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 …
Serving Nothing But Desert Read MorePreaching
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 …
Refusing to Serve Dessert Read More
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 …
Beating Up the People Read More
No Cross in Preaching
I was talking to a preacher the other day about “cross-less” preaching. This is the kind of preaching that does not have the Cross of Christ in it.
No Cross in Preaching Read More
Wrong Truth
I want to do a series on how we can preach the truth and yet still end up with a presentation that is unhelpful for the people in front of …
Wrong Truth Read More
Call and Response in Preaching
Robert Gelinas completes his look at the fundamentals principles of Jazz as it relates to Christian Theology by looking at Call and Response. When one listens to Jazz music, one will hear different instruments communicating and “calling” out to each other.
Call and Response in Preaching Read More
Practice and Being Ready
The last post on staying ready received more feedback than I anticipated. One reader contacted me through facebook asking for more help in how to stay ready and avoid being rusty when it has been months between preaching engagements. A few other readers contacted me through email wanting to know the same thing.
Practice and Being Ready Read More
Improvisation and Preaching
Continuing on the themes from Robert Gelinas’ book Finding the Groove, we will discuss improvisation and preaching. What is improvisation? I remember when I first heard a jazz standard and …
Improvisation and Preaching Read More
Syncopation and Preaching
I have been reading a very helpful book by fellow blogger Robert Gelinas entitled Finding the Groove: Composing a Jazz Shaped Faith. Gelinas uses Jazz as a metaphor for understanding the Christian faith. I want to riff on the book over the next few posts.
Syncopation and Preaching Read More
Preaching With Courage
Dr. Brad Braxton told me many times with various levels of earnestness, “Sherman, if you are going to preach, you are going to have to have courage.” As I interpreted this call, I always found that he was right, we have to have courage. This courage is a courage to tell the truth.
Preaching With Courage Read More
Preaching That is an Echo Of The Status Quo
Perhaps you have seen this kind of preacher. She or he speaks with great conviction attacking sin with power. The preacher will often say words like “you may not like it…but I have to tell you” or “I’m gonna preach it anyway…”
Preaching That is an Echo Of The Status Quo Read More
Don’t Lose The Cross
Sometimes the people shout, the preacher’s reputation as a great one increases, and the house is wrecked but something is slightly missing. The exhiliration of the moment feels good and yet it is noticable. Too often we can easily miss the cross in our messages.
Don’t Lose The Cross Read More
What Is The Black Preaching Tradition?
I was talking to a Black preacher the other day about great Black preachers and Black preaching. This preacher then began to talk about some of the big media preachers and how he is attempting to emulate their style. This preacher even called one of these media preachers a genius. I asked him what was so appealing about the preacher. He mostly talked about the style of the preacher.
What Is The Black Preaching Tradition? Read More
A Gospel Everyone Accepts
Is the gospel you preach acceptable to everyone? It seems as though many of us are working under the asumption that our message will never ruffle any feathers and will always make everyone shout. It will never push us to a higher level of living. This type of Gospel presentation can foster no change, becuase it never even asks for it.
A Gospel Everyone Accepts Read More