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So, Preacher, What’s Your Thing?
I recently listened to an audio recording of Sinclair Ferguson addressing the topic of "Preaching Christ in All the Scriptures." In the following excerpt he explains why he...
What Is the Relationship Between Hermeneutics & Homiletics?
Sometimes when I tell people I teach homiletics, they reply, "I remember when I took a class on Bible interpretation in college.” At that point I know they have confused...
Forcing the Form: Subjecting Holy Scripture to Human Structures
Recently my wife pointed out the constellation Orion to our kids as we were driving home one night. Well, they were having a bit of a hard time identifying it amidst all the...
Top 5 Posts of 2013
I began this blog back in April. At the time I had no idea where it would go, or, frankly, if it would go anywhere. But I'm thankful for a good friend who encouraged me to...
Always Preach a Felt Christ: Lloyd-Jones on George Whitefield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhN2VgdJp_c
Just Get the Point of the Passage—That’s All We’re Asking Out of You
I recently heard John MacArthur relate an experience he had during his seminary days with scholar-extraordinaire Charles Feinberg. It is quite humorous (especially when you...
Frag-men-tar-y Ex-po-si-tion
In a sincere effort to emphasize the text of Scripture and to keep their messages biblical, some preachers engage in what we could call "fragmentary exposition." Here is the...
The Wonder and Weight of Preaching
The preacher must courageously and ferociously believe that transformation occurs through the interplay of God’s Word and Spirit. He is simply a vessel, a broken jar of...
Preaching as Witness: Expounding and Experiencing the Word
It's all too easy to become academic and cerebral in our approach to the ministry of the Word. If we're not careful, our preaching can become nothing more than a highly...
How Does Our Preaching Testify to Christ?
While God spoke directly to innnocent and sinless humans in Eden, the pattern that emerges once sin enters is that of humanly mediated word. The prophetic word prepares the...
The Adventure Called Preaching
Preaching is an adventure. It really is. It's an exciting, somewhat risky enterprise, because you never know what's going to happen when you preach. There's no way to...
Am I Called to Preach?
"Am I called to preach?" On occasion a young man will come into my office asking that very question or one similar to it, like, "How would I know if God is calling me to...
Impression or Information: What Is Your Objective in Preaching?
When you preach do you preach primarily to impart information to your listeners or to make an impact and impression on your listeners? This is an important question, the...
Logos, Ethos, & Pathos: Experiencing the Pleasure of God in Preaching
Do you ever long to sense the pleasure of God as you preach? Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we...
“Lord, Send a Revival”: Preaching for Gospel Renewal
What kind of preaching stimulates true growth and vibrancy in a local church? In his book Center Church Tim Keller gives 5 characteristics of preaching for gospel renewal or...
Sermon Illustration: Viewing Tragedy through the Lens of the Cross
In light of this recent example of gut-wrenching human tragedy, I found an illustration from Bryan Chapell helpful for visualizing what it looks like to view human tragedy...
Seven Qualities of Effective Expository Preaching
In his book 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, Wayne McDill gives seven qualities of effective expository preaching: The preacher’s first aim is to discover the text...
Preaching Christ and the Smile of God
It's entirely too easy for preachers to be governed by a fear of man. "What will people think?" "Will they like my message?" "Will I get in trouble with so-and-so for making...
Homiletics Minus Accurate Hermeneutics Equals “Helpless Sham”
Never attempt to proclaim what you can not explain! The one most important of the functional elements of preaching is explanation. The arrangement, the illustration, the...
Preaching that Encourages Unity: A Cross-Centered Approach
Before I preach I nearly always ask God to cleanse my heart and purify my motives. It's so easy to preach the right message for all the wrong reasons (cf. Phil. 1:15-17). In...
Reviewing the Main Points 07.12.13
Here are a few preaching-related articles and resources that surfaced this past week. The Biggest Mistakes Young Preachers Make - Matt Smethurst Tullian Tchividjian, Voddie...
The Key to Fervent Preaching
One thing I wrestle with as a homiletics teacher is how to instill fervency or passion in my students as they preach. I have discovered that I can encourage it and try to...
Preaching Is More than Regurgitation
Preaching is more than regurgitating your favorite exegetical commentary, recasting the sermons of your favorite preachers, or reshaping notes from one of your favorite...
The One Mode of Preaching God Promises to Bless
It must never be forgotten, that there is but one mode of preaching that God has promised to bless: "when all our sermons . . . are made to set forth and magnify Christ the...
Reviewing the Main Points 06.28.13
Here are some preaching-related resources from this past week all nicely packaged up on one page. Let the Tone of Your Sermon Match the Tone of Your Text - Trevin Wax Giving...
My Philosophy of Preaching
Have you ever taken the time to write down your personal philosophy of preaching? It's an extremely revealing and clarifying exercise. Here's what I did. I sat down and...
How to Make Sure Your Sermon Applications Don’t Eclipse God’s Wisdom
Knowing how to apply an ancient text of Scripture to a contemporary audience can be a risky enterprise. There are many "dangers, toils, and snares" along the pathway. There...
Reviewing the Main Points 06.21.13
Here are some preaching-related resources that surfaced this past week. The Biblical Preaching of John Calvin - Steven Lawson We must have Calvins again. And by God’s grace,...
When Your Own Wife Doesn’t Say Anything about Your Sermon
I was amused and encouraged by these words from Tim Keller. Evidently I'm not the only one who has these conversations with my wife. I remember, some years ago, to when I...
Get Yourself out of the Interpretation and into the Proclamation
Preaching magazine once interviewed John MacArthur and asked him the following question: You've commented that one of the things you have to work at so hard is to get your...