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 and getting these tips sent to your inbox every week, sign up here.

As I was mowing the grass today, I heard a Ben Sasse podcast episode that made me think of a preaching tip for y’all. Ben was interviewing Chris Pratt, who was talking about the importance of balancing work and family. Ben talked about how we often sacrifice the “normal” times with our families because “extenuating circumstances” come up with work.

As pastors and preachers, there are always extenuating circumstances that could keep us at the office longer, preparing the sermon more, or draw us away from our families and/or loved ones. Think of all the excuses you might tell yourself to keep you from connecting more with your loved ones:

“But it’s Senior Sunday. I have to preach a good sermon for all the guests.”
”I’ve got a lot of meetings this week. I need to get ahead on the sermon.”
”My board chair is mad at me. I need to really impress them this week.”
”This person is a big giver. I need to change my schedule to meet with them.”

And on and on and on…

In the podcast, Sasse talked about how we’ve come to believe that each of these is a unique situation and a “one-off extenuating circumstance.” But you know what else is a unique situation and “one-off extenuating circumstance”? Being with your family tonight for dinner. Being at your kid’s tennis match tomorrow. Going on a date this weekend with your spouse. When that day passes, you will never have that specific opportunity again.

Which is why time management in ministry is so important. It’s why we push blocking out time to spend on your sermon. Not because we want a lot of people to be in the blocks (what do I have to gain from that?). But because I want you to be efficient with your time on the things that you can be efficient on (sermon prep, emails, meeting prep) so that you can be inefficient in spending time with your loved ones.

So block off some blocks on your calendar, leave work on time, and keep your commitments to your loved ones.