Category Archives: Stage 1 – Passage Selection

Eco-Preaching: Recycled Sermons Must Be Refreshed

I don’t believe a preacher should pull out an old sermon and just preach it, unless the invitation to preach was five seconds before the sermon slot.  Any longer notice and the preacher should be prayerfully refreshing the message. Undoubtedly, … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, 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

Saturday Short Thought: Let Man Not Separate Holy Spirit and Personal Accountability

This week I have been thinking out loud about how we can fall into the trap of separating the Bible and aspects of preaching from the work of the Spirit.  This is a dangerous divorce in ministry.  I’ve thought about … Continue reading

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Filed under Christianity, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection

10 Ways to Half Preach a Text – Part iii

We are half way through our list.  Some of these may be errors you always diligently avoid.  But there may be one in here that makes you or I reconsider an aspect of our preaching.  Actually there may be occasions … Continue reading

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

Christmas Preaching 2: Beyond Matthew and Luke

Yesterday we thought about preparing messages on the familiar Christmas passages.  Here are some thoughts on preaching for Christmas beyond the normal presentation of the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke. 1. There are other ways to preach the narratives … Continue reading

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Christmas Preaching 1: Familiar Passages

I am in the process of preparing six messages for the Christmas season.  Perhaps you are also preaching in the coming weeks of advent.  Here are some thoughts that may be helpful: 1. There’s nothing wrong with familiar passages.  It … Continue reading

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Filed under How to . . . ?, Preaching, Homiletics, Stage 1 - Passage Selection, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 8 - Message Detail, Genre, Religion, Christianity, Audience Analysis

Hearing the Text

This post is not about amplification, nor about the place and role of the Bible reading.  Both issues would be worth considering, but not today.  I’m talking about the message itself.  It is troubling when you hear a sermon and … Continue reading

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Filed under 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

Eternal Preaching – Part 2

Last time I listed and rebutted five reasons that the future has been squeezed out of much of the preaching in our generation (not in every church, but in many).  One accusation is that preaching about the future isn’t worth … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, New Testament, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 8 - Message Detail

Eternal Preaching – Part 1

Some sermons do seem to drag on towards eternity, but perhaps too few preach in light of eternity.  It seems to me that in many quarters the church has reacted against eschatological sensationalism by removing all reference to the end-times … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Genre, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection, Stage 8 - Message Detail

I Like To Pick a Prophet or Two

When did you last preach a series from one of the writing prophets?  When did you last lay open a minor prophet in a single session?  I think God gave us a great squad to choose from with the 16 … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Genre, Homiletics, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection

Sharpen the Arrow

I’m pondering the message I am going to preach in a few days.  It is one of several required at a conference.  I have the subject, which leaves me with almost the whole canon as potential preaching fodder.  Now I … Continue reading

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Filed under Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection, Stage 5 - Message Purpose