40 Sermon Topics For 2016

One of the things we talk about in Preaching Rocket is how to create a preaching calendar. 

A preaching calendar is important for a couple of reasons…

1. It ensures a balanced diet.

2. It gives guest speakers plenty of prep time.

3. It gives your staff and creative team plenty of prep time.

And, let’s face it, it helps you get out of the “What are we gonna talk about next week?” cycle.

So to jumpstart your 2016 preaching calendar planning meeting, here are 40 potential topics.

1. Reading The Bible. God’s word comes alive when we make it part of our lives.
2. Serving. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, and then told them to do the same.
3. Doubt. When we take our doubts and move towards God instead of away from Him, they create an opportunity to grow our faith.
4. Conflict. Conflict happens. We can’t control people, but we can control how we respond to them.
5. Words. Our tongue is a powerful weapon. It can either help people or hurt them.
6. Forgiveness. Before we get revenge or get even, we must remember what God did by sending Jesus to forgive us of our sins. And then we must do the grueling, everyday work of forgiveness.
7. Generosity. Giving breaks the power of greed in our lives. A generous life is much more joyful than a selfish one.
8. Shame. Shame pushes us away from God and towards anxiety. We change when we realize how much God loves and values us, despite what we’ve done.
9. Peace. God can teach us how to have an inner quietness in the midst of our outer chaos.
10. Grace. Walking with God is better than trying to perform for Him. God loves us for free, not strings attached.
11. Gratitude. Don’t miss the small acts of God’s grace that are in front of you every day because you’re focused on what’s wrong.
12. God’s faithfulness. God is with you, and He always remains loyal to you, even when it seems like He’s silent.
13. Community. One of the ways God speaks to us is through other people. The best way to connect is through community.
14. Work. God is connected to every part of your life, including your job. What would it look like if you invited Him into your work situation?
15. Trust. What would your life look like if you ultimately believed that God is in control and will take care of you?
16. Listening. When you invite wise people to speak into your life, those areas become better. Plus, you avoid regret. Who are you aligned with?
17. Fear. Fear blocks what God wants. What would you do if you believed that God was with and giving you strength at all times?
18. Perseverance. Keep taking the next right step, even when it seems like it’s insignificant.
19. Temptation. Temptation is always trying to trap you. But there’s power when you recognize temptation for what it is, and invite God to help you see a way out.
20. Faith. When it comes to growing your faith, sometimes you have to act and obey before you fully understand why.
21. Humility. As evidenced by Jesus, God is a big fan of us showing humility in our interactions with other people.
22. Prayer. God is honored by our persistent prayer. Even if our circumstances don’t change, we are changed as we consistently pray.
23. Influence. Making a big impact on other people starts with small, relational acts of kindness.
24. Worship. We worship in a more meaningful way when we understand our need for a savior.
25. Worry. We can’t control the future. But we can cast our worry on God who does.
26. Church. Stop being a spectator, and move towards being a participant in what God’s doing through this powerful movement called The Church.
27. Love. Love other people despite what they offer you. Help the people around you see Christians as people who love others no matter what.
28. Jealousy. When you get caught up in someone else’s life, you miss your own. Celebrate others instead of being jealous of them.
29. Evangelism. God wants us to influence the people we have relationships with. It’s never as difficult in reality as it seems in our minds.
30. Anger. Anger is a natural human emotion, but it also must be dealt with. We must take it to God, forgive, and ask Him what to do next.
31. Confession. Confession sets us on the road towards healing. We don’t have to tell everybody, but we must tell somebody.
32. Pain. Even in the midst of bad circumstances, nothing can separate us from God’s love. He is working in us and through our situation.
33. Baptism. Baptism is a way of telling everyone publically what God has done in your life and heart privately.
34. Judging. When we judge others, we’re stating that we’re better than them, and our sin is less than their sin.
35. Regret. We must acknowledge our past and admit where we failed, so that we can change our course and move on towards a better future.
36. Compassion. The early church showed extravagant compassion in a way that pointed people toward Jesus.
37. Thinking. Paul talks about how we can be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We begin to change as we alter our thinking.
38. Wisdom. God wants what’s best for us. Because of that, He reveals daily decisions that He wants us to make. The question we must ask ourselves is, “What the wise thing to do in this situation?”
39. Surrender. We don’t like to turn over control. But as we invite God to take the lead, we see a life like never before.
40. Encouragement. Encouragement is powerful. It’s not just about saying nice things. It’s about cheering people on in their faith.

At Preach Better Sermons, we will teach you how to get your sermons ready in a way that alleviates the pain of preparation.

Get 2016 off to the best start possible! Sign up now for world-class training at this FREE event.

You’ll be glad you registered. And your congregation (and community) will benefit.

Space is limited. So act now!