Can You Write a Sermon Down?
OK, let’s get into some sermon philosophy. The question for today, “Can you write a sermon down?” You may think so, but I am not talking about whether to use …
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Preaching Without Notes is not a Brain Dump
This past weekend I listened and looked on the internet to a preacher who was preaching without notes. The preacher simply stated everything that came to his mind on the subject or not on the subject. He had highs and lows, but there was no rhyme or reason to the sermon. Then the preacher ended with a whimper and sat down.
At the end of the sermon it was difficult to remember any points from the sermon. There were a few “flashes of brilliance” but largely it was a long “stream of consciousness” without purpose. What went wrong?
Are Pastors Kings? Bishop Eddie Long And Pastoral Kingship
OK, I admit this is tangentially related to the point of this blog, but a few of you wanted me to put this up for discussion. Setting aside the obvious …
Are Pastors Kings? Bishop Eddie Long And Pastoral Kingship Read MoreIs Your Mouth Open? Preachers and Proclamation
H. Beecher Hicks in the second chapter of his book Preaching Through a Storm has a sermon entitled How to Silence a Preacher; or, Shut Your Mouth!. Rev. Hicks preached …
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Something to Say or Say Anything
Lowell Erdahl, in the book Best Advice for Preaching, quotes someone who said: “There are two kinds of preachers–those who have to say something and those who have something to …
Something to Say or Say Anything Read MoreProstitution of the Black Preaching Tradition – Style but no Substance
The Black Preaching Tradition is a great gift to the larger Christian world. Many acknoweldge the vibrancy and the power of great Black Preaching. I also marvel at the improvisational genious of the great preachers in that tradition. While we accept this great gift of the African American church, we also must acknowledge that there are some who are today abusing this gift by taking it and preaching a Gospel that does not take into account the full counsel of God.
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Naming Your Sermon
Among our most popular posts are the ones on Sermon Titles. There is just not that much information in book form or on the web on the issue. However, one …
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Cotton Candy Sermons?
Is your preaching substantive? Does your preaching foster transformation? In an old post on the Preaching Today Blog that is no longer available. The TheoCentric Preaching Blog quotes an old …
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Scriptures as Sermon Illustration Resource
Charles Kohler, in his book how to preach without notes, has written on the importance of using the Scripture as an resource for sermon illustrations. On page 45, he he …
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Are Preacher’s Merely Hypemen?
A few posts ago, I argued that we cannot trust “shouting” or other outward manifestations of congregational interaction as a valid means of determining if the message was an effective …
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Should You Use the King James Version When You Preach?
This is a common question that comes up from time to time. I feel like I might be stepping into the lions den in answering it, but here goes. First, …
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Curiosity And the Preacher
The truly great preachers have a curiosity to life. They want to see how things work. They want to look beneath the surface. They are concerned about more than just …
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Will The Preacher Shut Up?
H. Beecher Hicks, in Preaching Through the Storm, writes about three things that attempt to force the preacher into being quiet when they need to speak. Are you being silenced? …
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Selling Sermons – Or Give Them Away Free?
If you sell your audio sermons that were recorded by your church or non-profit ministry, you might want to read this article. The article talks about the common practice of …
Selling Sermons – Or Give Them Away Free? Read More