How to Turn a Sermon Into a 5-Day Devotional (Free Template + Example)
A short daily devotional is one of the gentlest ways to help Sunday's sermon last through the week. It asks only a few minutes a day, it fits in an email or a church app, and it keeps people in the same passage the whole church heard together.
Below is a free 5-day sermon devotional template you can copy, a worked example, and a checklist so each devotional stays faithful to the message.
What makes a good sermon devotional
- One sermon, one thread. All five days follow the sermon's big idea. Each day looks at it from a slightly different angle.
- Short. About 150–250 words per day, plus the passage. Most people read devotionals on a phone, before work or at lunch.
- Scripture first. Every day starts with a passage: the main text, or one the sermon actually used.
- One response. End each day with one question, prayer or small action, not five.
- Faithful. Applications serve what was preached. If you add a related passage, it supports the sermon's point rather than starting a new one.
The 5-day structure
| Day | Focus | Passage | Ends with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Remember the big idea | The main sermon passage | A question to carry all week |
| Tuesday | Go deeper on point 1 | A verse or two from the main passage | A reflection question |
| Wednesday | Go deeper on point 2 (or the illustration) | A supporting passage the sermon used | A short written prayer |
| Thursday | Live it out | The verse behind the sermon's "so what" | One specific action for today |
| Friday | Look back, look ahead | The main passage again | A journaling prompt and a nudge toward Sunday |
If the sermon only supports three days well, write three. Don't stretch the message to fill a format.
Free template (copy and paste)
``` [SERIES NAME]: [SERMON TITLE] A 5-day devotional from Sunday's message, [DATE] Listen to the full sermon: [LINK]
MONDAY: [Short title] Read: [Main passage] [2–3 short paragraphs. Restate the big idea in one sentence the preacher would recognize. Remind readers of the moment in the sermon where it landed.] Carry this with you: [One question for the week]
TUESDAY: [Short title] Read: [Verse(s) behind point 1] [2–3 short paragraphs on point 1. What does the passage say? What did the sermon draw from it?] Reflect: [One open question, not yes/no]
WEDNESDAY: [Short title] Read: [Supporting passage the sermon used] [2–3 short paragraphs on point 2 or the main illustration.] Pray: [3–4 sentence prayer in plain words]
THURSDAY: [Short title] Read: [Verse behind the sermon's application] [2 short paragraphs. What did the sermon ask us to do? What could that look like today?] Today: [One specific, doable action]
FRIDAY: [Short title] Read: [Main passage again] [1–2 short paragraphs. What has this week shown you? Point toward Sunday.] Journal: [One prompt] This Sunday: [Next sermon title or passage, if known] ```
Worked example: a sermon on Psalm 23
Here is the template filled in for an example sermon. The sermon, titled "The Lord Is My Shepherd," has the big idea "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I can rest even when life isn't restful," with two points: the Shepherd provides (verses 1–3) and the Shepherd is present in the dark valley (verse 4). This example is written for illustration only.
MONDAY: More than a familiar psalm Read: Psalm 23
Many of us could recite this psalm before we understood it. On Sunday we heard it again, slowly, as a confession of trust rather than a comforting poem. "The Lord is my shepherd" is a statement about who is in charge of my life, and who is responsible for my care.
The big idea was simple: because the Lord is my shepherd, I can rest even when life isn't restful. Rest isn't the absence of trouble. It's the presence of the Shepherd.
Carry this with you: Where in your life this week do you most need to hear "I shall not want"?
TUESDAY: He makes me lie down Read: Psalm 23:1–3
Sheep don't lie down when they're anxious. The psalm says the Shepherd makes them lie down, leads them, restores them. Each verb belongs to him. Provision is something the Shepherd does before it is something we feel.
Reflect: Which of these verbs (makes, leads, restores) do you find hardest to receive right now, and why?
WEDNESDAY: You are with me Read: Psalm 23:4
The psalm doesn't skip the valley. It walks straight through it. On Sunday we noticed the change in the middle of the psalm: David stops talking about the Lord and starts talking to him. "You are with me."
Pray: Lord, you know the valley I'm in, or the one someone I love is walking through. I don't ask you to explain it. I ask you to be near. Let me hear your voice more than my fear today. Amen.
THURSDAY: Rest on purpose Read: Psalm 23:2
Sunday's challenge was practical: build one small, regular moment of rest into the week as an act of trust. Not a vacation. Five quiet minutes, phone in another room, praying this psalm.
Today: Choose the time and place for your five minutes, and put it in your calendar.
FRIDAY: Goodness follows Read: Psalm 23:5–6
The psalm ends with a table and a house. The sheep becomes a guest. And "goodness and mercy shall follow me" uses a word that can mean pursue. What has pursued you this week?
Journal: Write down one way you noticed the Shepherd's care since Sunday.
Before you send it: review checklist
- ☐ Every passage reference is correct, in your church's preferred translation.
- ☐ Any quote from the sermon is word for word (check the recording).
- ☐ No day introduces teaching the sermon didn't give.
- ☐ Each day is under about 250 words.
- ☐ The preacher has read it (or at least skimmed it).
- ☐ Links to the full sermon work.
- ☐ If you translate it, a fluent speaker has reviewed the translation.
How to deliver a devotional
- Email: one email on Monday with all five days, or a short daily email. Daily emails are more work to schedule but easier to read.
- Church app or website: one page per sermon with all five days, linked from the recap email.
- Printed: a half-page handout in the bulletin for people who prefer paper.
- Small groups: groups that meet midweek can start with whatever day they've reached.
A faster way each week
If you want the first draft done for you, Amenflow writes a Monday–Friday devotional from Sunday's recording or manuscript, alongside the recap email, small group guide, kids' lesson, clips and Spanish versions. It works only from the sermon you preached, and everything is a draft for your review.
Try it on 3 sermons free (no credit card) or see a real sample devotional.
FAQ
How long should a sermon devotional be? Aim for 150–250 words per day plus the Bible reading, about five minutes. Shorter is better than skipped.
Should the devotional quote the sermon? A line or two helps people connect the week to Sunday. Quote word for word, or clearly summarize.
Can we make a devotional for kids, too? Yes. Use one simple sentence for the big idea, one verse, one question for the car ride or dinner table, and one tiny action. See our guide to turning Sunday's message into a kids' lesson.