The Ten Commandments of Preaching

10-commandments graniteGod gave the original Ten Commandments to Moses and the Nation of Israel from the top of Mount Sinai. These commandments aren’t in the Bible, and they weren’t written in stone. But breaking them could keep you from connecting with your congregation. Here are the Ten Commandments of Preaching.

  1. Thou shalt not preach stolen sermons. God has a message to deliver to your church through you.
  2. Thou shalt tell stories. When it comes to making an impact, stories work better than facts and points.
  3. Thou shalt finish early in the week. The principle of first fruits doesn’t just apply to money – put that sermon in the crockpot and give the Holy Spirit more time to speak to you.
  4. Thou shalt make your point memorable. Having a topic isn’t the same as having a point.
  5. Thou shalt show it, not just say it. Object lessons, images and props can enhance a message and help it be remembered.
  6. Thou shalt preach what God says, not what you think. I’m sure your opinions are interesting, but God’s Word is eternal.
  7. Thou shalt find common ground. People won’t automatically tune in because you’re the preacher or you’re preaching the Bible.
  8. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s style. You are not Andy Stanley, Francis Chan or Perry Noble. Not only is that okay, it’s good.
  9. Thou shalt keep it short. The congregation may stop listening before you’re done talking.
  10. Thou shalt get help. I know your spouse loves you, but you need more unbiased feedback. It’s why we created the Preaching Rocket Coaching.

Which commandment do you break most often? Do you have an 11th commandment you want to add to the list?