The digital age has made information accessible to the masses. This advent has also revealed a subsequent issue in America’s pulpits: plagiarism. The Oxford Dictionary defines plagiarism as “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.” The practice of plagiarism in the pulpit is definitely not new,…
Category: Preaching
Preaching Christmas Sermons
Many of my pastoral colleagues absolutely love preaching at Christmas. But even those who enjoy preaching this particular season of the Christian calendar admit that it can be difficult, especially with longevity of ministry tenure. After all, how many ways can you proclaim the Christmas story? Contemporary preachers may feel increasing pressure to deliver fresh,…
Preaching from Ecclesiastes
Saving Private Ryan was released in 1998, featuring Tom Hanks as Captain Miller. In the movie, Captain Miller is charged with the responsibility of finding paratrooper Private James Ryan and returning him to his family who had already lost three sons during World War 2. The movie, which won seven Academy Awards, invests several minutes…
Three Ideas For Sermon Series
When I served in the local church I was always preaching a series of sermons, which meant that I was always brainstorming ideas for upcoming series of sermons. Sometimes they were expositions of entire books in the Bible or lengthy passages such as the Sermon of the Mount. Other times I enjoyed preaching a series…
Relevant Sermons
Years ago I came across a book by Os Guinness titled Prophetic Untimeliness. In it Guinness asserts, “Never have Christians pursued relevance more strenuously; never have Christians been more irrelevant.” The challenge for the church is to be timely, not trendy. This comes not by being in step with the times, but having the courage to…
The Hardest Part of Preaching
Most preachers have a routine of sermon preparation and delivery that has become natural and even reflexive. Some preachers prefer the study and writing, while others prefer the act of delivering the sermon. In order to be effective, preachers have to find a level of proficiency in both, otherwise the sermon will either be all…
Why Sermons Are Boring
An old time evangelist named Vance Havner once quipped that “most churches start at 11:00 sharp and end at 12:00 dull.” This elicits a chuckle from many pew occupants simply because it is often true. One of the arguments against church attendance has been the criticism that sermons are boring. Is it still possible in…
Preaching Without Notes
Several years ago I made the commitment to preach my sermons without the aid of notes. Seminary is very permission giving about what any preacher chooses to take into the pulpit. In other words, there is no right way to do it. Some will take a full manuscript, some will use a skeleton outline with…
Talk Like TED
I did my doctoral studies in the field of preaching, and consequently have read approximately 100 books on the topic. Each one of these has contributed to my thinking and practice of preaching and public speaking. Some time ago my friend Cliff Jenkins recommended a book by Carmine Gallo that may be one of the…
Jars of Clay
On Sunday I will begin a new sermon series titled, “Jars of Clay.” The goal of this series is to demonstrate how God uses our weakness as a platform to display his surpassing power. For example, Moses said, “I am afraid.” Deborah said, “I am unqualified.” Gideon said, “I am uncertain.” Samson said, “I am…
