Enjoy these preaching-related links and summaries from the past week. Especially note Peter Mead’s helpful 3-part series on explanation in preaching.
9 Teaching Methods of Jesus – ProPreacher
If you want to be an effective preacher or teacher, model your methods after Jesus.
Preach the Word, tell stories, be shocking, craft sticky statements, use object lessons, repeat yourself, create experiences, and practice what you preach.
Preaching Distractions – Rainer on Leadership #008
Jonathan and I explore some personal stories and some reader submissions from a recent post on preaching distractions. We talk about plumbing issues, flying shoes, ripped pants, overzealous janitors, and more. We also cover how to recover when something like this happens, and how best to prevent them from happening. While the ministry of a pastor should be taken very seriously, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.
Listener Levels – Peter Mead
Preaching involves explanation. That is, when we preach, we need to offer some explanation of the passage’s meaning. But it needs to be more than that. We need to offer explanation of the passage’s meaning at a level appropriate to those who are listening.
Listener Levels: 7 Suggestions to Improve Accessibility – Peter Mead
How can we improve at offering explanation that will help people at the lower range of understanding? Perhaps your preaching goes over peoples’ heads, but you want to explain the Bible in a way that is accessible to younger Christians or less biblically literate folk?
Listener Levels: 7 Ways to Add Steak to the Diet – Peter Mead
What if your biblical explanation is typically at a level lower than many of your listeners? What are some suggestions for adding steak to the diet of listeners that are needing it?
What Did It Look and Sound Like in Jonathan Edward’s New England? – Justin Taylor
The center of attention in the Puritan meeting house was the pulpit, or “the desk,” as New Englanders commonly dubbed it for its importance as the locus of biblical scholarship in their midst. . . . from start to finish Puritan worship services centered on the Scriptures.
Bold, Daring Audacity Vs The Pretty Boy Preachers – Colin Adams
Many preachers just want to be ‘nice.’ They cherish being winsome above being earnest. They desire popularity above faithfulness. They tremble more at the thought of offending their congregation, than they fear the thought of offending their God.
These links and summaries are offered for your consideration and evaluation because they relate to preaching. Their inclusion does not necessarily imply my whole-hearted commendation. I can’t even recommend everything I write. As always, read with discernment.