Christmas - Sunday Ready

The conversation that broke my heart

Sunday Ready on December 22, 2025

It’s the week of Christmas. I know some pastors will do Christmas Eve services, others are officially done with their Christmas sermons.

Next week, I’ll start sharing resources for new year sermons, but this week I want to talk about pastoral health.

These last few days of 2025 are a great time to step back and take inventory of where you are spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

I had a conversation with a pastor recently that broke my heart. He had a stroke the previous year and I asked him how long he took off after his stroke to recover.

He said, “a week and a half.” I wanted to give him hug. But then he said, “I felt like it was important for my people to see I was ok,” and I wanted to cry.

He said the first week he preached after his stroke he had to hold on to the sides of the pulpit to keep from falling over.

I haven’t been able to get that conversation off my mind. Even when we’re unwell, we feel the pressure to get well for them.

I’ve written more about the challenges of healthy preaching here.

Today I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story about pastoral health.

You can’t use them in your sermon, but hopefully it will inspire to you to make a few healthy decisions as you start a new year of leadership.

One more thing: If you haven’t downloaded your free preaching calendar yet, you can download it here. I would love to help you get ahead in your sermon planning.

People want to attend church at Christmas

Sunday Ready on December 15, 2025

You’ve got a few more weeks of preaching left in 2025, and then the calendar resets.

That’s one of the hardest parts of weekly preaching, in my opinion. No matter how good or bad you feel this Sunday went, another sermon is waiting for you in six days.

This week, I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story you can use for your Christmas messages.

But as we look ahead to 2026, I also want to help you get a jump on your sermon planning.

I’ve written a step-by-step guide to help you create a plan and actually get ahead in your sermon planning this year. And I created a free preaching calendar you can download to go with it.

In the article, I walk through 16 questions you should answer before you schedule anything. Then I take you step-by-step through how to actually build your preaching plan for the year that doesn’t make you feel trapped.

I know not every pastor uses a preaching calendar for different reasons, but I want to challenge you to at least consider it this year.

Read the article, think it through, and see if it doesn’t change the way you approach your preaching. Your family, your staff, and your church will thank you.

How many ways can you preach Christmas?

Sunday Ready on December 8, 2025

When I was pastoring, Christmas was always one of the hardest seasons to preach.

It should be easy—after all, it’s the Christmas story—but there are only so many ways you can preach Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the manger.

In fact, Christmas was one of my biggest “borrowing” seasons. You know exactly what I mean. 😉

This was the time of year I’d borrow ideas, outlines, or illustrations from pastor friends while I tried to finish my Christmas Eve message.

So, if you’re a church leader who struggles to preach during the holidays, don’t feel bad. You’re not alone, and it’s a lot more common than you think.

This week, I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story you can use in your Christmas sermon prep.

I hope it lightens the load and gives you something fresh to work with this season.

One more thing. Sunday Ready is on Instagram. I would love to connect if you use the app. Give us a follow.

Resources For Your Christmas Sermons

Sunday Ready on December 1, 2025

It’s been about 18 months since I stepped away from pastoring after 20 years. Since then, I’ve been resting, healing, experimenting, and quietly working on something new called Sunday Ready.

Over the last year, I’ve gotten to help pastors ease the pressure of sermon prep. Honestly, it’s been really fun because it lets me combine two things I love: writing and helping pastors.

I’m sure I’ll talk more about Sunday Ready later, but for now, I’ve started sending out a weekly email every Monday to help you build your sermon.

Each week you’ll get 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story you can use. This month, everything is geared toward the Christmas season.

I hope it helps lighten the load a little bit. If I can ever help you let me know.