Comments on: How to Preach a Viral Sermon https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/  Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 By: How to Write a Sermon like John Piper, Tim Keller, John Stott, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, Alistair Begg, and Colin Smith | Kevin Halloran's Blog | Christ, Culture, Books and More https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/#comment-45279 Fri, 07 Mar 2014 20:09:58 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=13301#comment-45279 […] Book Recommendation: Prepared to Preach: God’s Work and Ours in Proclaiming His Word Blog: The Secrets of Charles Spurgeon’s Preaching | David Murray on How to Preach a ‘Viral’ Sermon […]

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]]> By: How to Preach a Viral Sermon | HeadHeartHand Blog | Sermon Watch https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/#comment-23320 Sat, 18 May 2013 19:57:16 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=13301#comment-23320 [...] From Google Blog Search- Preaching a Sermon Do our sermons prompt discussion? There's nothing more surprising or shocking than grace! So why do most sermons send people to sleep? Perhaps we're not preaching grace. Or maybe our sermons answer too many … [...]

]]> By: Cornell https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/#comment-23077 Thu, 16 May 2013 12:41:08 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=13301#comment-23077 Thanks for that clarification. It was very helpful. Also reveals how our current ways of doing “church” leave a lot to be desired in terms of engaging with the sermon post-Sunday-service. The pulpit is indeed the perfect place from which to upload this viral video of an idea :-).

Thank you!! Blessed day.

]]> By: David Murray https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/#comment-23074 Thu, 16 May 2013 12:06:37 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=13301#comment-23074 Hi Cornell: Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Maybe I didn’t explain my point about “discussability.” I don’t mean that we just pose questions and leave people groping in the dark. No, the Word has to be authoritatively preached without any hesitation or uncertainty. What I mean is that we ask thought-provoking and fellowship-provoking questions that challenge the listener to do more than passively receive. For example, in the Scottish Highlands, pastors would often include a question or two in their sermons that would encourage listeners to do further thinking, study, discussion with other Christians. Christians would often gather in one another’s homes after church services to discuss the sermon and especially to discuss these questions. Sometimes they would maybe phone or email other Christian friends and ask their view. That way, the sermon lived on, became “viral” if you will. I hope that clearly distinguishes this practice from the doubt-cultivating approach of Rob Bell.

I agree with you that it would be wrong to aim for “viral” sermons rather than faithful sermons. However, we want faithful sermons to go viral, don’t we? I don’t think any of these three points need undermine faithfulness.

]]> By: Cornell https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/05/15/how-to-preach-a-viral-sermon/#comment-23065 Thu, 16 May 2013 05:05:16 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=13301#comment-23065 Hi David,

Thanks for these great writing tips. I will definitely apply them to my writing at different points. Yet, I was wondering about some challenges that I would face if I tried to apply them to sermons.

For instance, if I craft my sermons to prompt more discussions by posing questions (for instance), shouldn’t I also remind myself of the “point” of any sermon? That is; to explain and hold up scripture as light, to correct error and preach Christ. I am afraid of the emergent (or even worse, Rob Bell) danger of promoting skepticism about interpretation.

These guys who apply such strategies do indeed go viral, but viral may actually be a virus. They may be discussed, but perhaps what we, as the church, need to promote discussion is deliberate discipleship and active ecumenism. There’s just a way that the Truth in a sermon manages to remain unpopular (Matt 7:14). Truth tends to fade the moment it becomes a fad.

I fully support the “simplicity” and “relatability” tips. They are effective strategies in all forms of communication and do not necessarily require doing a lot of gymnastics in our interpretation. So, I would propose great care in navigating through the “discussion” part of the post. Also, it is one thing to identify traits of a viral sermon. It is a different thing to pursue those traits in our sermons. It betrays a form of pragmatic worldview (though not entirely so) where the popularity of a sermon, rather than its faithfulness to truth, is our aim.

Thank you for this. And God bless you.

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