Sermon Preparation: 5 Hacks to Stop Second-Guessing Your Sermons

For the first few years of my preaching journey, I was plagued by self-doubt. After every sermon, I’d walk off the stage, second-guessing myself and agonizing over my ability to communicate God’s heart. Every clap reminded me of my insecurities, and I’d replay each mistake in my mind. Even as I smiled through compliments and hugged women who said God spoke to them through me, I wrestled internally, wondering if my message was doctrinally sound or impactful.

Beating myself up after preaching became an unhealthy habit that drained my confidence. But through prayer and practice, I developed a rhythm that allowed me to preach confidently and leave the doubts behind. I created a way to prepare a simple sermon.

Sermon Preparation: The five ways I’ve learned to preach boldly without second-guessing myself.

1. Start with Scripture

The foundation of confident preaching is deeply understanding the scripture you’re sharing. Internalize the verse—don’t just read it. Live it, ponder it, and meditate on it. When you’ve internalized the message, you can preach with conviction, knowing you’ve done the work to understand and communicate it effectively.

2. Use an Outline

An outline is your roadmap. Without it, you risk losing direction mid-sermon, which can lead to doubt. At Echo Weekend, we teach the Echo Method outline, which I use every time I speak. It solidifies your message and helps you iron out any issues before you get on stage.

3. Show Over Tell

Connecting with your audience is key to overcoming self-doubt. Storytelling is a powerful way to reinforce your message and engage your listeners. At Echo Weekend, we emphasize the importance of storytelling to make your sermons resonate.

4. Create a Ministry Moment

The purpose of preaching is to inspire action. Plan how you’ll end your sermon and what steps you want your audience to take toward God. Moving from message to ministry moment ensures your preaching has a lasting impact.

5. Engage with a Coach

Coaching is essential to developing your preaching skills. A good coach will challenge you, help you grow, and boost your confidence. At Echo Weekend, we provide personalized coaching to help you preach with authority and eliminate self-doubt.

When you speak from a scripture that has radically changed you, repeatedly use an easy outline method in your sermon preparation, and understand how to connect with your audience through storytelling, you can easily move them from only hearing your message to taking action. This is what solid coaching can do for you. It takes away the self-doubt because you are fully equipped to handle the platform given to you.

Join Us at Echo Weekend

If you feel called to preach, we invite you to attend The Echo Weekend. This four-day interactive workshop will equip you with the tools, community, and confidence to preach boldly and leave self-doubt behind. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your voice and your calling. Register today!

A few highlights from girls who attended The Echo Weekend in 2022:

Oh my. So hard because it was one good thing after another! For me it would be the knowledge I received. The fun times and atmosphere was AMAZING, but having revelations of “I can do this!” And hearing God speak it to me at an activation on Thursday and being equipped to was something I’ll carry on forever.

– Yuliya

I loved connecting with other women who have the same passion and struggles.

– Sara

The culture of sisterhood and celebrating one another was hugely refreshing and beautiful to see. I love how the coaches really made sure to inject that culture into everything we did.

– Melaine

The power of the Holy Spirit was palpable throughout the weekend and I will forever be marked by this!

– Patty

If you feel God has called you to speak, in any capacity, we want to support you via our community and training. Come learn how to grow in your confidence so you never doubt yourself again! Check out our four-day, hands-on, and interactive training, The Echo Weekend.

The best way to develop your voice is to invest in it. Every time you do, your family, community, and world improve. I believe in your voice! This is a weekend you do not want to miss!!!