May 05, 2025

The Pastor’s Dilemma: Loving Preaching, Loathing Sermon Prep

29 minutes

Do you love to preach but at times loathe sermon prep? Do you find preaching incredibly fulfilling yet preparation frustrating or even overwhelming? If so, you’re not alone. Many pastors struggle with the inefficiency of sermon prep—feeling bogged down by research, unsure how to faithfully interpret Scripture, or intimidated by today’s hot-button topics like politics, gender, and race.

Dr. Bruce Clark (PhD. in Biblical Studies, University of Cambridge) from Interpret Consulting joins the show to discuss the common frustrations of sermon prep and explore practical ways to streamline the process while strengthening your preaching skills. Interpret Consulting aims to come alongside busy faithful pastors (in churches of all sizes and stages) and assist them in sermon preparation by helping them strengthen their exegetical skills and tackle today’s seemingly endless sensitive “hot button” issues.

Resources:

Rooted

Upward Sports

Interpret Consulting

Redemption Seminary

FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

Church Answers Central

The Hope Initiative

Episode Sponsors:

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Visit experiencerooted.com/churchanswers for free resources to help you learn more, including the What is Rooted? video and a free download of the Rooted experience framework and Rooted Workbook sample.

Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports organization, partnering with local churches to use sports as a powerful outreach tool to engage the community.

To remind our listeners, Upward offers a variety of league options, including basketball, cheerleading, soccer, flag football, volleyball, baseball, running for adults, and now, pickleball.

Partnering with Upward Sports helps your church reach the community, attract young families, and share the Gospel in a meaningful way.

Is your church striving to be known as a welcoming space where families come together? Sports can naturally become your invitation. Upward Sports understands this and is ready to help you cultivate that atmosphere.

Exciting news from Upward Sports! Pickleball is now available as an Upward sport! Perfect for middle and high schoolers, pickleball is easy to learn, quick to set up, and one of the best ways to keep kids engaged. Whether you’re looking to start a traditional league or a flexible practice-and-play format, Upward Sports is here to help you build a strategy that fits your church. Ready to get started? Schedule a call today and launch a purposeful pickleball ministry in your community!

At Upward, they will customize your sports outreach strategy to fit your church’s budget, and community needs because we know one size doesn’t fit all.

Already have a thriving outreach ministry? Add sports to further fuel your outreach and connect with even more families.

Are you looking to engage new families, bless your community, or mobilize your congregation to serve? Whether you have a gym, field space, or access to a facility, Upward Sports can help. We’re here to support your church in creating a first-class, organized, and intentional outreach ministry that tells families, “You are welcome here!”

Whether you’re expanding an existing sports ministry or starting from scratch, explore Upward Sports. With a trusted history of partnering with over 5,000 churches nationwide, Upward stands ready to support you.

Schedule your call today at www.Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.

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By Thom Rainer

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