How to Improve Your Preaching or Teaching

Podcast Episode #344Improving your preaching and teaching doesn't happen accidentally. It takes intentionality and work. And today we cover 15 ways you can improve your preaching or teaching.Some highlights from today's episode include:* Intentionality is always key to improvement.* What gets calendared gets done.* Sermon prep alone is not sufficient for the personal devotional life a pastor needs to have.* Pastors need to know their congregation. It's hard to preach to a congregation that you do not know.* One of the most important things you can do for your church is to pray for your pastor.* Every sermon should have solid exegesis, exposition, and application.* It's beneficial to take down notes on your preaching as soon as possible after you finish.The 15 improvement suggestions we discuss are:* Assume you need to improve.* Consider the last time you intentionally improved your approach.* Read the Bible and pray every day.* Forsake sin in your life.* Spend more time with your congregation.* Enlist a prayer team.* Study preaching and teaching.* Listen to other preachers.* Invite others to help you prepare.* Simply and clearly answer the “what,” “so what,” and “now what” questions.* Practice.* Do immediate reflection.* Listen to and watch your own sermons or lessons.* Invite unchurched folks to listen to your sermons or lessons.* Take care of yourself physically.Episode SponsorsVanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. Their Fall Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor Coaching Networks are now open for registration, and our very own Dr. Rainer will be speaking at the Fall Lead Pastor Coaching Network.So if you're a Lead Pastor or an Executive Pastor looking for peer roundtable coaching, check it out at vanderbloemen.com/coaching. It's limited to 16 folks, so apply today before it fills up.Midwestern Seminary, one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America, exists to train leaders For The Church. The local church is God’s “Plan A” for the proclamation of the gospel, and there is no Plan B. And this is Midwestern’s vision and heartbeat—equipping pastors and other ministry leaders who are called to expand God’s mission in the world through the local church. At Midwestern Seminary: they train leaders ‘For The Church.’Visit them online at MBTS.edu and start your ministry training today.FeedbackIf you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers.Resources Mentioned in Today's Podcast* Church Answers* The Pastor and Church Revitalization featuring Andrew Davis – Rainer on Leadership #332