I was listening to a preacher this Sunday who was an expert at the bad news. His sermon was 90% bad news. Then when it was time for the celebration there was…
Author: Sherman Haywood Cox II
Vanderbilt Trained Minister (MDiv), Univ. of Alabama Trained Software Developer (MS), Author, Blogger (https://soulpreaching.com), Husband, Son, Brother, Father.
Premature Celebration
One of the interesting problems in some preaching is a premature celebration. The people are with the preacher and she or he has the church moving towards a powerful end. But then…
Free Audio Question and Answer Call
We are offering a free question and answer call on preaching at 8:30PM Central Time on Febuary 23, 2010.
You Won’t Have A Mega-church
OK, maybe you will, but the law of averages tells us that the vast majority of the people reading this website will not have a mega church. You will, probably never preside over 3-5K parishioners who hang on your every word. But that’s all right.
Do You Know When To Shut Up?
Preachers are called to give a word in season and out of season. Sometimes that word will upset the hearer. Sometimes we are called to speak a word that the hearer doesn’t…
Theoretical Point
Another very common error is to preach a point without making the practical dimensions of the point clear. Here is when the preacher spends much time defining and describing a point, but…
Ignoring the Social Dimensions of the Gospel
The gospel has implications for how we treat others. A vibrant and growing relationship with Jesus Christ will of necessity cause a change in how we treat one another. Simply put, racism,…
Imprecise Point
Another error that can creep into our preaching is the imprecise point. This is when your point is not clearly defined or presented. Another way this can creep into our preaching is…
Separation from the People
Another subtle error is when the preacher is disconnected from the people. Here the preacher stands up separated from the people barking orders at those who must obey or else. These pastors…
Great Preaching Caught or Taught?
When I was in my twenties and was attempting to learn to play Jazz, one writer said, “all the answers are in the music.” What the author was saying is that we…
Stories not Staying on Point
I preached a sermon where I told a story. It was a rather common story about flying into a city where the wind was blowing strongly. I described the calm above the…
Serving Nothing But Desert
Some preachers only serve desert. They end up “shouting about nothing.” You know the experience. You have gone to church to hear a word from the Lord and you are shouting. The…
Refusing to Serve Dessert
When I talk about whooping or celebration, some preachers take exception to the idea that we should spend time on such things. They argue that we should just get up there and…
Beating Up the People
“Stop doing this!” “You don’t do that!” These and other statements are often on the lips of preachers who generally berate the people. Here the preacher simply scolds the people for wrongdoing….