No matter how long your sermon is, the last few minutes may be the most crucial. This is where you have one last chance to hook your audience. This is where you give them one final way to apply what they’ve heard. And for most of us, this is where we ask them to respond right then in a spiritual or tangible way.

During my weekly sermon prep with pastors, we call this “landing the plane” — how to take what you’ve just talked about and make the most out of the last minutes. But in my research, I’ve noticed that many preachers haven’t planned well enough for this part of the sermon. They often feel they have enough experience to coast through on autopilot. But without proper preparation, you may find yourself landing the plane on the wrong runway.

With a few key thoughts in mind, though, you can make sure you’re ready to land the plane every week. That means you’ll get the most of your message, your audience will know clearly what to do, and each sermon will be focused on the finish line.

It Begins with a Good Flight Plan
Before you even consider how to land the plane you need to know where you’re going. Planning out your message doesn’t just mean studying a passage or finding the most compelling illustrations. It involves having a clear outline that leads from point A to point B. Just remember, if you don’t know where you’re going, how will your audience follow you there?

Think of one thing you want your audience to know and one thing you want them to do. This isn’t an original idea. Many pastors have used this technique for many years, but it bears repeating here. The best sermons are always focused on one main thing. If you have that clearly laid out in front of you before you ever begin, mapping out the journey of your sermon is that much easier.

[Planning ahead] doesn’t kill the spontaneous response of your audience. It actually makes it more effective.

The best way I’ve found to do that is to write it out. After I’ve done enough research that I see a coherent outline start to emerge, I write “Main Idea” at the top of a piece of paper and then attempt one sentence that says all that I’m going to say in one sermon. If I can’t get that right, it’s back to the drawing board.

Once I have my main idea, I write out “Know” and “Do.” That forces me to come up with one thing for each that I want my audience to retain. It doesn’t mean I can’t give more than one main point or idea, but it limits how far I stray from my main idea. Defining how I want my audience to respond helps support my applications along the way.

Zeroing In
Now that you know where you want your audience to go, it’s time to decide how to get them there. Flying by the seat of your pants on Sunday morning will leave you regretting not giving more attention to it later. So, make sure you’re ready for the final few minutes of each sermon.

Spend some time with your outline, manuscript or text. Get to know the main idea a little better before deciding how to land the plane. This may take coming back to it after thinking it over for a few hours. Don’t jump to the conclusion unless you’re absolutely certain you know how you want your sermon to end.

Once you’re sure of the main application, workshop it a bit with your staff. If your response time will include a time of worship, make sure that Sunday’s worship leader is on hand. Go over the material again with your content team or trusted staff members. If you don’t have a staff, find a family member or close friend who’s willing to help out.

Another way to be prepared each week is to have a catalog of possible response times. Having a go-to plan in place makes transitions easier. If you’re ending with a call for salvation, it’s a great idea to have three or four scripts ready to go so you can focus on the Holy Spirit on Sunday morning instead of struggling for words. If you want your audience to respond by standing, coming forward or kneeling at their seats, work out in advance what that would look like. This doesn’t kill the spontaneous response of your audience. It actually makes it more effective.

Now that you’ve got a clear flight plan and are prepared for landing, you can be sure the final few minutes of your message are focused and effective. And if how you land the plane is as important as the rest of the flight, then you should be as prepared for the ending as you are the beginning.