Last Sunday my sermon was sizzling along like a nice juicy steak. I had a strong introduction, a good grasp of the text, a simple big idea, and a clear outline. But then somewhere in my conclusion it fell off the grill. I think God still used it to feed hungry people, but I'd love to have a second crack at that conclusion.

Do you know the feeling? You want to deliver a flawless porterhouse every Sunday, but afterwards you realize something could have been prepared so much better. After over twenty years of preaching here's my advice: treat the text well, love your people, and preach in the power of the Holy Spirit every week (there's really no excuse for not doing those three things), but then leave the results to God. No sermon is perfect. Every sermon is a learning opportunity. And remember: We're not master chefs cooking up the feast. We're more like the little boy in John 6 who offered Jesus his five small barley loaves and two small fish. So keep growing as a preacher, and keep offering your little-fish sermons to the Real Chef who can feed the multitudes every Sunday.

This week to help you heat up your preaching efforts we offer the following:

• Featured Illustration: Research Shows the Limits of Mere Willpower
• Featured Sermon: Work Is More Than A Curse by Tom Nelson
• Video: What if

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. This week we're continuing our series of sermons on connecting Sunday worship with weekly work. Check out Tom Nelson's skills article from last week and his book, Work Matters

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.