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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Pastors are always on the hunt for sermon illustrations. But perhaps you’ve noticed that illustrations from “sermon illustration books” and websites feel like you’re wearing someone else’s clothes. You have to do some tailoring to make them fit right. But even as you tell the reshaped story, it still doesn’t feel like yours. The power [...]
From Bryan Chapell in Using Illustrations to Preach with Power (14-15): The mind yearns for, and needs, the concrete to anchor the abstract. To say that illustrations aid the intellect, however, does not mean that they are merely a congnitive crutch. Illustrations are not supplemental to good exposition; they are a necessary form of exposition [...]
What’s the difference between someone who wants to be a great preacher and someone who wants to preach great? I’m sure there’s lots, but one thing that comes to mind is hubris. The desire to be a great preacher is a desire for a reputation or popularity. On the other hand, the desire to preach well [...]
If you’re like me, you’re already thinking about how you want to improve your ministry in the coming year. Here is a quick list to get you thinking about steps to take toward feeding your flock better in 2012. I’ve given you the bullets below, but I suggest you head over to the Sydney Anglican [...]
The cliché “three points and a poem” has a negative connotation for a reason. Three-point sermons sound the same after a while. If the letter you use to alliterate your points is the only thing that changes in your outline structure, you’re going to lose your captive audience. But there are benefits to three-point sermons, [...]
Remember in little league when you swung as hard as you could at a pitch, but totally whiffed. When you finally stopped spinning, your coach yelled, in all his patronizing positive reinforcement, “Good cut!” “Good cut” means you tried as hard as you could, but you still missed. In preaching, the “good cut” is the [...]
Busy pastors must always fight the tendency to crank out sermons. The signs that you are preparing a sermon in crank out mode are manifold. You read your passage through once or twice. As you read, you look immediately for application. You divide the text up into its parts, not to break down the author’s [...]
In case you haven’t been over to The Gospel Coalition Blog in a while, get on over and check out my article, “How to Call for a Gospel Response Like a Calvinist.” I hope that you find it helpful. Share
It is difficult to accurately preach Jesus from the Old Testament. One danger is to over-spiritualize the OT with the result that you allegorize the passage. But another danger lurks for those who conscientiously avoid allegorizing. That mistake is to always move toward the gospel in the exact same way. In order to avoid both [...]
Who has more authority: the pastor or a commentary author? The pastor or a theologian? The pastor or what he preaches? In preparation for my Ordination Council this Sunday, I have been reading Michael Horton’s The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrim’s on the Way. Any of you who are following me on Twitter [...]
It’s not usually a good idea to reject D.A. Carson’s advice. At The Gospel Coalition’s National Conference this past April, Carson said, “Young pastors shouldn’t try to imitate Keller’s preaching. If you do, you’ll sound like a twit.” In case you’re wondering what a twit is, Urban Dictionary says it’s the kind of person [...]
Ever wanted just the right verse to read at the end of your worship service, or to conclude your sermon, but couldn’t think of one? Couldn’t remember where it was? I bet it’s listed below. Chuck King – the worship pastor at my church, and who blogs about shepherding through music at Knowing the Score (check it [...]
When you use a quote in a sermon, do you have a reason, or do you use quotes because pastors are “supposed to”? Do you quote with intentionality? Perhaps the best question of all: do you waste a ton of time digging through magazines, commentaries, and puritan paperbacks looking for just the right quote for [...]
I had the privilege to preach in the main service at my church last Sunday. I have done several evening services, but this was my first time in front of everyone. Multiple services are exhausting! My sermon was on Paul’s Letter to Philemon, and was entitled, “The Unique Characteristic of Christian Forgiveness.” It’s on the [...]
A reader emailed me last week with a question about doing application in sermons. I bet many preachers have the same question as Glenn (published with his permission): Hi Eric, I read your post about preaching like Mark Driscoll without sounding like him. You mentioned that Driscoll’s applications are very specific, and I’m wondering if you could [...]
Do you want to stop burning the midnight oil on Saturday night? I’m actually not sure what that phrase means, but my 8th grade English teacher said it all the time. Michael Hyatt lists 10 obstacles to getting important things done. These are just the headings; he provides an explanation of each pitfall. Any of these [...]
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