How should a pastor decide what to preach next, and how far ahead should he plan?
Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the pastoral wisdom behind planning a preaching calendar, from choosing books of the Bible and balancing the Old and New Testaments to determining the length and pace of a sermon series. They explain why planning ahead doesn’t quench the Spirit, how expositional preaching protects pastors from their hobbyhorses, and why the goal isn’t simply filling Sundays with sermons but faithfully feeding God’s people over time.
Resources Mentioned:
Prepare Your People for Sunday (The Everyday Pastor, ep. 16)
When Pain Is Real and God Seems Silent by Ligon Duncan
The Treasury of David by C. H. Spurgeon
The Message of the Old Testament by Mark Dever
The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever
If you’re ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary’s PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more.
The Gospel Coalition