I ran across this story in a book I was reading recently and I think it has great application when it comes to planning and preparing to preach:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was once asked how long it would take to prepare an address on a particular theme. “That depends on how long you want me to speak,’ the President answered.

“If you want an hour on the issue, I can be ready in two days. If you want thirty minutes, it will take me a week. If you want five minutes, it may take a month to prepare.”

FDR knew that arriving at the essence is one of the most demanding exercises of all.

“…Arriving at the essence is one of the most demanding exercises of all” – Isn’t that true for our sermon prep as well?

P.S. One of the best tactics I know of to get ahead and give myself plenty of time to hone in on the essence of the message is planning your preaching in advance.  To learn more and get started, check out my one hour training called “Planning a One Year Preaching Calendar.”