5 Questions on Preaching with Dan Rosser

Pastor Dan Rosser is the Senior Pastor at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Elijay, GA. He has been in ministry for 28 years with 20 of those years as a pastor. He has also been married for 25 years and has two children.

Q1: How long does it typically take you to prepare a sermon?

A: Typically it takes about 8 hours to prepare a message then I study the sermon three to four hours to preach it after it’s prepared. So by the time I preach it I have about 12 hours in it.

Q2: What do you ultimately want a sermon to accomplish?

A: I want a sermon to bring to light the truth of God’s Word and penetrate the hearts of those who hear. A sermon must be bathed in prayer or it falls flat and is a waste for everyone involved. I pray it results in changed lives.

Q3: What are one or two big mistakes people often make in preaching?

A: Deviating from the text is a terrible mistake. The text must be the focus of the message not just a launching point. One other mistake is not having a clear takeaway, what do you really want them to know?

Q4: How do you handle the gospel invitation and preach toward it?

A: I always work to bring the message to the point of leading people to Christ and their genuine need to know Christ. This is an area I really wish I was better at doing but it is a part of every sermon I preach.

Q5: What advice would you give to preachers doing pulpit supply?

A: Remember that a pastor has placed his confidence in you to preach the truth to his congregation so don’t betray that trust getting out in the weeds of opinion.