e.g. inspiring?, meditative?, reverent? etc.

Because God’s Word lies at the center of all preaching, sermons should demonstrate that the Bible (and the specific portion of Scripture on which the sermon was based) determined the main message of the sermon. What’s more, if Scripture truly is God’s revelation, then the sermon should reveal God’s active presence (and above all his saving grace) in any given passage as well as throughout the whole of Scripture.

All Christians have, and so should display, union with Christ. But preachers in particular should exhibit their own commitment to the faith and to the Savior at that faith’s core. Preachers should show that they are convicted by the truths they preach, that they are committed to living out this message in their own lives, and that they are pastorally sensitive to (and are honest about) the challenges that face believers in living out the Christian faith.

The content of every sermon comes from God’s unchanging Word in Scripture. But the context in which that Word must be applied is always changing. Preachers must demonstrate an awareness of the culture, the issues of the day, and the particulars of a given congregation (if the preacher is in a position to be familiar with the congregation).

The Apostle Paul declared that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it is nothing less than the very “power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). The result of presenting that powerful gospel should be changed lives. Those outside of the faith should feel joyfully called to believe in Jesus as Lord. Longtime believers should feel energized for service and bolstered in their hope and joy.