John Claypool, in Best Advice for Preaching said that when we use preaching to get something for ourselves, rather than to give as an act of love, then the sermon will have great tension. And I agree…
Month: August 2009
Preaching Doctrine or Unique Denominational Teachings
This is a common question. How do I preach doctrine. We have some beliefs as Christians that we need to preach. Doctrines such as the deity of Christ, Salvation by Faith, and perhaps the Trinity.
Related to this are the questions from various tradtions. For example, a Pentecostal asked about preaching on the Gifts including speaking in tongues. An Adventist asked about preaching the Sabbath. A Holiness person wanted to know about preaching on Biblical Holiness.
Common Way of Preaching These Things
Preaching and Violence
David Goatly writes:
Relevant preaching today must confront directly the pervasive violence that infects the world. Relevant preaching for African American life must unapologetically challenge violence that is experienced within and inflicted from without their communities.
Looking at the Spaces Between the Lines
When exegeting a text of scripture, we often spend a lot of time looking at what is in the text. And this is right. We put forth a lot of effort to read the text in the original languages if we have facility in them. We put forth effort to look at the narrative, theological, socio-cultural, and other important dimensions of the text.
Preparatory Plan – Supercharged Sermons Phase 1
In the next seven posts we will take you step by step through a system of sermon preparation that is based in the African American Tradition. I have called it the “Supercharge Your Sermons” system. The first phase is to have preparatory planning.
The Push to Eloquently Say Nothing
In today’s postmodern world with its severe reaction to the certainty that modernity seemed to have, there is in some quarters a great conflict with saying anything. Everytime you say anything there are some who would question the very idea of saying anything. You cannot know…whether it is the parishioner who says, “You cannot know my circumstances” or the philosopher who says, “Your appropriation of Truth is always clouded by your social circumstances!” Or, you need to open your eyes to other possibilities.
Saving the Best for Last – Closing the Sermon
In the sermon, people will often turn you off if you don’t have a strong start. They will leave (either mentally or physically) if the middle doesn’t have places to capture their attention. But they will not remember anything if the end is not strong.
It’s Coming – Supercharge Your Sermons
Hello,
I have decided to take my training at Vanderbilt Divinity School and my preaching experience, as well as my three years of being the primary contributor to SoulPreaching.Com, and boil it down to a 6 month online preaching course!!
The name of the program is: “Supercharge Your Sermons.” This promises to be the primary online preaching course that teaches preaching in the African American Tradition!
Preaching WITH the Congregation not AT it
Evans Crawford writes: “There is a spiritual shift in the preacher’s soul so that the preacher does not preach at or to, but with the congregation.”