# Do you ever "recycle" sermons?



## Southern Presbyterian (Oct 31, 2009)

I was wondering how often, if ever, some of you Brothers reuse old sermon outlines. Under what circumstance would this be prudent rather than lazy? 

For background and FYI purposes, I'm thinking of using an old outline tomorrow because: 1) I can't seem to get any where with the outline that I had planned; and 2) I think it would be good to be reminded of the principles outlined it this particular sermon (it has been 5 years since I preached this one).

What has been your experience/practice in matters such as this?


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## fredtgreco (Oct 31, 2009)

James,

My practice is that I do not ever re-preach a sermon/text to the same group. But I do use the same sermon in different contexts, and that is very proper (e.g. when I go to another church).


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## jambo (Oct 31, 2009)

Provided that it is *not* just a case of being lazy I see no problem with recycling old sermons. One can consider that Jesus may well have done this in that he preached his sermon on the mount on a mount (Matthew) whilst in Luke he preached a very similar one on a plain (Luke). If one congregation need to hear something then so do another. 

However I would only do so for another congregation and would never recycle a sermon for the same group of people. Even after 5 years there will be some who will say "You have preached that one before..." 

In recycling an old sermon there is however still quite a bit of work involved in preparing it. You may look at the passage differently and you may have given further thought to the original subject and may have changed or modified your views somewhat. The second version can be quite different to the original

In my regular congregation I would always try a new sermon but there have been times in the past I have used one originally preached elsewhere. Like yourself sometimes there are frustrations as the original outline just does not seem to gel or you are not happy at the shape of it or you seem to get so far then hit a brick wall. 

Your task is to feed the congregation and if you feel the congregation can be well fed on an old outline then good and well.

As an aside, I recall reading about the Covenanter John Livingstone who preached at Kirk O' Shotts and 500 people were converted. The following week in another part of the country he preached the same sermon and to his knowledge not a single person was converted. Thus new sermons or old, sermons that were a real blessing or disaster the first time round may very well be the opposite second time round. Our sermons truly are in the hands of a sovereign Lord.


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## msortwell (Oct 31, 2009)

*my 2 cents*



Southern Presbyterian said:


> I was wondering how often, if ever, some of you Brothers reuse old sermon outlines. Under what circumstance would this be prudent rather than lazy?
> 
> For background and FYI purposes, I'm thinking of using an old outline tomorrow because: 1) I can't seem to get any where with the outline that I had planned; and 2) I think it would be good to be reminded of the principles outlined it this particular sermon (it has been 5 years since I preached this one).
> 
> What has been your experience/practice in matters such as this?



What to "the experts" say? - folks only remember 1/10 of what they hear? That would give you 90% "new" material! 

Seriously, I have no qualms about preaching through the same outline a second time (provided that there is a reasonable amount of time expired between messages). Still, I can NEVER just "reuse" an outline. There is ALWAYS something I am compelled to change/fix/improve. 


Blessings,

Mike


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## nicnap (Oct 31, 2009)

I have preached the same outline to a group...I told them up front that I was preaching the same outline, but as I had matured, so had my understanding of the passage; I told them that I had hoped to flesh out what I had preached some years before...granted the outline was touched up and changed slightly. (I don't usually carry a manuscript, so the sermon had changed, and did seem more "full" that second time around.)


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## DMcFadden (Oct 31, 2009)

The best (nay, almost only) good advice given to me in seminary was to economize your prep where prudent. Whenever possible, it was great to use the same research for a sermon, devotional, and lesson. I have often used a "winner" when preaching to another church or making use of the research to prepare classes for teaching elsewhere.

My longest stint in a single church was 10 years. I did not repeat sermons, in part, because my style was to preach expository sermons through books. However, I did carry a short series (4 Sundays on Jonah, for example) from a 7 year pastorate to my 10 year pastorate. But, even then, the illustrations were different and my points contextualized to the new congregational setting.


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## ewenlin (Oct 31, 2009)

I for one wouldn't have any problem hearing the same sermon outline twice. In fact, there are some sermons I constantly listen to just because of what it's driving at.

Thought I'd give a listeners' perspective.


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## Southern Presbyterian (Oct 31, 2009)

Thanks Ewen. All listener's perspectives will be appreciated.

Anyone else?


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## Andres (Oct 31, 2009)

well last week my pastor "recycled" a sermon because he had been sick all week and was just not up to the task of preparing a completely new message for Sunday. I had absolutely no problem with him doing so. 

From a listeners perspective, I would rather hear a good, gospel-centered message each week than new "fresh" messages that tell me how to have a better life. I am being serious. If a message is truly quality, I second Ewen in that I will gladly listen over and over.


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