Here are the typical five stages of my weekly sermon prep process:
STAGE 1: Wow, I have a great Bible text and big idea. I could preach about this forever.
STAGE 2: Oh, no! What can I possibly say about this subject to fill up the 30-minute sermon time?
STAGE 3: I have so much material I could talk for 90 minutes. It’s all so good.
STAGE 5: Preach the sermon.
You noticed I skipped STAGE 4. That’s one of the hardest parts of preaching—knowing what to cut. Filmmakers call it “the cutting room floor.” I’ve noticed something about my sermons lately: they often get better when I get more ruthless about leaving a little more stuff on the cutting room floor. And I’m talking about leaving good stuff on the cutting room floor—exegetical insights, word studies, witty comments, moving illustrations, and so forth. If you also struggle with “STAGE 4,” then this episode is for you!
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