The Pastor's Sermon--Where Does It Come From

Sunday's sermon is not merely the product of five to ten hours of sermon prep per week. It arises from:

1. the totality of the pastor's personal experience--especially his life in Christ,
2. his education and training under the tutelage of well-seasoned mentors,
3. his personal devotional life,
4. his overall knowledge of the Bible and biblical theology
5. his interaction with congregants throughout the week (month, and even years) as he prays over them and carries the combined weight of their own personal burdens
6. his non-stop ruminating over the church's needs

The good sermon is the product of all this, empowered and guided by the Spirit.

Yet in the end, so much depends upon the individual listener's own receptivity and spiritual sensitivity.