After preaching more than 100 sermons, I’ve learned that the most important lessons don’t show up in seminary—they emerge over time. In this article, I reflect on a few lessons that reshaped how I prepare and preach each week. These lessons changed not just my sermons, but my rhythms, my focus, and my sustainability in ministry.

Every so often, as you read through Scripture, you hit a passage that makes you pause and say, “Wait… what?” For many people, 1 Peter 3:18–22 is one of those passages. Peter moves from Jesus’ death and resurrection, to Noah, to baptism, to imprisoned spirits, to angels and authorities—all in just a few sentences. One scholar joked that it feels like Peter tossed random ingredients into a blender to see what kind of theological smoothie would come out.