TruthFilledSýnishorn

How to Write A Sermon to Preach to Your Own Heart

A good sermon preached to your own heart takes practice, and it takes content! It’s not preaching the truth to yourself if you’re not filled up with the truth. Let’s try and construct a sermon to preach to ourselves, together:

1. Identify the care. What’s the issue? “Why are you downcast?” (Ps. 42:5, BSB).

Write out what your concern is.

For example: I’m overwhelmed by my to-do list.

2. Tell your soul what to do. “Put your hope in God” (Ps. 42:5, BSB).

How? You put your hope in God by looking to the Word and recounting the hope of the gospel and the character of Christ.

The psalmist, David, showed us in Psalm 103 how to preach a sermon to ourselves. He told himself how to keep his eyes on his Father rather than his circumstances by recounting what God has done, what’s true about His character, and why he can trust Him.

Read all of Psalm 103. Look closely at verse 2.

Write out some of God’s benefits, His character, and what’s true about Christ and our hope in Him.

For example: Jesus paid every debt I owe as a sinner. He doesn’t just save me from guilt and condemnation; He saves me to freedom and eternal joy. I’m qualified for my inheritance in Christ (Col. 1:12). He delivered me from darkness to light (v. 13) and has forgiven my sins (v. 14). This is how I’m able to “walk in a manner worthy” of Him and bear fruit (v. 10).

3. Embrace gospel hope. How does the good news of Christ (the gospel) change your perspective?

Preach the sermon to yourself and write out how Jesus satisfies—at the core—the concerns of your heart.

For example: I’m overwhelmed by my to-do list. But because Jesus, on the cross, fulfilled every requirement ever needed to be acceptable in God’s sight, I do not have to look at my to-do list as a means of securing acceptance or freedom. Jesus has already secured those things for me, and in Christ, I can pursue my to-do lists as someone approved, not needing approval. The Bible tells me that “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3, CSB). That means I have everything I need to do all that He’s given me to do, by His power.