How do you feel about borrowing other pastors’ sermons?

Years ago, somebody thought of combining the ingredients of a cake into one simple box. Since then, all you have to do is pour the contents into a bowl, add an egg, maybe some butter, stir, and bake. It’s faster, easier, and usually better than starting from scratch.

The same could be true for borrowing a Rick Warren or Andy Stanley sermon – especially if you can buy the transcript!

Sermon sourcing sites like SermonCentral and Pastors.com make others’ messages easily available to us. Do you use these resources?

It’s a dilemma. Sundays follow busy weeks; and there are better preachers out there. But at the same time, we wonder if it’s okay to use others’ messages to prepare our sermons faster and better.

The Bible says that there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known (Luke 12:2). Plagiarism is a pernicious sin. I’ve known pastors who lost their jobs from crossing that line.

1. Is it better for your church if you invest the time to preach a message crafted for them or to spend more time doing other ministry and preach a good message from another preacher?
2. And, how do you use others’ work with integrity?

I suggest we borrow a term from the design world to show us how to use others’ material without plagiarizing.

The Swipe File

The concept of a swipe file is simple: when you see something you like, use it as an example. You wouldn’t use it as is – it’s someone else’s work after all – but use it to give you ideas to translate into your context.

That’s exactly how I approach using others’ sermons.  They are my swipe file. I look for sermons on the passage or topic I am preaching on, and as part of my research, I do three things with them:

1. I look for ideas that I connect with.

What are the preacher’s points? Which ones do I connect with? Which ones would I drop? What would I add based on my own insights and convictions? Sometimes I’ll use two to three points of a brother’s message. Sometimes I’ll use one. Sometimes I don’t use any of them outright, but use them as stimulants to come up with my own outline on the topic or passage.

2. I look at the illustrations.

Good preachers include personal illustrations to illuminate their point. Have I had an experience similar to the sermon author’s that would illustrate my point? I find it is always easier to modify than create from scratch. If the preacher is telling a story from his childhood that demonstrates poor judgment, what incident in my childhood demonstrates the same thing?  Personal illustrations are always better than telling some unknown person’s story. We live on the same planet so chances are that we’ve had similar experiences.

3. I look for well-constructed phrases.

As an author, I’m attracted to great word choices. When a preacher uses a great image or metaphor, composes with a catchy rhythm, constructs with assonance or memorable (but not cheesy) alliteration, I’ll capture those phrases and make them my own.

If you find yourself wanting to use some of the material directly, or if your message has been significantly influenced by another, give the preacher some credit.

The Benefit to Preachers

The benefit of seeing others’ sermons as a swipe file is that you are learning from their ideas, their structure, and the development of their thoughts. That’s good ground for you to grow as a preacher and to deliver the goods this weekend.

After all, since the days of Solomon, there has been nothing new under the sun, so there’s a good chance that the preacher you’re reading was influenced by a previous preacher, who was influenced by a previous preacher who was… you get the point.

Now What?

This subject came up for me because I wanted to give you a set of sermons from a Palm Sunday/Easter Series I did a few years ago called “The Most Amazing Week in History.” I hope they’ll help you prepare for your messages for this week and next.

The Palm Sunday message, “The Most Amazing Week in History” walks through what Jesus did each day during Holy Week and is built around three symbols of his sacrifice: The Seed (John 12), The Towel (John 13) and The Home (John 14).

The Easter Message, “What Can Happen in a Weekend?” raises the need for personal change, emphasizes the change that Jesus’ resurrection made possible, and invites people to change by receiving Christ.

I think they’ll be good swipe files for you during these busy days of the most important week of our year.

Click this button to get access to Hal’s Easter week sermons.  And start swiping.