To preach simply means to proclaim. It doesn’t necessarily mean raising one’s voice or getting “worked up.” What is important about preaching is the content of the sermon and the manner in which it is presented. The content must be biblical and the presentation must be representative of the nature of Christ. Content: A …
Tag Archives: preaching
Cite Your Sources!
My sophomore year in high school was a game changer. Up to that point, I had never been required to write a formal research paper. I had written plenty of essays, book reports, and other assignments, but never a real-deal research paper. I loved the idea of researching a topic, organizing my thoughts, and then …
The Relevance of Wilberforce Today
As a member of British Parliament, William Wilberforce fought to abolish the slave trade and slavery altogether. One of his frustrations was found in the fact that self-identified Christians were willing to continue and support the slave trade. In his efforts to understand why, he arrived at the conclusion that British churches had bypassed the …
The Time I Used the Heimlich
Not long ago, my son and I were eating in a local restaurant. All of a sudden, a lady at the table next to us stood up and started shouting, “Somebody do the Heineken! Somebody do the Heineken!” I was pretty sure the word she was looking for was “Heimlich,” but this wasn’t a time …
What Biblical Preaching is NOT
Here are five quick thoughts on what preaching is not. Are you guilty of any of these? Running Commentary. Explaining the meaning of each verse is great. In fact, preaching is incomplete without it. However, this is not the end of the sermon! Anyone in the congregation could have saved time and read a …
Push Through The Preaching Curve
Preachers –have you ever noticed that some of your most well received messages are the ones for which you have studied the least? Don’t worry –I’m not advocating a lack of study. However, I think it is important to understand why this phenomenon occurs. When an idea first enters your mind, it is simple to …
6 Vital Questions Before Preaching Your Next Sermon
Will this sermon help my hearers understand this passage better? This assumes you preached a passage, which I would argue, is a prerequisite for biblical preaching. Explaining a passage means more than reading verses and their meaning. The passage must be explained within its context. This helps avoid misinterpretation and misrepresentation of Scripture. Taking a …
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4 Tips to Keep Great Illustrations From Ruining Your Sermon
“He’s fun to listen to, but very hard to follow.” A friend and I were speaking about a preacher we had both listened to. It was a legitimate critique, I agreed. At the same time, I’m afraid it could be describing me too. For many preachers, public speaking comes naturally. They are gifted rhetoricians with …
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What is the Age-Requirement For Preaching?
It’s a strange question, isn’t it? In everything else in life, we put age requirements on areas of great responsibility (driving, voting, military service, etc). However, this pattern doesn’t seem to apply in the church. When a seven-year-old professes a “call” to preach in front of his local congregation, nobody questions it -as if a …
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How I Prepare Sermons
Recently, some of my preacher friends have participated in an online discussion of how to prepare sermons. I really enjoyed reading their insights and decided to jot down a few of my own thoughts. For those of you who are preachers, hopefully these words will be beneficial in your own preparation. I would certainly love …