Remembering Pentecost in Preaching
Pentecost is probably the most forgotten holy season in the church year outside the more liturgical faith communities. Such is sad, for it is on that historic occasion that the Spirit first gave power to believ...
The Sermon That Bites
Today a sermon has to bite. If it doesn't, the people sleep.It used to be that parishioners would be courteous enough to sit up straight, cock their heads in the pulpit's direction and start to listen from word...
Preaching Comes by Praying
“Tough faith” which is needed in the pastorate to help “people move beyond their own barriers” is come upon in the gentleness of prayer. With all the macho emphasis today — not only with Rambo but also with tho...
Excitement About Expository Preaching
I am increasingly excited about preaching expository messages. This has not always been so. For a quarter of a century, I have preached mainly topical sermons. Nevertheless, I am now discovering the adventure o...
Handling God’s Package with Care: Preparing the Sermon
It is difficult to imagine a pastor who does not thrill to preaching; yet there are some who claim to dread sermon preparation. Hopefully, they are in the minority, for one of the sheer delights of the ministry...
Making Public the Outline in Preaching
It is popular in some congregations for the preacher to print his sermon outline, often inserting it in the church bulletin for easy reading by the worshipers.At first glance, this may suggest the message would...
The Lost Art of Preaching with Conviction
The thrust that today's church needs more than anything else is preaching that will keep people awake!More laymen are crying out that they are bored stiff. They can hardly stand those services, yet they feel ob...