Shepherding Like a Prophet, Priest, and King
The weekly task of the pastor is to take what the Bible meant back then and show how, when taken to heart, it changes everything in the here and now. Easier said than done, especially in passages that don’t explicitly command or call to repent. If homiletics is the art and science of proclaiming the [...]
Saying “you” in sermons has become uncomfortable for preachers. Like third grade teachers who switch from red to green pens, many preachers are afraid of coming across too strong. What I mean by saying “you” in a sermon is that the preacher uses “you” to make it obvious that his exhortation is aimed directly at [...]
Prophet Why Theology and Youth Ministry Seldom Mix My goal in youth ministry is to prove, not only that they do, but they must. What Sermon Prep Really Looks Like Brutal honesty from Kevin DeYoung. 5 Recommended Books on Preaching Priest The Main Reason Christians Grow So Slowly King The Recipe for a Successful Pastor ”A [...]
There are two kinds of pastors in the world: those who are good at following up, and those who aren’t. Which one are you? Before you claim to be at the “good” level, let me set the standard. The time I emailed Seth Godin Before I launched this blog, I read a lot of Seth [...]
Ever wondered how to preach like a Wheaton College president? This spring, Phil Ryken and Duane Litfin each gave a seminar on preaching for our pastors and pastoral residents at my church. Both men are seasoned and gifted preachers, in addition to being the current and former presidents of Wheaton College, respectively. Each presentation was [...]
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Prophet Links A Call and Agenda for Pastor-Theologians A good summary of why this blog exists: “In this day when many pastors lead non-theologically, and academics work in a way that is lost on the people of God, we need pastor-theologians who can minister the Word in ways that edify the [...]
Too often pastors start their sermons full speed ahead. This is a negative result of a good thing. There is a resurgence of theologically mindful young pastors who are eager to get their congregations excited about the deep things of God. We don’t need less of that. That said, over eagerness will cause a pastor [...]
Prophet Links Eugene Peterson on the Reading and Writing Life of the Pastor Why Preaching is No Small Matter We forget these things when we focus too much on methodology. Priest Links It’s a Strange Think Being a Pastor So true! 5 More Volleys on Effeminate Worship Doug Wilson clarifies a few things from his article [...]
It’s a challenge for theologically inclined preachers like you and me to illustrate well. I’ve grown very, very slowly in this regard. You’re probably not as a late of a bloomer as me. I recently went through every sermon outline on my hard drive to perform a personal “illustration audit.” I was doing research for [...]
One of the most important ministry lessons I learned during my time at Bible college came from an NBA player. I did my undergrad at Moody Bible Institute, located in downtown Chicago. Lots of NBA teams practiced at MBI when they were in town to play against the Bulls. I walked up to a window [...]
Prophet Links Staying Out of Application Grooves What Does It Mean to Be a Christian Philosopher How You Can Raise Up Preachers in Your Church Priest Links Gospel Community: Imaging God to One Another 6 Unbiblical Methods for Change Should a Minister Officiate at the Weddings Unbelievers? Should a Minister Preach the Funerals of Unbelievers? [...]
Something I was reading a few days ago reminded me of something I read in N.T. Wright a few years ago. (Funny how that happens sometimes.) N.T. Wright disregards infallibility and inerrancy as American doctrines in Simply Christian (183): “…the insistence on an ‘infallible’ or ‘inerrant’ Bible has grown up within a complex cultural matrix (that, [...]
This is a guest post by Jeff Brewer, lead pastor of Hope Fellowship in Lombard, IL (Acts 29). Hope is the most recent church plant of College Church. Jeff also wrote “10 Things to Remember After a Missions Trip” for The Resurgence blog. You can follow him on Twitter. With so many tasks to be completed [...]
Prophet Links 4 Guideposts for Reading the Song of Solomon Scholars who disagree on much of the Song all agree it is a tough text. Thus, we need a guide to uncoil its complexities, solve its riddles, and find that lost key to unlock its door. What Did the Original Readers Think the Gospels Were? A quick, [...]
This is a guest post by, my friend and colleague, Jon Nielson, the High School Pastor at College Church. He wrote “Why Youth Stay in Church When They Grow Up,” a top ten most read article at The Gospel Coalition Blog in 2011. Follow his daily devotionals at his blog, Something More Sure. 1. First [...]
This is a guest post by Brandon Levering. Brandon is a recent graduate of the Pastoral Residency Program at College Church (check out the program’s intro video and info packet). He now serves as Lead Pastor at Westgate Church in the suburbs of Boston. Learn more lessons on ministry from Brandon at his blog and on [...]
This is a guest post by my friend, Chris Castaldo, who Justin Taylor called, “one of evangelicalism’s most insightful dialogue partners with Roman Catholicism.” Chris is the author of Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic and contributed the evangelical view in Journeys of Faith: Evangelicalism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism. Hear more from Chris [...]
Prophet Why Context and Genre are Keys to Interpretation The Profit of Employing the Biblical Languages: Scriptural and Historical Reflections Those who rush into church planting would do well to abide by some principles here. But I do have a lot of respect for gregarious church planters. Long Haul Preaching You can’t say everything in one sermon. Priest Dear [...]
This is the third of three posts leading up to the 2012 Together for the Gospel Conference. Even if you’re not going, I hope you find this entertaining! There are fans. Then there are fanboys. Which one are you? Share
This is the second of three posts leading up to the 2012 Together for the Gospel Conference. If you are more than a mere peruser of the book tables at conferences, this will be a money saver for you. Caution: you are entering a book buying temptation zone if you are going to T4G next [...]
This is the first of three posts leading up to the 2012 Together for the Gospel Conference. Even if you aren’t going, if you answer these questions for yourself, you will be challenged to rely on God’s grace all the more in your ministry. We who preach the gospel so often underestimate its power. The [...]
It was a pretty light week on the link front. I hope you enjoy the few that made it. Prophet Links 10 Tips on Preparing and Preaching for Easter The Benefit of Using Slang in Preaching May I suggest always referring to your congregation as your peeps? Priest Links The Power of Personal Invitation 82% of [...]
If you want to improve as a preacher, I can suggest nothing better than attending a Workshop on Biblical Exposition, offered by the Simeon Trust. While these conferences are held all over the country, I’d like to invite you to the one held at College Church in Wheaton, IL, May 9-12. This year’s conference This year’s [...]
“I just can’t find any good illustrations.” “I just can’t think up any good illustrations.” Those were my top two excuses for not prioritizing illustrations in my early preaching days. I wonder if you feel that way, too. The solution is not finding illustrations when you need them, but to find them before you need them. Thing [...]
Prophet Links Creativity, Excellence…and Patience Good news for those of you who are regularly disappointed in your preaching. Keep at it. You’ll improve over time. Half Are Always Below Average But remember the most of us will be average preachers, if that. Dr. Mohler’s 2012 Book Recommendations for Preachers The Challenge of Preaching Christ in [...]
Welcome to Eric McKiddie's blog about doing the work of a pastor with theological rigor and practical efficiency. Find out more.
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