I’ve been preaching since I was 17 years old.  It dawned on me the other day – that’s half my life!  Hopefully I’ve grown and improved as a preacher since I started 17 years ago.  I know one thing for sure, my studying habits have definitely changed.  When I started as a senior in high school, I would write out everything on a small 5×8 notepad.  Then to study, I would write it over and over…and over…and over again.  After I had written the sermon about 5 times, I had it in my head and in my heart.  These days, my final product is printed off my MacBook Air.  Before printing it looks a bit like this…

I probably spend 6-8 hours on a sermon – that’s start to finish.  Then, on Saturday night and Sunday morning I probably spend another 2 hours of study. Going over my sermon, small last-minute changes, internalizing the message.  Most of my preacher friends can relate to this picture below. (Although many of you are so much more advanced than me…you’ve moved on to digital commentaries, etc. I’m an “old soul” I guess. I love to have a book in my hand!)

But no matter how technologically advanced I get – using Logos Bible Software, Evernote, Microsoft Word and my MacBook Air, my sermon always starts like it has always started.  Very simple, very old-school, very plain and very…Mayberry. 

Say what you want about me.  I’m stuck in the past, I’m missing out on the digital revolution, I’m killing trees. But this is pretty much how almost every sermon of mine begins – an open Bible, a blue pen and a yellow legal pad.  Am I the only one?