Faith & community · Public Speaking
Sermon practice feedback: preach Luke 15, then face Raymond
Build the sermon on one main idea from the text, explain the passage faithfully, use one concrete illustration, apply it to a specific part of your listeners’ week, and land it with a clear closing line. Then preach it out loud, timed, and ask a listener what they would do differently on Monday because of it. Preach your ten-minute message on the prodigal son, then answer Raymond Hayes, a long-time elder who asks exactly that.
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Updated October 2026
Who it's for
Who this practice is for
- Pastors preparing a Sunday sermon and wanting honest feedback before they stand up
- Seminary and homiletics students practicing a 10-minute sermon on Luke 15
- Lay and youth preachers who want to land one clear point, not three
- Anyone who wants to practice answering an elder's question after the service
What happens
How a session goes
- You give the sermon first, out loud: a 10-minute message on the prodigal son for a congregation of about 150 people.
- Raymond Hayes, a friendly elder, listens and then asks what your message means for Monday.
- You answer his question honestly and graciously, and he says what he will remember.
Real lines from a test session
What Raymond Hayes said in a test session
“That was a good word. I appreciate you drawing out that second son, because I think we skip past him too fast.”
“That distinction — refusing grace versus guessing if it's offered — that's worth chewing on all week. … Where does the father's justice go in that embrace?”
“It convinced me. The thing I'll take is that the father pleads from a place of having absorbed the hurt himself, not from having ignored it—that feels true enough to live by.”
From a test session of this practice in the app, lightly trimmed. Your session goes its own way: the character reacts to what you say.
You go first
Ways to open
- “Turn with me to Luke 15. Jesus tells a story about a father with two sons, and most of us only remember one of them.”
- “Have you ever done everything right and still felt left out of the party?”
- “This morning I want to talk about the brother who never left home.”
Example first lines to adapt. Fill in the brackets with your own details.
The scorecard
What the scorecard looked like for Sermon Practice With Raymond
“I think the whole thing comes back to what I said earlier — the father just loves both kids. And if we're honest, that's really all any of us can do on a Monday, just try to be kind and remember the story.”
After a strong exchange about cost, you flattened the takeaway into generic kindness, which your own earlier answer had already surpassed.
Try instead: “Raymond, you just showed me the parable's real edge — the father's love costs him something every time he runs. That's what I'm taking into Monday with Jim.”
What went well: Drawing the elder brother out of the shadows and showing the father's pleading carries a cost — that is the pastoral gift of this session.
Real scorecard output from one of our test runs. In test runs the practice answers are written by a test script, not by a customer.
What good looks like
What a strong answer does here
- You preach one big idea from Luke 15 and keep the whole sermon tied to it.
- You explain the text faithfully, including the older brother who stayed home.
- You give one concrete illustration and make the application specific, not vague.
- You land the sermon clearly, then answer Raymond's Monday question with grace and honesty.
Scored on:
- Structure
- Faithful to the text
- Application
- Presence
Common mistakes
Weak lines, and what to say instead
Weak: “The father runs to both sons, and there are three lessons here: forgiveness, grace, and patience.”
Better: “The father runs to both sons. That is the one point: the father goes out to the younger son and to the older brother.”
Three lessons splits the sermon; one big idea ties it to the text.
Weak: “We should all be more forgiving in our daily lives.”
Better: “When your brother comes home this week, go out to him before he reaches the door.”
Vague application never gets specific; a concrete action lands it.
Weak: “The older brother is just jealous and wrong.”
Better: “The older brother stayed faithful and still felt left out. The father goes out to him too.”
The text is faithful to both sons; dismissing the older brother skips the point.
Weak: “I don't really know what it means for Monday.”
Better: “For Monday, it means going out to the person you have written off, the way the father went out.”
Raymond asks for Monday; a gracious, honest answer is part of the score.
Sermon Practice With an Elder at the Door: start talking in a few seconds. Your own side stays yours to fill in.
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Your public speaking practice plan
- Make your main point clear
- Use examples and a logical structure
- Handle audience questions
Start with a free worksheet, then test your own response with a voice or text roleplay. Your first complete coaching report is free once across all areas. Create a free account to save your goal, actual words, and downloadable notes.
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FAQ
Questions about Sermon Practice With Raymond
Who is Raymond Hayes and what does he do?
Raymond is a long-time church elder, about 75. He listens to your sermon, then asks what the message means for Monday. He is friendly, and he says what he will remember at the end. You answer his question after the service. Try it free →
What does a strong sermon look like here?
One big idea tied to Luke 15, a faithful explanation, one concrete illustration, a specific application, and a clear landing. Then a gracious, honest answer to Raymond's question about Monday. Three sermons in one and a vague application are penalized. Try it free →
How long should a sermon be?
It depends on your tradition and setting: homilies at a Mass are often under fifteen minutes, while many Protestant sermons run twenty to forty. Ask your pastor or the service planner what is expected, then practice to fit it, since a sermon that runs long loses people before the application. Try it free →
How do I practice preaching a sermon?
Preach it out loud in the space if you can, standing, with a timer and only the notes you will use on Sunday. Record it or ask one honest listener for feedback on the main idea and the application. Practice the opening and the close the most. Try it free →
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