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Many Preaching magazine readers report that among their favorite things in the magazine are the interviews with well-known preachers and those who influence preaching. Over the two decades of Preaching's publishing life we've offered more than 50 interviews with great preachers like John Stott, W.A. Criswell, Charles Swindoll, John MacArthur and many more. Now twenty of those interviews from the past decade have been published in book form. Preaching with Power (Baker Books) includes interviews with preachers like MacArthur, Haddon Robinson, Lloyd John Ogilvie, Rick Warren, Adrian Rogers, David Jeremiah, Ed Young Jr., T.D. Jakes, Andy Stanley, and eleven more. The book is filled with ideas and insights on preaching, but I particularly enjoy sharing one piece of advice that comes from the interview with Rick Warren: "Never stop learning. All leaders are learners. The moment you stop learning you stop leading. Growing churches require growing pastors. The moment you stop growing, your church stops growing. I don't worry about the growth of the church. I never have. In fact, it will probably surprise most people that in 21 years we have only set two growth goals -- and they were both the first year of the church! What I focus on is keeping myself growing and motivated, and if I am on fire, other people will catch it." That's what Preaching magazine and PreachingNow are all about -- helping you to keep growing. My hope is that Preaching with Power will help you grow even more! (Click here to learn more about the book.) Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" (Michael’s blog) for insights and observations about faith and culture issues. Recent topics: Know Your Enemy; Praising the KJV Did you miss this year's National Conference on Preaching? If so, click here for information on tapes and CDs of NCP sessions. It's the next best thing to being there!
Sermon study in community A group of pastors in Muncie, Ind. have started a community sermon study group that is featured in the July-August issue of Ministry Today. Author/pastor Mark Conner talks about several factors that are key to the effective functioning of a community sermon prep group: "While studying in community sounds good, the reality is that it's a lot harder to begin and maintain than it may seem here. Because of this, it's vital that some key elements are in place when developing such a group. Developing Roots: It is impossible to develop a teaching pool by just studying together. Placing random people together in a group to study communally will hardly ever last. The disagreement and frustration that can happen in the dialogue require stronger ties. Instead, the group needs to be rooted in something deeper. The teaching pool described here spends time retreating together, praying for each other and even time simply relaxing with their families. These bonds hold things together when disagreements develop. Freedom of Expression: It is vital to the group that each member feel valued and appreciated. Therefore, each person is free to express his or her viewpoint on the topic without feeling ignored or crowded out. This has to be stated from the outset and it's even important to return to this every now and then to remind everyone that there is freedom to speak your ideas. Truth in Love: Many times, the debate over theology or scriptural interpretation can turn into biting sarcasm and passionate responses. The problem is that our modes of communication can become focused only on speaking truth without worry of how we are saying it. It's essential to remember to deliver your point of view in a way that maintains an atmosphere of love and acceptance. Ultimately, any disagreements need to be left in the room that they started in. Leaving and being upset is never an answer and will only split the group." (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/display.php?id=13322
A Theology of Preaching for African-Americans Philadelphia pastor Clayton Furlow has written A Theology of Preaching in the African-American Context (Orman Press), which offers a helpful understanding of how many African-American pastors approach the hermeneutical task of preaching through the unique social and historical context of the Black church. He writes: "Given the plethora of needs that confront members of the African-American church, the preachers and pastor-theologians are constantly faced with critical theological questions that inform what they say about the Christian faith generally and about God in particular. They must not only confront the critical life issues that confront their members; they must also give serious consideration to those doctrines of the church that inform the preaching task. Olin Moyd rightly points out that preaching and theology are opposite sides of the same coin: 'Preaching has been the primary vehicle for transmitting transcendent truths to the homes and hearts of the masses.' "Historically, African-American preachers and pastor-theologians have not been preoccupied with systematic theological reflections in their preaching . . . (They) have been more concerned with the life issues that are contained in the Bible than they have with addressing certain theological categories of the Christian faith. This does not mean that theology is not a part of African-American preaching; indeed it is. What it means essentially is that practical theological applications have been and continue to be the natural extensions of what African-American preachers and pastor-theologians include in the preaching process, as they attempt to address the existential realities of the people whom they are called to serve . . . "A theology of preaching is needed in African-American preaching in order to assist African-American preachers and pastor-theologians focus more systematically on those issues and problems that constantly confront their hearers." (Click here to learn more about the book A Theology of Preaching in the African-American Context)
What would you like to see in a Preaching website? We are in the process of expanding and enhancing our Preaching.com site, and as we try to determine what additional features to include, we thought the best idea was to ask those who will use it -- readers like you. If you've never visited Preaching.com, drop by and take a look (www.preaching.com), then click here to take our quick survey and offer your own evaluation and suggestions. Or, if you prefer, just drop me a note at feedback@preaching.com, and let me know what kind of features and resources would be helpful to you in your preaching and teaching ministry. And thanks in advance for your input! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=645502338089
Books worth a look Some new releases that PreachingNow readers will find of interest (the link after each title will take you to an Amazon page where you can read more about the book and order a copy if you wish): Ruth A. Tucker's Left Behind in a Megachurch World (Baker) is a helpful reminder that while large churches get the press and seem to set the pace, smaller churches are still where most Kingdom works takes place. Pastors and leaders in churches of all sizes will find helpful insights here. (Click here) If you're looking for a fun read to take on vacation -- and you can't find your copy of Calvin's Institutes -- then pick up Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (William Morrow) by James Swanson. Though historically accurate and thoroughly researched, Manhunt reads like a thriller. (Click here)
ILLUSTRATION: Touch "No more convincing evidence of the absence of parental affection exists than that compiled by Rene Spitz. In a South American orphanage, Spitz observed and recorded what happened to 97 children who were deprived of emotional and physical contact with others. Because of a lack of funds, there was not enough staff to adequately care for these children, ages 3 months to 3 years old. Nurses changed diapers and fed and bathed the children. But there was little time to hold, cuddle, and talk to them as a mother would. After three months many of them showed signs of abnormality. Besides a loss of appetite and being unable to sleep well, many of the children lay with a vacant expression in their eyes. After five months, serious deterioration set in. "They lay whimpering, with troubled and twisted faces. Often, when a doctor or nurse would pick up an infant, it would scream in terror. Twenty-seven, almost one third, of the children died the first year, but not from lack of food or health care. They died of a lack of touch and emotional nurture. Because of this, seven more died the second year. Only twenty one of the 97 survived with most suffering serious psychological damage." (Charles Sell, Unfinished Business, from eSermons.com)
ILLUSTRATION: Foundation In December 2001, the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" was finally reopened to the public after having been closed for almost a dozen years. During that time, engineers completed a $25 million renovation project designed to stabilize the tower. They removed 110 tons of dirt, and reduced its famous lean by about sixteen inches. Why was this necessary? Because the tower has been tilting further and further away from vertical for hundreds of years, to the point that the top of the 185-foot tower was seventeen feet further south than the bottom, and Italian authorities were concerned that if nothing was done, it would soon collapse. What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble? No. The problem was what was underneath. The sandy soil on which the city of Pisa was built was just not stable enough to support a monument of this size. The tower had no firm foundation. (from Alan Perkins via SermonCentral)
ILLUSTRATION: Fathers, Children One day a boy asked his busy father, "Dad, how much money do you earn in an hour?" The impatient dad answered, "I don't know, I guess I make about $50 an hour when I'm at work. Now don't bother me, I'm busy." After a couple of weeks of doing odd jobs around his neighborhood, the little boy approached his dad one evening and said, "Dad, here's $25. Can I buy 30 minutes of your time so we can play together?" James Dobson writes, "Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 6-26-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Gospel "Jesus came to raise the dead. The only qualification for the gift of the Gospel is to be dead. You don't have to be smart. You don't have to be good. You don't have to be wise. You don't have to be wonderful. You don't have to be anything . . . you just have to be dead. That's it." (Robert Farrar Capon)
ILLUSTRATION: Weddings A little boy sat through a Sunday School class and learned about the time Jesus went to a wedding and changed the water into wine. "And what did you learn from that story?" asked his father afterward. The boy thought for a moment and answered, "If you're having a wedding, make sure Jesus is there."
"Preaching, to me, is the biggest fun in the world. I would rather preach than do anything else." (G. Campbell Morgan)
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ILLUSTRATION: Failure, Success Have you ever heard of Choglit soda or OK soda? Maybe you remember Surge, which was around for a few years and tasted a lot like Mountain Dew? No? All three of these sodas were launched by Coca-Cola and all three were complete and utter failures. In April, CEO E. Neville Isdell reminded shareholders of these failures in order to shake up Coca-Cola's "risk-adverse" culture. "As we take more risks, this (failure) is something we must accept as part of the regeneration process." Many big businesses are starting to recognize the importance of "intelligent" or "smart" failures. These failures might hurt in the short-term, but offer critical lessons for long-term growth. It is significant to note that the long-term lessons would never be learned with out taking risks in the short-term. In other words, sometimes that one step back is exactly what is needed to take a leap forward. Are we willing in our church to take risks when necessary? Do we understand that even failures might lead to growth and regeneration? Are we willing to shake the dust off of our feet and move forward when that is what our ministry requires? (from 'How Failure Breeds Success', Jena McGregor, Business Week, July 3, 2006; via eSermons.com)
"Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy." (Groucho Marx)
Fasten your seat belt Occasionally, airline flight attendants make an effort to make the "in-flight safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported: "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only four ways out of this airplane . . . " "We do feature a smoking section on this flight; if you must smoke, contact a member of the flight crew and we will escort you to the wing of the airplane." "Smoking in the lavatories is prohibited. Any person caught smoking in the lavatories will be asked to leave the plane immediately." Pilot -- "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land . . . it's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern." As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!" From a Southwest Airlines employee . . . "To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt, and if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more." "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but they'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines." "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, please take them with our compliments."
And finally . . . Some habits just never grow old. A July 24 AP story reports that two Dutch nuns, wearing habits and riding bikes, chased a suspected thief through Amsterdam. One of the sisters thought she recognized a man walking past their chapel as a thief who snatched hundreds of dollars in cash from the building two weeks earlier, an Amsterdam police spokesman said. She invited him inside for a drink and asked a fellow nun to alert police. The man, apparently suspecting what was happening, fled the building and snatched a bicycle from a passer-by. "The nuns then grabbed their bikes and gave chase. They tried to grab him, but he managed to escape into a residential neighborhood and they lost him," police said. Police hunted for the man in the neighborhood but could not find him.
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