Category Archives: How to . . . ?
Don’t Burn Up Your Creativity Too Soon
Preaching is both art and science. It involves a certain amount of creative artistry. But most of us have a limited tank of energy when it comes to creative flair. Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your creative energies when you … Continue reading →
Beyond Guilt – Part 2
This week I am pondering how to preach with a more nuanced approach than mere guilt pressure. As I’ve written already, there is a place for genuine conviction of sin, and I am not hiding from that. But equally, I … Continue reading →
Beyond Guilt
A friend asked me how we can preach to encourage listeners apart from making them feel guilty. He and I would both recognize the need for genuine conviction of sin, a work of the Spirit and a feature of some … Continue reading →
Preaching Cross-References?
How much should the preacher use cross-references? Yesterday Dave wrote this in a comment: In an effort to avoid falling prey to the errors you outline here I kept myself from using many cross references. When reviewing the sermon, my … Continue reading →
Preaching What’s There But Not
I’ve mentioned it before, as have many others, but its worth another shot – don’t rush to “find a message” in your passage, be sure to find the message of the passage. There are shortcuts that inevitably are attractive to … Continue reading →
Preaching Christ or His Benefits
There are many subtle problems that can creep into our preaching. This week I’d like to highlight a few that could undermine preaching effectiveness. Do we fall into preaching the benefits of a hidden Christ? That is, does Christ recede … Continue reading →
Easter and Apologetics
As I trawl the archives for Easter posts from past years I find a few that speak of apologetics. Here is one I wrote after attending a conference focused on the resurrection in 2008: Yesterday I attended a day conference … Continue reading →
Preaching Easter
Back in 2008 I blogged a series of four posts on Preaching Easter. Let me reiterate the points here with links back to the original series: Part 1 – Back to Basics Our regular listeners need to hear the basic … Continue reading →
Saturday Short Thought: Profound Trust
This week I’ve been pondering the factors involved in preaching profoundly. That is, how do we pursue the kind of substantially transformative messages that are fitting for Christian pulpit ministry. I suspect we’ve barely scratched the surface. I’d like to … Continue reading →
Profound Transformation
As we finish up the series of 20 nudges toward more profound preaching, let’s ponder the goal of profound preaching: profound transformation. Surely that is our goal? Lives changed from the core of their being, from the inside out. That … Continue reading →
