Yesterday I wrote about the value of doing a prayerful self-review after preaching.  I’d like to follow up with the categories I use for that kind of review . . . When I am listening to sermons in class, or in a church where I need to review speakers, I tend to use a simple quadrant.  I look for four things, and I look for these in my own preaching.

(1) Is it Biblical? That is, does the message content accurately convey the message of the preaching text, and is it accurate in its representation of the whole of Scripture?

(2) Is it Clear? Does it make sense?  Sad to say too much preaching is actually incoherent in part or in whole.  Does the message have a sense of unity, of order and of progress?

(3) Is it Engaging? This is often missed when preaching is evaluated for faithfulness, clarity and relevance.  Does the speaker and the message engage the heart and not just the mind of the listener?  Is there energy, is there connection?

(4) Is it Relevant? This is not to suggest the preacher has “make the text relevant,” but rather, does the message emphasise the relevance of this passage to us as a congregation?  If we are honest, it is too easy to slip into historical lecture and fail to make evident what God is saying to us, right now, through His Word.

These are the categories of review I use for others, it only makes sense to use them for myself after I preach.  Prayerful reflection on preaching should serve to improve our future preaching.