It is Thursday morning, and my sermon for this week is complete. Every week, I sit back and marvel at what I was able to create under the Lord’s guidance. Today, I want to take a couple of minutes and tell you what happens each week.

On Monday afternoon, I dig into deep research. I read everything I can on a passage or topic from the Bible. This usually takes about 4 hours. At the end of the day, I have a rough outline typed in that is usually about 3 pages long.

Tuesday morning, I jump into my sermon after some Bible reading and prayer. I type up every thought I have and begin to add flesh to the bones of the outline. I have to step out each Tuesday for a staff meeting, but I jump back in right after lunch. Once I have all my thoughts in a document, I usually end up with about 6 full pages of material. The goal is 7 full pages for a 30-minute sermon.

Once that is completed, the editing process begins. I start asking about logical progression, Biblical theology beyond this passage, and how to apply the main concepts. This usually includes eliminating about an entire page of material. I hate this part, as there is often quality material that gets deleted. Usually by the end of Tuesday, I have about 10 hours of work on the sermon and am about 90% done.

Finally, on Wednesday morning, I read through it again and make edits. Then I jump online and search for sermons on my primary text or topic to see what others have to say. This usually helps me add a few lines of clarification and, sometimes, a better illustration than one I have chosen. By noon, I am all done with it until Saturday, when I practice.

It amazes me every week how I start with these initial thoughts. Then I develop them into a form, and that gets edited and edited into something new and different. What I thought on Monday morning is not what I ended up with on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, I had cut parts I once thought were vital.

As I look at my sermon on the table, it is ready to preach. I always thank God for giving me the thoughts I needed to write this thing called a sermon. I have no control over who will hear it or how many people will. I have no power over how it is received and what someone does with the information. I cannot determine the outcome of what I will preach. All I can do is work hard to put together a sermon to the best of my ability. The rest is in God’s hands.