Sermon Length?

[RunCALEB]

Thanks for all the input guys, very good!! I especially loved the two quotes from Lectures to My Students!

 

[Edward]

I try to keep our worship services about an hour long, so I shoot for about 25-30 minutes for the preaching.

That's a key point. I visited a church last winter where the sermon ran over 40 minutes. But the service itself was close to two hours, so the sermon did not take up a disproportionate portion of the time. (And there was another, shorter, exegesis of another passage).

 

[Pilgrim Standard]

I agree with as long as it takes. However, I seem to gleen the most from 45 mins to an hr. length sermon. I usually don't want the sermon to end at 30 mins... on the edge of my seat as it were. But, I leave that in the hands of the session.

 

[nick]

I would tend to blanket answer the question with "As long as it takes," but in the hand of a skilled workman.
Jesus preached on the parable of the prodigal son. How long was that? Maybe a few minutes.
Paul preached so long Eutychus fell asleep and then out of the window. (Acts 20:9-12). How long was that? Maybe a few hours. Who wouldn't want to hear either Paul or Jesus preach?

This is a valid point.

There might also be something to the "southern" thing, because I've lived in Florida and Texas and both places sermons lasted at least 40 minutes.

When I was at The Village Church sermons were 45-60. When I went to a PCA church sermons were 35-45. At my current church we have two services where sermons go about 55 to just over an hour, paired with an OT & NT reading that are 15-20 each, and the readings usually have as much meat as a typical sermon I've heard elsewhere.