Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
How long should a sermon be? I've heard all manner of answers before. I'm curious as to what principles guide your answer. I have known many say that time shouldn't be a consideration at all but I there are certainly limits to even that.
I preach for about 45 minutes each Sunday morning. Some have charitably complained that its too long. I wonder if the puritans had any general rule on this matter. If not, yours will suffice just fine.
Examine your heart if you want shorter sermons. Why want less of such a wonderful thing?
It's sad that we can watch a 2 hour movie and that doesn't phase us, but listening to his Word preached has to be limited to a time span far less than that.
You speak as if a sermon could never be too long. Oh, it can. Wanting a shorter sermon in many cases is not a matter of the heart--it's a matter of practicality. Two points to consider:
1) There is a reason that educational courses are generally the length that they are. Perhaps your mind works differently, but most of us decline in our focus between 45 minutes and 1 hour of uninterrupted teaching.
2) The first point is even more true for children. Perhaps my children are abnormal, but they can only sit still and quietly for so long. I'd be rather frustrated if my pastor preached for over an hour each week. Frankly, it's an issue that would cause me to consider switching churches.
I think unless you are someone like "The Doctor", you should keep it under forty-five minutes.
30-45 minutes is about right. It also depends on how engaging a speaker you are to be , Frank.