Titles That Tick

August 15, 2012


Recently H. B. Charles Jr. offered some wise counsel about sermon titles. He says that preachers don’t give enough thought to their titles. In this day of extremely short attention spans, a well-thought-out title can be the door that opens the way for a biblical sermon to do its work.

Here are three general principles for choosing a good title: 

1. It should give some sense of the theme of the sermon.
2. It should be short enough to be memorable.
3. It should fit the personality of the preacher.

Some preachers will use titles that others would never use. Let each person be guided by wisdom and discretion. A good title cannot save a bad sermon, but a bad title may keep people from listening to an otherwise good sermon. 

A title serves to pique the preacher’s own interest. It awakens him to the message God has given him and orients him in the proper direction. If the sermon title puts the preacher to sleep, it’s unlikely to keep the congregation awake. That said, I think we are well past the day of pulpit sensationalism, such as the time when a man preached on on “The Ten Biggest Devils in Town and Their Records Given.” A sermon like that would likely backfire today.

Here are a few notable titles I’ve run across.

“When Prayer is a Sin” by John Gerstner on Psalm 66:18.

“Feet First,” by Warren Wiersbe on Luke 10:38-42 about Mary and Martha. If you know the passage, the title actually gives you the theme of the sermon. 

“Mrs. Bitter, the Mother of Kings,” by Robert Rayburn on Ruth 4.

“The Gospel in Words of One Syllable,” by Donald Barnhouse. 

Pastors often use titles following the “___________of_____________” pattern. Though simple, those titles can work well, especially if they use a slightly unexpected word or if they are alliterated:

“The Dilemmas of Duty”
“The Tyranny of Time”
“The Sorrows of Superiority”

“Why” sermons can attract attention:

“Why is Life So Hard?»
“Why God Makes It Hard When It Ought to be Easy”
“Why You Need Your Enemies and Your Enemies Need You”

Sometimes part of a Bible verse will serve as a good title:

“Be Still and Know”
“How Shall We Escape?”
“I Will Pour Out My Spirit”
“No Other Name”

In recent years “how to” sermons have become popular. The preacher needs to be careful that he doesn’t promise more than the sermon can deliver. But a sermon on “How to Overcome Bitterness” will help many people. Likewise a sermon on “How to Make a Fresh Start” offers hope to the hearers.

Sometimes a title may contain an arresting thought. Here are few examples from Spurgeon:

“Wordless Prayers Heard in Heaven”
“A Preacher from the Dead”
“From the Dunghill to the Throne”
“Never! Never! Never! Never! Never!”

Titles with a question immediately attract attention:

“If I Believe, Why Do I Doubt?”
“When Will Christ Return?”
“What’s Wrong with the World?”
“How Can I Know I Am Saved?”
“Who is the Antichrist?”

Titles with the word “What” focus on a particular topic:

“What the Bible Says About Heaven”
“What to say to a Muslim Friend»
“What Prayer Cannot Do”

As I said earlier, a good title can’t save a bad sermon, but a good title can win a hearing for a good sermon. That’s why titles matter. 

Do you have any thoughts or questions about this post?