Category Archives: Homiletics

Saturday Short Thought: Seeker Sensitive Preaching

For the past two weeks I have been blogging my way through what I think might be the ten biggest big ideas in the Bible.  I’m sure there are others that should be included. And I’m sure there are some … Continue reading

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Filed under Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 5 - Message Purpose

Biggest Big Ideas – 10. Christ

We’ve covered a lot of ground in nine posts.  A lot of threads weave through the canon.  The resulting tapestry is stunning and breathtaking, but we can’t help ourselves, our gaze goes from the whole to the who…the one who … Continue reading

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Filed under Christianity, Homiletics, New Testament, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 5 - Message Purpose

Biggest Big Ideas – 9. Hope

I started this series last week with the note that Haddon Robinson had suggested that the Bible weaves together about ten bigger big ideas.  I’m offering my list, feel encouraged to read the Scriptures and write your own.  We’ve pondered … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Homiletics, New Testament, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 5 - Message Purpose

Biggest Big Ideas – 8. Spreading Goodness

I suspect there is something of a story even in the sequence of big thematic ideas I am pondering in this series.  God, creation, sin, grace, faith, redemption, community, and building on last time: 8. God’s character is marked by … Continue reading

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Biggest Big Ideas – 7. Community

Woven through the warp and woof of Scripture’s great landscape are themes so glorious and rich that we can barely put them into words.  I’m trying.  What are the ten big ideas of the Bible?  God, creation, sin, grace, faith, … Continue reading

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Filed under Christianity, Homiletics, New Testament, Old Testament, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 5 - Message Purpose

Biggest Big Ideas – 6. Redemption

I’ve been blogging through ten of the biggest big ideas in the Bible.  Somehow every passage seems to touch on at least a few of these.  So far we’ve pondered God, creation, sin, grace and faith.  Today’s idea brings so … Continue reading

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10 Biggest Big Ideas – 1. God

Every passage has a unique main idea.  But are there thousands of completely different main ideas in the Bible?  Haddon Robinson said several times that there are basically variations on roughly ten big Big Ideas in the Bible.  We students … Continue reading

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Filed under Christianity, Homiletics, New Testament, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 4 - Passage Idea

Saturday Short Thought: Glorious Gospel

In a little while I’m heading to London to speak at a Cor Deo Delighted by God conference.  Our subtitle for the day is Glorious Gospel.  I am excited to hear the other sessions and to ponder together just how … Continue reading

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15 Ways to Improve Clarity

This week I’ve been writing about the doctrine of Biblical clarity – the fact that the Bible may be understood.  This is a cause for great rejoicing.  Imagine for a moment that the Bible was absolutely impregnable.  Anyway, one of … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 3 - Passage Purpose, Stage 4 - Passage Idea, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 6 - Message Idea, Stage 7 - Message Outline, Stage 8 - Message Detail

Clarity: More Than Thinking

Yesterday I offered three implications of the doctrine of Biblical clarity for us as preachers.  Since the Bible is written by a master communicator who made sure it could be understood, therefore we need to work hard at understanding, we … Continue reading

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Filed under Specific text, Preaching, Homiletics, New Testament, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 8 - Message Detail, Preacher's Personal Life, Christianity, Audience Analysis