Preacher's Block

This preaching tip was shared by Preacher’s Block co-founder, Hunter Bethea. If you’re interested in joining the most focused preachers in the world, sign up here.

Have you ever had those days when you think, “I have the time to get this sermon written, so why does it seem impossible for me to get it written?” There could be several reasons for it, but one reason may be that you have the time but not the energy. Just like we block out time to get our sermons written, we also need to be intentional to block out energy to write our sermons too.

If you’ve ever had a difficult hospital visit followed by a contentious meeting followed by a draining social event and then tried to sit down and write your sermon, you know what I’m talking about. So how can we protect our energy so that we have the energy to write our sermons. Here are some quick ideas:

• Mix in energizing items with draining items in your week. Leaving a draining hospital visit? Stop by your favorite coffee shop on the way back to the office to cheer you up.
• When something unexpectedly drains you on a day you’re planning to sermon prep, look at your calendar and see if you need to reschedule another draining appointment to another day. Or, maybe you need to reschedule your sermon prep for another day.
• Give yourself margin. There are going to be interruptions in ministry that drain you. Make sure you plan for the unplanned.
• Get good sleep. If you start the day tired, you’re already starting with limited energy to manage throughout the day.
• Schedule creative tasks when you’re most energized. Do you feel most energized first thing in the morning? Then don’t schedule administrative tasks in the morning; instead, join a block to get your sermon written.
• Have some go-to energy boosts. I’m a mix between an introvert and extrovert; acquaintances drain me and friends energize me. So I have a handful of friends that I reach out to when I’m feeling particularly drained and we catch up on the phone or grab coffee/lunch. What are your ways of boosting your energy?