For the first few years of preaching I was consumed with second guessing myself. Oftentimes after I preached, I would walk off the stage and immediately feel an alarming amount of self doubt.  I endlessly agonized over my ability to communicate the heart of God. As I found my way back to my seat, every clap thundering in my head as a reminder of my insecurities, I’d pore over each mistake. I smiled through the compliments while second guessing my points, hugged women who said God spoke to them through me while wondering if it was doctrinally correct, and ruined my dinner while wrestling internally over the impact (or lack thereof) of the altar call. 

Beating myself after preaching became a sport, one that I excelled at unfortunately. This sport gets hard and ugly real fast. After many reps and much prayer I have grown into a rhythm of being able to preach without second guessing myself. Today I will be sharing the 5 ways I have come to preach with confidence and leave the doubting behind.

5 Hacks to Stop Second Guessing your Sermons

1. Start with Scripture (s)

   • The foundation of confident communication is knowing you’ve done the work of digging up a deep well of understanding and revelation of the verse God has highlighted to you.

   • Internalize the verse. Don’t just read it. Live it. Ponder it. Sit with it. Meditate on it. Then study it. You should be able to recite this verse without having to read it from the Bible. 

2. Use an Outline

   • Without an outline, you aren’t sure where you are headed. If you don’t know where you’re taking people, you aren’t preaching. You’re processing.

   • There are many ways to create an outline. At Echo Weekend, we show you the Echo Method Outline which I use every single time I get to speak. 

   • An outline solidifies your message and helps you work out any kinks, hang ups, or questions you may have before getting in front of other which leads to preaching with authority.

3. Show over Tell 

   • Sometimes second guessing comes from feeling detached from our audience. When we don’t have a feel for whether or not they were understanding or agreeing with us, we are left with feelings of rejection that cloud our view.

   • Connect with your audience through storytelling that reinforces your message.

   • One of our Echo Weekend team members, Dorinda Wingenbach, is a highly trained master storyteller. She will be teaching an interactive session at our April Echo Weekend. 

4. Create a Ministry Moment

   • Many preachers miss the point of preaching completely which is action! Each time you speak you should plan out how you will end and what step they can take towards God.

   • Giving altar calls isn’t about being cool or staying relative which is why most preachers no longer do it. It’s about moving from your message to a ministry moment. People are going through all kinds of silent battles and are in desperate need of ministry time: confession, agreement, hope, sharing a burden, peace, or salvation. 

5. Engage with a Coach

• Serena Williams is known as one of the world’s greatest tennis players to have ever played the game.

• She has been coached since she was 9 years old resulting in 23 Grand Slam titles. 

• She could have taught herself but she would have never made it to the big leagues or won the attention of the world. 

• Coaches do not change who you are, they help you become who you were created to be by calling you up, challenging you, and changing your thinking. 

• “You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.”– Bob Nelson

• Christian women who are trained in using their voice are an unstoppable force for the Kingdom of God. – Me

When you speak from a scripture that has radically changed you, use an easy outline method over and over again, and understand how to connect with your audience through storytelling you can easily move them from hearing your message only to taking action in a ministry moment. 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.

Echo Weekend was created because I had NO idea what I was doing when I first started preaching. After years of crying, stumbling through the ever frustrating sermon prep, and barely making it through my own messages I decided I had to do something.

The thought came to me that if I was going through this hell, just to preach the Word of God, there was no way I was alone. So the idea for Echo Weekends came about and God brought a team alongside me to create what I wished I always had: interactive training and real support. 

I craved a community to learn alongside. I needed a safe place to practice. I wanted to feel understood and not ambitious. Cheered on and not critiqued. 

You are invited to join us April 27-30 for an incredible weekend you’ll never forget. Let us be your support system as you embark on the journey of preaching sermons that stick to people’s souls. Learn to leave self doubt at the door through this 4 day interactive workshop created specifically with you in mind. 

We will teach you the ins and outs of content development and build your skills through communication coaching. 

Here are 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 your voice. Every time you invest in your own voice, your family, your community, and your world improve. I believe in your voice! This is a weekend you do not want to miss!!!