So let us self-critique the right way. Let’s know what a good message is versus a bad or a useless sermon.
Let’s clarify what we mean and help the church understand what a good sermon is, as well.
That way, when they say, “Good sermon,” and you are self-critiquing later, it’s more than a feeling. You can say to yourself:
Was it anchored in the biblical text and Gospel?
Was it faithful to the text?
Did the congregation learn anything?
Did the congregation feel anything?
Did the sermon answer the question: If we took that text seriously, what in our lives would need to change?
Did the church sense I really believed what I was saying?
The odds are if you can answer, “yes,” to these questions, you preached a good sermon.
