach about Jesus! :)
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What do YOU need to know more about? I have found that many times the questions that I have are common to others in the congregation also.
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Rhetorician AdministratorAdministrator
Rhetorician Response
If you are SBC, why not go through the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?
Just a thought! :praying:
"That is all!"
PS. Did not see the other brother's comment before I wrote mine. Forgive. -
Here's another suggestion. Preach a message on "What Is the Gospel?"
Use I Cor 15 as your text. Two points: What it is, and what it's not.
Rhet also had a good idea about the Baptist Faith and Message. -
"What is the gospel? What is NOT the gospel?"
Funny you should mention that. I've been listening to an mp3 of _aul _asher ripping into a bunch of pastors about the same thing.
Since we are SBC, I think maybe I should cover the BFM 2000. It is not a part of our constitution and bylaws. In fact, our constitution and bylaws look like they were written by a bunch of illiterate yocals with no doctrinal inclination or foresight. They are absolutely inadequate. Sorry for the rant.
Our Pastor wants me to head up a committee to fix the aforementioned constitution and bylaws. What a mess. -
Hey Jkd,
First let me congratulate you on a wonderful opportnity to share God's word. I thought that I might share a couple of thoughts with you concerning your question.
First, you need to talk to your pastor; you definitely don't want to step in and preach something that he was planning on covering in a series. As a pastor, I can't tell you how much it means to me when a guest or supply preacher shows me this courtesy.
Second, the idea of the basics of the faith needs to also be checked with the pastor. It occurs to me that the intro course that he is looking to teach might essentially be an introduction to the church and its foundational doctrines. If so, then he clearly did not want to do this in the Sunday Night service or he would have simply invited the new members to join the Sunday night congregation for such a series.
Regardless, since you are interested in preaching and your pastor is showing a great deal of trust in you, you need to honor that relationship by seeking advice from him. If you feel that the Old Testament is a congregational weakness (would not mention this to the pastor, unless he has expressed this view to you), ask what he would think about you covering some ground in a series through some of the great passages in the O.T.
Anyway, keep us updated as I am always interested in such things. I am glad that you love to preach and I rejoice that God is giving you such a wonderful opportunity. You will be in my prayers. -
I think that I had better ask the Pastor as well.
He is having the foundational doctrines class for the new members of our church.
I think the older members need the very same thing. I mean, why else would I have people telling me they like Joel Osteen and John Hagee? It tells me that the folks in my congregations cannot sift thru the trash that is on religious satellite channels to find the good stuff. They lack doctrinal formation. I think if they new what good doctrine was, they'd stop watching garbage on TV. -
Passages from the sermon on the mount are always helpful when preached in proper context...
I consider that one of the most important passages from the Bible.. can you imagine being able to hear Christ PREACH!? -
UPDATE: our Pastor said that the themes he's working on the rest of the year (that our church needs) are discipleship and witnessing. So he said that if I can preach something on that, then to go ahead with him, but to nevertheless be obedient to what God wants me to preach about.
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UPDATE 10/28/2011:
I've preached 3 sermons on witnessing from John 1 and Acts 1.
I also preached about discipleship/forgiveness from Luke 17, but I spent some time talking about forgiveness.
Well, I had more than one person admit to me that I was preaching to them and that they needed to hear that b/c they needed to forgive someone. I had one person tell me about a run-in they are having with some other guy in the church. I also had more than one person say "so if I rebuke someone who has wronged me and they fail to repent/apologize, I don't have to forgive them, right?"
God has laid upon my heart to preach one more about forgiveness. I'm probably going to talk about the life of Joseph and how he forgave not only his brothers, but Potiphar's wife and the butler who forgot about him in the prison.
I've never had THAT much feedback from 1 sermon. Our Pastor said that God's Word pricked some hearts that night.