A Guide for Making a Message Better

Today, I spent some time coaching a young leader who is going to be preaching his first message soon. He practiced preaching the sermon to 5 of us today. I created a sermon worksheet that we used to evaluate and strengthen the message. The 15 elements of a good message gave us some good talking points. It might be a tool that others might find helpful. Here it is:

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A Guide for Making a Message Better

This tool has been designed to give a communicator helpful feedback. You need not answer each question. But keep these ideas in mind as you listen to the message. Remember, to help a preacher improve, you have to give constructive criticism. So, be honest and be specific.

1. Introduction: Did the communicator truly connect and engage the listeners by raising a felt need so that they really want to go on the journey with him? How could he improve the relevance of the message?

2. Doctrine: Did the communicator apply the truth of scripture in a God-exalting, Jesus-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-anointed way? Was the message theologically-accurate? How could the message be more gospel-saturated?

3. Keepers: What in the message really worked well? What was most helpful? What should the communicator keep?

4. Additions: What do the people need to hear more of? What should the preacher add?

5. Deletions: What will the people need to hear less of? What should the preacher not say? What might make the people yawn?

6. Momentum: Where did the message start to drag – to lose energy?

7. Clarity: How could the communicator “thicken” the MUD – making things more Memorable, Understandable, Do-able?

8. Simplicity: What was the “take away” – the one big idea? Was it really clear? How could it have been made more clear? Was the communicator saying one main thing? How could he say the one thing better?

9. Answers: Did you hear the answers to the four big questions: 1) What does God want them to know? 2) Why does God want them to know it? 3) What does God want them to do? 4) Why does God want them to do it?

10. Stories: Which ones really worked? Which did not? Were there enough illustrations? Were there too many? Did he tell a story that you hadn’t heard before?

11. Surprise: Did the message contain an unexpected element – something startling? Did the communicator say something that those in the world would find surprising, refreshing, non-religious? Was there something challenging to people on both the left and the right? Was a 3rd way - a gospel way – presented?

12. Humility: Did the communicator say things in a way that heightened his credibility? Did you get the sense that he sees himself as a fellow struggler – that he thought he needed to hear this message himself? Do you feel the preacher has applied this to his own life?

13. Passion: Did the preacher speak from his heart in a way that not only moved the minds of the listeners, but their emotions as well? Was he passionate? Did you sense that he had asked God to set his heart on fire?

14. Application: After listening to the message, can you clearly state the “so what?” for the talk? Did the communicator apply the truths to various seasons of life? Did he apply the truths to various spiritual conditions? Are both the lost and the saved challenged? Are both the spiritually immature and the spiritually mature be helped? Did the communicator point people to Jesus and the cross?

15. Conclusion: Are the listeners truly inspired and motivated with the conclusion? How can the communicator strengthen the close?

Question: What other kinds of questions would you ask to help a preacher turn a good message into a great one?