No matter whether you have been writing and delivering sermons for years, or it is your first one, it can be challenging to get up in front of your church and preach each week. Research has shown that it takes approximately 10 to 18 hours to prepare a sermon for preaching. This means that pastors spend roughly 400 to 720 hours preparing sermons each year.
Writing a sermon can be difficult but writing a sermon about money can be even harder. However, sermons on money can be powerful, so they are definitely worth the extra time and effort they take to produce. If you are considering writing a sermon about money, then here are some of the things you should include:
1. Money is God’s
Many pastors do not like to talk about money in their sermons as they believe it is tainted. However, Psalm 24:1 taught us that the earth and everything in it belong to the LORD. This means that we need to talk about money as it belongs to God.
2. Money is a Means
Lots of people struggle with money. However, God is not worried about the amount of money we have; he is more concerned with how we use the money we do have. In Matthew 6:22 Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of Godand all of these things will be provided for you”.
3. Money Needs to Be Managed
As we mentioned above, everything on Earth belongs to God. This should be the first thing you talk about in your sermon. Once you have explained this to your congregation you can explain our role in taking care of God’s possessions, his money, and his talents.
In Genesis 1:28 God not only told Adam to “rule every creature that crawls on the earth” but he also told him to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it”. Humans have been placed in charge of all of God’s possessions, which includes money.
4. God is the God of Hope
Most people have faced difficult or uncertain times during their lives. The world is constantly bombarding us with messages of anxiety and fear, particularly when it comes to money. People need to be reminded of the hope they have in God and Jesus, no matter what they are facing.
Unfortunately, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been more difficult than ever to stay in touch with our congregation and preach important messages of hope. Thankfully, technology has provided pastors with so many new ways to reach people at all different stages of their lives and faith journeys. Pushpay’s suite of engagement tools provides a brilliant foundation for your digital strategy. From the mobile church app which allows you to stream your sermon online, to the huge selection of sermon outlines they have available to help you write some amazing sermons in 2021, they are one of many church resources worth checking out.
5. Share Your Money with People Who Need It
Once you have spoken about God’s money, and our role in taking care of his money, you should discuss how your congregation can break the huge power that money holds over them. One way they can do this is by sharing their money with less fortunate people.
Each week, pastors lookout at a room full of people (their congregation) from all different backgrounds, beliefs, stories, and races. But what is the one thing all of these people have in common? Money. No matter where they come from, or who they are, everyone in your congregation has to deal with money. They may have more money than they need to live a comfortable life, or they may be struggling to get by financially, or maybe they are simply making ends meet. The point is, that no matter what their financial situation may be, everyone in your congregation is dealing with money regularly. This means that sermons about money can be powerful. If you want to write a powerful sermon that engages your congregation, then make sure you include some of the points above.
