When it comes to preparing a message, sometimes it’s easier just to be told exactly what to preach on. You already have your topic and perhaps the main point and now you can work backwards from it.

Other times you feel like you have received a direct revelation from God, but perhaps it’s very personal to your journey, and not easily translatable to a sermon.

The best sermon subjects are found at the intersection point of:

• God – What does he want to do?
• The Audience – What do they need?
• You – What do I have to share?

The answers to these questions will provide you, as a preacher, the foundation for selecting a new message subject.

1. What does God want to say?

First and foremost, as a communicator commissioned by God you must ask Him what He wants to say. However, in order to know what God wants, first you need to know God Himself. What does the Word reveal about God’s heart for His people?

2. What does the audience need?

You always need to know who you’re speaking to. Every audience is different and as such, needs a different perspective. When considering your next audience, think about the following factors that are already at play even before you speak.

• What was last preached, and by whom?
• What has the theme been recently?
• What is the mission statement of the church?
• What is going on globally and/or locally?

3. What do you have to share?

Ultimately you can’t speak outside your own experience or revelation. God chose you to speak, so speak about what you know, not what you don’t know. You need to know yourself and you need to know what God is saying to you .By staying true to your uniqueness you’ll be preaching from a place of authenticity and you will elicit an even greater lean in.

So next time you prepare a sermon, consider what would be at the intersection of these three questions, and perhaps that could be God’s Word for you to share today.

This thought was originally shared at a Hillsong Leadership Network Google Hangout.

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