A lot of things you do to improve your preaching and communication takes a lot of time. Many times we can put in place to expand and improve our communication a long term plan, and this is great! We should be doing this. But there are also some steps we can take as communicators today to make lasting change.

I know as I look at improving multiple things in my life I look for the building blocks I can use to achieve success right away as well as into the future.

Here are three building blocks that if you incorporate today will make crucial instant change as well as set you up for further progress.

Organize Your Prep

This is so important and something you can do right now. Sit down and map out blocks of time when you can do the various aspects of sermon preparation and then only deviate from the schedule when necessary. Also set goalposts for yourself. For instance: have the research and illustrating done by Tuesday, a manuscript by Thursday, and several run throughs in before you leave the office on Friday. (obviously this could and should look differently for each individual preacher).

Also, organize the processes in preparing your sermon. For instance: compile a database of illustrations. This is a good way to save time as you can find relevant information in the fraction of the time it takes to pull up Google and scour the web.

Memorize Your Introduction and Conclusion

If you do this today for Sunday it will greatly improve your sermon delivery this week. Take a little bit of time an memorize your introduction and conclusion and you can give the audience your full attention and eye contact instead of your notes.

Pray on Your Knees

The most important aspect of you improving your preaching is rooting it in consistent, expectant prayer. I hope  this is a given but a sermon prep process, or a sermon delivered that is not rooted in prayer is one that is not rooted to be Godly. Root your preparation and your delivery in prayer.

A lot of things we can improve in our preaching might take some time whether that’s a month, a year, or five years. But, I believe there are several things you can literal do this hour to make your preaching more effective this week. What do you think?