The second-to-last step, after study and sermon planning, brings the plane in for a landing for a sermon conclusion. That’s a longstanding metaphor for those who struggle to end their message with a conclusion that, like that song that never ends and keeps going on and on, my friend.

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To avoid the never-ending sermon, we want to craft a powerful, pointed conclusion that does a few things.

• The Conclusion ends the sermon with an emotional feeling that says, “I’m finished. Now it’s your turn.”
• It puts an exclamation point on the Big Idea by reiterating the truth in a way that people can “see” how it applies.
• Makes an appeal to action in specific ways.
• Point people to honor the Lord and Him alone, not me.

This post concludes the series on preaching that I began with my first post. Give that a look and see all of the steps for creating creative and impactful sermons.

What Do You Put In Your Conclusion?

Don’t preach your sermon again, but quickly summarize the Big Idea. Summarize the sermon effectively using a visual illustration of the Big Idea. This illustration will make the message your passage wants people to walk away with so clear that it needs little explanation. Haddon Robinson said:

The illustration should be so transparent that only a sentence or two needs to be added. It has even more power when the illustration needs no explanation at all.
Robinson, H. W. (2001). Biblical preaching: the development and delivery of expository messages (2nd ed., p. 177). Baker Academic.

In addition to a simple summary, an illustration of the Big Idea, add a specific appeal that shows people how they can take the Big Idea and live in a way that applies the truth of the passage. This calls for change, demands an attitude, or helps you understand a truth that challenges, encourages, and inspires you to action or change.

I recently preached on Matthew 5:14-16, which teaches that we should let our light shine in order to glorify God through good works. Here’s how I concluded the sermon.

Remember, even a tiny light can illuminate a very dark place. In our incredibly dark world, even a humble witness can appear like a tiny LED shining on the front of an old stereo system in my basement bedroom. I turned off the light and that bedroom had no windows.

Jesus called us to let our light shine in darkness. When we do that we will show people the pathway to a life in Jesus Christ, away from sin and destruction.

We also. encouraage others who may not feel liek they’re good enough to provide a witness to the wondrous love of Jesus. He supplies the light that we reflect like the moon reflects the sunlight at night.

Pray for a chance to let your light shine in the life of a person lost and suffering in their sin. YOu can do that anywhere. Shine from hostpital bed as a nurse visits your room to comfort you. Shine your light as you ask the mechanic to fix your broken down car and swipes your credit card for hundreds of dollars you can’t afford. Shine your life after a long meal where you received terrible service from a frustrated young single mother. Shine your life by waking into the gas station convenience store where you go every week to buy your gas so you can get to know the Pakistani owner who needs Jesus.

In my conclusion, I summarized the Big Idea visually in the first paragraph. I gave a more direct restatement of the idea in the second paragraph. Then, in the third paragraph, I offered an application that encouraged other believers.

During the message, I shared a story about a ball boy who gave LeBron James a scripture verse from Isaiah 41:10. LeBron posted a picture on his Instagram feed, and reporters asked him about it. Another ball boy saw that and was encouraged to do the same. So this third paragraph above reiterates the appeal to witness as an encouragement to other believers.

Finally, I ended with an appeal to pray for opportunities in a very concrete situation where a witness could enter people’s lives. During the message, I shared a time I could offer a witness while I recovered from surgery.

On March 23, 2026 I had a liver transplant. A few times I got to share the love of God to the care givers in the hospital.

End Your Message with an Exclamation Point

The ending should inspire people to do what your Big Idea asks them to do. A Big Idea can ask for…

• Repentance of sin.
• Remembering something about God and His character.
• Service to God by serving His people or nonbelievers.

In each of these situations, offer concrete or specific examples of these actions or attitudes. You should not end with generic statements. “Give your life back to God!” Instead describe a specific way to repent. Use a story or example of a person who repented by doing something.

How do you act on remembering something about God? Give a tangible example of how that memory changes your daily choices. If you’re preaching about God’s power to affect your problems, then share how someone believed and God rewarded their faith with something specific.

I trusted God would supply my needs and so I began to tithe, even though it was a financial sacrifice and God provided all my family needed.

Craft your closing sentence or paragraph, just like you would your first sentence and your major points.

Avoid Glorifying Yourself as the Hero

As we said above, our goal is to honor the Lord and not ourselves. Too many personal stories that preachers share makes the preacher the hero. Avoid that. Try to honor people or use examples that show how great God is instead.

As I said above, I received a liver transplant earlier this year. I preached a few sermons integrating my testimony of God’s glory. I struggled to keep from praising myself becuase God led me to pray for opportunities to display the glory of God no matter what and to seek God’s will no matter what.

Sometimes I felt like I was glorifying myself, so I kept wording the statements like this: “God gave me the prayers to pray and then gave me the privilege of seeing Him answer it repeatedly.” This reminder helped keep my heart centered on His grace.

Land the Plane

Finally, land the plane. Quit circling the airport and come in for a landing quickly and simply. That’s why we said above…

Craft your closing sentence or paragraph, just like you would your first sentence and your major points.

Many sermons tend to repeat the main idea and restate the points. Avoid this unless you can clearly summarize the Big Idea in one concise sentence.

Preachers can sometimes lose focus and introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Avoid this. Instead, vividly illustrate the Big Idea with clear examples or stories. Save your most powerful illustrations for this moment. Restate the Big Idea clearly and succinctly in one statement. Finally, offer a compelling call to action with practical ways for people to apply the Big Idea in their lives.