Have you ever thought to yourself (or perhaps even vocalized the idea to others) “my pastor preaches a different sermon every week but really only has a handful of messages to deliver?” In reality, most clergy gravitate to specific themes.
Nanette Sawyer, author and the founding pastor of Grace Commons (Chicago, IL), recently shared her own understanding of the five core sermons she preaches.
- Be here now. It’s where everything is, including God.
- God loves you and you are precious, exactly as you are.
- Take Sabbath (honor it). It’s one of the 10 commandments.
- God works through you, filling you with love and power. (And let God help you through others, too.)
- God is a process, in process, transforming everything.
So What?
- What do you consider to be the core of Christianity?
- What are some of the “core sermons” your pastor(s) preach?
- What are some of the strengths of focusing on the core in sermons? some of the limitations?