Saturday, November 30, 2019

Practical Preaching Advice for Pastors and Lay Preachers #54


5 Ways--No, 6--To Lull Your Listeners To Sleep

There's nothing like a good snoozer of a sermon. But what does it take to preach a sermon that makes your listeners fall sound asleep? Read More

Exegeting Your Audience

Pastors, it is important to know and understand your audience. The truth of Scripture never changes, but the way we communicate that truth should if we want to be truly effective in reaching people with the Gospel. So here are a few quick tips for exegeting your audience.... Read More

3 Questions to Help You Apply the Bible to Today

We must preach the biblical text to the point that people see how it comes to bear on their lives today. If we fail to do this, we have failed to preach. So how can we do this well? How can we apply the Bible to today in our preaching? I have found that asking the right questions of the text makes all the difference. Read More

How to Preach Without Chapters and Verses

In our last article we explored a new way to think about Bible study. This week we’ll look at the implications our “read first” approach has for how we preach the Bible. Read More

A Contagious Pulpit

I remember Haddon Robinson saying that a mist in the pulpit will result in a fog in the pew. It seems so obvious to say it, but there is a strong connection between what is going on in the preacher and what will go on in the listeners. This is true both positively and negatively. Here are some examples with brief comment.... Read More

Destroy a Church in 4 Simple Steps

Here are those four simple steps that lead to a church’s self-destruction. Read More

Protect Your Church in One Simple Step

The church that remains faithful to God is the church that remains faithful to the Word of God. The healthy church is the preaching church. Read More

6 Bullet Points on Preaching

The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about preaching, but I think the majority of it can be grouped under six main headings or ideas. You could, of course, extract specific teaching points from each one, but I think there’s value in looking at them in a broad sense. Here is what Paul says about the preaching of God’s Word.... Read More

The Kind of Preaching God Blesses

There are some books on preaching that are meant for preachers. These are books that teach the nuts and bolts of preaching, that are full of practical tips and illustration. There is a place for such works. There are other books on preaching that are meant for all Christians. These are books that describe the power and priority of preaching in the Christian church and in the Christian life. Steven Lawson’s The Kind of Preaching God Blesses falls squarely in the second category. This is a book for all of us whether we preach weekly, preach occasionally or never preach at all. Read More

8 Ways Expository Preaching Changed Our Church

Faithful expository preaching meant that the Word of God is presented as the words of God. It sounds funny to write it that way, in tautology, but this was earth-shaking news. Every word of Scripture was pure ‘truth’ and ‘argument’ of God, flowing out upon people, forcing they either accept or reject His holy position. The light had dawned: expositional preaching was the only preaching that had any power. Faithful preaching could only be expositional preaching. Read More

Store Away The Criticisms For Tuesday Morning (And 3 More Great Suggestions)

One of the most dangerous times for a pastor are the hours following his Sunday sermon. Read More

10 Reasons I Don’t Use Negative 10-Point Lists In Preaching

A tongue-in-cheek commentary on a popular preaching style. Have you ever used it? How'd it work for you? Read More

Staying Sharp as a Preacher: The Power of Illustration

One of the keys to staying sharp as a preacher is to continually hone your powers to illustrate and to apply biblical texts. This need is often expressed to me by preachers and students of preaching with this question: “Where do I find good illustrations?” The answer is what I have come to call my watchword for preaching, rhetoric, and simply being a literate person in general: “Read widely, live observantly, and look up stuff.” Read More

The Secret To Picking The Best Illustration? It's Right In Front Of You!

We must think deeply about how our illustration choices affect how our congregation hears our sermon. Read More

Are You A Pastor Stuck On Hurry?

Hurry is an enemy of learning. Leaders are always looking ahead for the next hill to climb. But sometimes we must pause and make ourselves fully present in the moment so we don't miss God's subtle, but important lessons. Read More

Sermon Critique

The routine of preparation and delivery can subtly pull us into complacency, which will keep us from ever giving our best for the glory of God. Opening ourselves to meaningful critique of our sermons will help us avoid complacency and refresh our drive for excellence in preaching. Read More

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