From time to time church members preach at your church. Some of them for the first time. Here is a quick guide that I have used with members who are preaching their first or second time.

1. Pray
2. Prepare
3. Practice
4. Preach

• Pray for the text and the passion to share and explain the text. Pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance, He wants nothing more than you to share His Word.

• Prepare by studying and comparing similar texts. Use a concordance to study words and compare similar texts. Find a text long enough that you can distill three points from it. Three points is not written in stone, but it's a good place to start. One of the best areas for new preachers is in the gospel's, especially parables. They have  a built in outline. See the parable of the Prodigal Son or the parable of the Sower and you will find a ready made outline. Write a conclusion and an introduction, then your three points derived from the text and then find three illustrations or stories that explain or illustrate those three points. Memorize those illustrations or stories so you don't have to read them but share them from your heart. Those stories will carry your message so know them well.
  

• Practice your message as if your church family was right in front of you. I suggest 5 times, Once on Wed evening, twice on Thursday and once on Friday evening. You may not need 5 times, but it's a good start. As you are preaching let your mind see your friends in the pews or chairs and when the Preaching moment arrives, you will have already been there.

• Preach it when the time comes, sleep well the night before. Preach like it maybe someone's last sermon. Use your voice with confidence, as if you were trying to hit the back wall with bullets from your mouth. Speak well, clearly and lovingly. We fail here because we don't know our material well. Practice the sermon as outlined above and your voice will come out with confidence.
  

Some Do's.

• Pray for those who you are preaching to.
• Show that you love them.
  
• A little humor is not so bad. Stories are often a good way to share humor if you are naturally serious most of the time.
  
• Pray some more.

Some Dont's.

• Don't get discouraged if someone doesn't tell you it was a good sermon.
• Don't pull out your latest concern for the church and turn it into a sermon. It will come across as something else.
  
• Don't try to preach like someone else. You will find your preaching voice over time.
  
• Don't forget you are serving God when you preach. It's His word and He has a lot invested in it and you.

Here's a good thing if you want to help your pastor. Let him know what your outline looks like. He or she may not be there to hear you, but can pray for you and can have a part to play in your successful role as a lay preacher.

Pray some more. God's Word will not go unheard, even when we wonder if anyone is listening. Someone is, maybe someone desperately needing a word from the Lord. Deliver it.