10 Time Management Tips for Sermon Preparation

Although there is no replacement for actually preparing and preaching sermons to learn how to eliminate time-wasters during your sermon preparation process, and although you don’t want to compromise biblical faithfulness for writing a faster sermon, let me give you ten time management tips for sermon preparation.

1. Use multiple computer screens.

I don’t think I can ever return to regularly working on my sermon from one screen. Utilizing multiple screens will help you work faster and save mental energy. Dragging and dropping between screens and viewing multiple pages or apps while working is highly efficient. On the contrary, using only one screen seriously limits your ability to work effectively.

Only working from your laptop? Buy another computer screen. At home, I use two screens. At church, I use three.

2. Dictation.

Using dictation software allows you to spew your thoughts easier than writing them down. The first draft is a mess, but you can quickly edit them.

I sometimes have a paragraph or a long-form quote I want to use for my sermon. Perhaps I noticed it in a commentary or book I’m reading. But to check back and forth to ensure I copied every word correctly is tedious. Instead, you can simply speak the quote into dictation software in a matter of seconds. I’ve used a free version called dictation.io.

3. Write and save your sermon outline you use, then quickly copy and paste it when starting a new sermon.

I usually follow this method for my sermons:

[Introduction]

[Transition Sentence]

[FCF]

[Big Idea]

[Overview]

[Main Point 1]

[Explanation]

[Illustration]

[Application]

Or something like that.

It might change depending on whether I’m preaching from the Old Testament or the New Testament or if I’m not giving an expository sermon, but I generally follow a similar outline. Why spend time writing the same outline every week? I have the outline saved in Evernote, and when I begin my sermon, I copy and paste the outline into Logos.

4. Begin your sermon preparation on Sundays when you get home.

Or on Mondays.

But if you wait until Tuesday morning to start your next sermon, you’ve allowed ~48 precious hours to pass before working on your next sermon.

Even working on your sermon for 90 minutes on Monday makes a huge difference in getting ahead.

5. Use e-books.

One of the best things I’ve ever done to make my sermon preparation process more efficient is using e-books. I bought them on Logos. I don’t use all the resources for sermon prep as e-books, but there’s a foundation of a few big books I use for every sermon (e.g., study Bibles, one-volume commentary, etc.) that I want on file electronically. Clicking on a button and scrolling is much faster than looking for a book and flipping through pages. Hauling your books from your church office and back home regularly can also be an ineffective use of time and energy.

No, using e-books is not as pleasurable and enjoyable as physical books. But my goal is saving time; not acquiring pleasure. Still, I love the feel and experience of a commentary or academic book, which is why I haven’t gone all in on e-books. So some books I use as e-books; others are physical books. The physical books are more enjoyable to read, whereas the e-books are way, way more efficient to read.

6. Work from a stand-up desk.

You probably don’t want to stand up and work eight hours a day. But sitting all day while you work is not optimal for your health. There’s something about using a stand-up desk that makes work feel more official and gets you into the zone faster. You might be interested in reading about my productivity stand-up desk setup.

7. Work from a checklist.

There is a strong tendency for pastors to rely on intuition for the sermon preparation process. After all, you’ve preached over 100 sermons and you’ve found your preaching voice. Good and well. But you might be tempted to cut corners and be sloppy while preparing your sermon precisely because you are so experienced. Working through a preaching checklist holds you accountable and ensures you don’t miss a step while motivating you as you mark steps off the checklist.

8. Use Bookmarks.

Such a simple idea, but also so effective.

If you decide to use physical books, then use bookmarks. They will save you time as you locate the page number you need. Pastors are used to having books that are 500+ pages by your side, and flipping pages each week in multiple books is a poor use of time. It might only seem like a few seconds, but those seconds add up each day and week. You will grow in your productivity as you learn to optimize seemingly inconsequential moments like saving a few seconds to avoid flipping pages.

9. Use a Book Stand.

While we’re on the subject of physical books, put them on a book stand. Reading a book on your lap is not good for your neck and back. It’s also not the most optimal way to read.

10. Create Timelines and Proper Accountability Structures

Setting progress goals will hold you accountable. For example, you might set a goal to have your outline and Big Idea nailed down by Tuesday at 4:30 pm. But you can also create interdependent accountability. There might be someone in your church who needs your PowerPoints, Community Group questions, or sermon outline by a certain date. Having people dependent on you (in a good way) to get them the material they need to keep the ministry running well encourages you to focus and get the work done sooner. It’s not a good example for a leader to constantly turn things in late.

The best way to learn how to effectively save time for your sermon preparation process is simply by preparing a lot of sermons and learning as you go. While you never want to compromise biblical fidelity just to say you can write a sermon in six hours, the tips above should help you save time for your next sermon.