- There's a brand new process
for identifying sermon series ideas
that never would've been possible a couple of years ago.
And when you use this new process,
you'll notice how easy it is
to discover innovative sermon series ideas.
And in this video, I'm gonna show you how I used
this technique to plan out a full year of sermons.
Even better, I created sermon series graphics
to go along with every single series,
and you'll be able to download each of them for free.
Well, hey there, I'm Brady Shearer,
the CEO of Pro Church Tools and the creator of Nucleus.
And if you like this video,
consider giving it a thumbs up and subscribing.
Look, the sermon series ideas I'm about to share with you
are probably a bit different than what you're expecting.
You won't find any At the Movie's
recommendations on this list.
Simply stated, I wanted to take
a completely different approach
with my sermon series recommendations.
So if you're looking for the same old-same old,
you're not gonna find it in this video.
Now, you might be wondering,
well, what makes this sermon series ideas list so special?
Well, consider this.
Attending church on Sundays used to be
a way of life for most Americans.
But we're living through the biggest
communication shift in 500 years.
Church has become less of a priority,
especially for those younger than 40 years of age.
Only two in 10 Millennials believe
church attendance is important.
And 59% of Millennials who grew up in the church
have dropped out at some point.
And if present trends continue,
the percentage of the population that attends church in 2050
is estimated to be almost half of 1990s attendance,
a drop from 20.4% to 11.7%.
So, what does this mean for your church?
Bottom line, finding the intersection
between faith and culture is critical now more than ever,
especially with your church's sermons.
Because here's the sad truth.
Most people don't care about church.
I mean, sure some people
are angry and bitter towards church.
And others are wildly passionate.
But for the most part, we're apathetic.
Unfortunately, this puts your church in a tricky spot.
Because it's very difficult to engage people
on a subject they are not excited about.
The solution?
Identify the intersections between faith and culture,
and use those intersecting ideas as bridges
between Jesus and the world.
'Cause as it turns out,
this is how Jesus often chose to communicate himself.
Jesus uses a mustard seed as a bridge
to explain The Kingdom of God.
He tells the story of a son
turning his back on his father as a bridge
to explain redemption and forgiveness.
Jesus talks about a man abandoned on the side of the road
as a bridge to explain mercy.
Each of the sermon series ideas I'm about to share with you
is a bridge, an intersection between faith and culture.
A timely springboard for a timeless message.
How do I know this?
Well, because each sermon series idea uses keyword research,
behavioral data, and the most recent statistics we have
on the Christian faith, to find the busiest intersections
that exist today between faith and culture.
This is the strategy for identifying
innovative sermon series ideas.
And now, I wanna share 12 of them with you,
with free downloadable sermon series graphics as well.
Sermon series idea #1, Bible.
Check this out.
Every month, more than half a million Americans
search in YouTube for the phrase bible study how to.
Keep in mind, that figure is only searches within America,
and it's a monthly figure.
So every single month 500,000 plus searches are being made
on YouTube alone for bible study how to.
Look, the Bible's the most widely distributed
and best-selling book of all time,
but it can be confounding.
The translations, the language, the history,
the context, the contradictions.
Here's the bottom line.
The people in your church are hungry
to understand the Bible.
Heck, the majority of Americans, 58%,
say they wish they read the Bible more often.
The solution?
Dedicate a sermon series every year to teaching
your congregation how to properly study the Bible.
Sermon series idea #2, Doubting.
Here's some fascinating data
I found on Christianity and doubt.
Two out of every three Christians
admit to experiencing a season of spiritual doubt.
And more than a quarter of Christ followers
still find themselves doubting right now.
And the most common response to spiritual doubt?
Quit attending church altogether.
Now, I just want you to imagine for a moment,
looking at your church's entire congregation
gathered together in a crowd, all in one place.
Now, consider that one out of every four people that you see
is struggling with spiritual doubt, right now.
Of course, doubt is a necessary part
of almost every faith journey.
But it can be crippling.
Consider that almost half of people, 46%,
that experience spiritual doubt respond by quitting church.
Our churches need to know that doubt is okay.
But we also need a game plan.
What do you we do when a crisis of faith hits us?
That's what this sermon series idea is for.
Sermon series idea #3, pray.
The phrase how to pray receives more than 130,000
unique monthly searches on YouTube in America alone.
Popular variations of that search term
include prayer for strength,
prayer for healing, prayer for children.
And get this, prayer is the most popular
spiritual discipline amongst Christians.
It gets better because
more than half, 55%, of all Americans
say they pray every single day.
In 2017, nearly three-quarters of Americans
prayed to God at least once per week.
Not just Christians mind you, but all Americans.
No doubt about it,
prayer is the most popular spiritual discipline.
But how should we pray?
Should we petition God on our behalf?
Should we ask God to make us more like Him?
Should we simply pray The Lord's Prayer as Jesus instructed?
Similar to studying the Bible, the people in your church
and community are hungry to understand prayer.
Dedicating a yearly sermon series to the practice of prayer
is a tremendous way to foster prayerful habits
in the people of your church.
Sermon series idea #4, Sex.
Think about this. The percentage of single people,
and people who have never married is increasing.
Since 2000, the proportion of single people
in the 25-29 range rose 9 percentage points
And the number of single people in the 30-39 range
rose 10 percentage points.
The median marriage age in the 1970s was 23 years old.
The median marriage age in the 2010s, 30 years old.
If you browse the most popular YouTube channels
amongst young Christians, you'll find
that the most popular videos are consistently
exploring the topics of sex and relationships.
Here are some examples:
The Untold Truth about Saving Yourself for Marriage
Should Christians Kiss Before Marriage?
A Guy's Perspective On Christian Modesty
5 Steps To Actually Battle Pornography
What The Church Is Getting Wrong About Purity
Now the first video on that list talks about
the untold secrets of saving yourself for marriage
and it has close to two million views.
To quote Barna, there are massive generational shifts
amongst younger Americans toward a broader move
to delay marriage. Okay so what am I getting at?
Well, Christians are taught from a young age
that sex is meant to be experienced
within the union of marriage. So think about that.
Sex is the ultimate mystery for a younger Christian.
We put sex on a pedestal. We spend a lifetime
waiting for it. And then, when it finally happens,
we have no idea what to do with it!
So what does this mean for your church?
Talk about sex! For real. Dispel the myths.
Address the difficult questions.
Heck, especially address the difficult questions.
Because here's the deal. 95% of Gen Z uses YouTube.
50% of Gen Z say they cannot live without YouTube.
And if our churches won't talk about sex,
younger Christians will turn elsewhere.
Sermon series #5, Money.
When American Christians were asked
what the most important financial goal was for them,
the most popular answer was to provide for my family.
The second most important financial goal
for American Christians was to
support the lifestyle I want.
And all the way down in the sixth position
was the answer, serve God with my money.
And it gets worse because according to a poll
by the Bank of Montreal, 68% of Canadians surveyed
say fighting over money would be their top reason
for divorce, even ahead of infidelity.
Look, The Bible has a lot to say about money.
About stewardship. Hard work. Generosity.
Tithing. Greed. Contentment.
On the other hand, money is a sensitive topic
for the two largest living generations.
Boomers and Millennials.
Only 25% of Boomers feel confident
they have enough money to last through retirement.
Even worse? 42% of Boomers have nothing saved
for retirement at all. But there's more,
because young people don't have it much better.
American student debt has tripled in the last decade.
For Millennials, traditional life milestones
like home ownership and marriage
sometimes don't even feel like realistic options.
In fact, student debt has put many Millennials
in a hole that we feel like we can't even crawl out of.
Consider the hours of minimum wage work
is now needed for Millennials to pay
for four years of public college compared to Boomers.
A fifteen times increase!
Knowing all of this, a sermon series on money
should offer practical steps and hope
to those who feel hopeless in their financial situations.
Let's keep it moving with Sermon Series Idea #6, Community.
Here's something interesting, young adults who continue
their involvement in church beyond their teens years
are twice as likely as those who leave church
to have a close, personal friendship with an older adult
in their faith community.
Moreover, when asked to choose from word pairings
to describe their vision of the ideal church,
78% of Millennials chose community over privacy
and 64% chose casual over dignified.
Here's a Twitter poll from my friend Jarrid Wilson.
He ran it recently. He asked his audience,
"If you had to choose, what do you think is top priority
for young people when they are looking
for a church to call home?"
By far, the most popular answer was community.
And we don't stop there. Sermon Series Idea #7, Rules.
Browse the most popular YouTube videos amongst
young Christians and you'll find that many are
exploring the do's and do not's of their faith.
Here are some examples: Can A Christian Drink Alcohol?
Can Christians Get Tattoos?
Can A Christian Date Non-Believers?
Should Christians Kiss Before Marriage?
Is Secular Music Evil?
Here's a sobering fact, 66% of Millennials
consider churchgoers to be hypocritical.
And as if that's not enough, the perceived legalism
of Christianity has become the trademark of a faith
that should be marked by redemptive and selfless love.
Here's the bottom line. The people in your congregation
are full of questions pertaining to their faith
and how it applies to day-to-day living.
Consider dedicating a yearly sermon series to responding
to these questions. Perhaps a summer Q&A series
with a panel of hosts instead of just a single speaker.
Sermon Series Idea #8, Purpose.
As it turns out, the most popular Bible verse
on Bible Study Tools and the second most popular verse
on Bible Gateway is Jeremiah 29:11.
A famous passage of Scripture that explores the plans
and purpose that God has for each one of us.
As if that's not enough, the third most popular Bible verse
on Bible Gateway is Romans 8:28.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose."
Meanwhile, a May 2005 survey of American pastors
and ministers asked to identify which books
were the most influential on their lives and ministries.
The most popular response?
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
A book that has sold more than 70 million copies.
Simply stated, most of us long for purpose and meaning.
And as it turns out, this longing is reflected
in the Bible verses that we turn to most often.
Of the ten most popular Bible verses on Bible Gateway,
more than half possess themes of purpose and meaning.
What does this mean for your church?
Well we all want to be a part of
something greater than ourselves.
Constructing a sermon series exploring true purpose
and true meaning rooted in Jesus is a smart way
to engage your congregation while also rallying
them around the mission of Christ.
Sermon Series Idea #9, Spirituality.
According to Millennials, the #1 reason young people claim
church attendance is not important is because
they find God elsewhere.
And it's not just young people. More than a quarter of
U.S. adults, 27% now say they think of themselves as
spiritual but not religious. And that's an increase
of 8 percentage points in just five years.
It's true.
While church attendance may be declining,
spirituality is actually on the rise.
Why does this matter? Well it matters because the
Christian tradition is steeped in rich spiritual practice.
Prayer. Meditation. Communion. Baptism.
Fasting. Solitude. Just to name a few.
Setting aside a yearly sermon series to explore
the spiritual practices of Christianity
will meet a felt need amongst your church and community,
while also allowing you to refocus on the
ancient traditions of the Christian faith.
Sermon Series Idea #10, Influencers.
Here's the deal. We're living through the
biggest communication shift in 500 years.
Consider that three-quarters of children
say they would consider some sort of career in online video,
more than a third want to be a YouTuber when they grow up,
and nearly a fifth want to work as a blogger or vlogger.
And it's not just young people. Adults ages 50+
spend 4 hours and 9 minutes on social media each week.
And according to Google, Boomers and Seniors
spend a total of 19 hours online every week.
In just ten short years, the world has fundamentally changed
thanks to the internet.
Every industry is being disrupted
and every area of our lives is affected.
So how does our faith inform and intersect
with this new digital world?
That's what this sermon series should aim to address.
Idea #11, Fear.
Look at the most popular Bible verses on platforms
like Bible Study Tools and you'll find that 40%
of the top 10 most popular Scripture passages address fear.
Now consider what the lives of young people look like today.
The average student loan debt for Class of 2017 grad
is almost 40 thousand dollars. Up 6% from last year.
40% of Millennials say they fear
getting stuck with no development opportunities.
And now take a look at this infographic of
how life has changed for young people in the last 40 years.
Debt is up, cost of college is up, income has stayed
the same, home ownership is down,
and considerably less people are getting married.
Here's the bottom line. Faith and Scripture
play an integral role in combating fear and uncertainty.
Of course, fear is unavoidable.
But equipping your church to confront fear
in an ever-changing world is critical.
Finally, Sermon Series Idea #12, Body.
There's really no other way to put it.
We're in the middle of a body image crisis.
Men and women around the world are
dissatisfied with how they look.
Approximately 80% of U.S. women don't like how they look.
34% of men don't like their body.
Over 80% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.
Only 4% of women around the world
consider themselves to be beautiful.
It gets worse because according to 2007 statistics
from the World Health Organization, the U.S.
has the highest prevalence of overweight adults
in the English-speaking world.
Now, here's the good news.
The Bible offers a redemptive view of the human body.
We reflect the image of God.
We're fearfully and wonderfully made.
So dedicate this sermon series to helping your church
see themselves through the eyes of their creator.
Did you enjoy this video?
If so, then subscribe to my channel right now.
Also, make sure to click the link in the YouTube description
to visit the full post for this video
where you'll find the citations,
related Scripture verses for each sermon series idea,
and most importantly, the free download link
for each of the series graphics I created
to accompany these sermon series ideas.
Now, I'm gonna turn things over to you,
of the 12 ideas I presented to you for sermon series,
which one was your favorite?
Let me know by leaving your answer in the comments
on this YouTube video.
(Upbeat music)
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