The Best Sermon I’ve Heard in a While: 3 Reasons

We travelled this last weekend to hear one of our former students speak at the church where he is now the youth pastor. I was confident that the message would go well, but I was actually amazed at how at a newly married man in his young 20s shared God’s Word with such care. Many pastors I know have a performance mindset which can make them effective communicators. 

Here’s what makes it interesting: He’s not the most outspoken person. He’s not the type to take over a space and demand everyone’s attention. It can be difficult to keep the attention of a crowd, but I think everyone was captivated by what he had to share.

The message was powerful, as were these three things he did that make him an effective pastor and communicator.

Authenticity

Although I know he was provided with requirements for his message, such as the series / topic / scripture - you never would have guessed it. He shared from a deep personal conviction on the topic and I think, even if someone didn’t know him personally, anyone would feel that it was from his heart. I’m sure he was nervous (this was his first time preaching on a Sunday morning), but all that was felt was a personal revelation because of his experience in the topic directly. 

Humility

It wasn’t just some standard “thank you for this opportunity” - you could feel that he felt the burden and blessing of being able to share God’s Word. There wasn’t a story or way of speaking that suggested that we should be amazed at how great he was at following God in this specific way. It’s easy to relate the topic to personal stories and make yourself sound like the expert of that subject, and he avoided that at all costs.

Direct

This message wasn’t overproduced with studies, quotes from others, or finely polished memorization. He didn’t allow the message to be distracted by chasing stories that sort of tied into the message. He spoke about the one topic and had a clear call to action. There was one strong thought throughout the whole message that was easy to follow. I personally felt that the sermon built on the importance and conviction of the topic all the way from the beginning to the response.

In the end, what stood out most wasn’t just that he delivered a good message—it was that he lived it as he spoke. Watching him lead with authenticity, humility, and clarity reminded me that powerful preaching isn’t about personality or polish; it’s about being faithful with what God has given you. It was a proud moment, not just because he used to be one of our students, but because he’s becoming the kind of leader the Church truly needs; quietly confident, deeply sincere, and anchored in truth.