I will be as careful to empathically exegete people as I am
to skillfully exegete the biblical text.
I will devote 25% of my sermon prep time to internalizing
the sermon for delivery so that I preach to people not paper.
I will be more concerned with what people think of God than
me because of my words.
I will be so focused that I can articulate the entire sermon
in one compelling sentence before I preach it.
I will take creative risks in preaching the Gospel.
I will pray through the church directory as part of my weekly
sermon preparation.
I will attach a memorable metaphor to my sermon focus.
I will conclude the sermon sooner than I want to finish.
I will practice preaching not as a rhetorical task but as spiritual
discipline through which I love God and people.
I will trust God to use the so-so words of this so-so preacher
to transform so-so people into disciples who transform the world.
