I've heard some really bad sermons in my lifetime, and I've preached some of those bad sermons, too. They weren't insincere or heretical; they were just ineffective, fuzzy, and oomph-less. Almost all bad sermons have one thing in common—they don't have a clear, simple, memorable theme, focus, or Big Idea. As the old joke goes: How many points should a sermon have? Answer: It better have at least one.

I love Bryan Chapell's take on this concept. In his new book, Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapell writes: "Preaching without the discipline of unity [or one central idea] typically results in a preacher roaming from one stray thought to another …. We need unity to funnel the infinite exegetical possibilities into a manageable message …. It is easier to catch a baseball than a handful of sand even if the two weigh about the same amount." It takes study and discipline to find your weekly baseball, but it's worth it. So here are a few questions to consider every week: What's your baseball for this Sunday? How would you describe it in 12 words or less? Does everything in your sermon revolve around it?

This week we also feature:

• Featured Illustration: Coach Chases Down School Shooter
• Featured Sermon: The Surprise of God's Mercy by Kevin Miller
• Video: Overcomer

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. Don't miss this week's Featured Illustration—a powerful story from Sports Illustrated about a courageous high school football coach who chased down a school shooter.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.