Dear Sir:
I have an elderly congregation and I’m having a hard time finding material for them to comprehend. The material is like a foreign language and the vocabulary words are to hard…I need material and themes to make them rejoice but it must be on a lower reading and comprehension level.
Thanks,
Bible Software
Thank you for the email and I am excited about being a member. The main subject that I would like touched on deals with Bible software. I know there are many out there but what is considered the best for preachers? There is Logos, Wordsearch, E-sword, PC Bible, etc. I know Logos is the most expensive out of all but just touch on that area a little. Thanks in advance.
Moving from Preparation to Preaching
Someone wrote the following question
Hello Pastor Cox,
My question has to do with the actual preaching event. How does one go from writing great sermons to actually preaching great sermons?
Avoiding a Dull Sermon
How do you avoid a dull sermon? What can you do to help the congregation understand your sermon? In this video Pastor Cox provides the answer.
Are You a Preacher or Motivational Speaker?
Interestingly, some preaching that is considered great by many is nothing more than a motivational speech. It might be true, it might even be helpful. It may help you succeed at work. But too often all one has done is changed the title from the latest pop-psychologist’s seminar from “how to succeed” to “hot to fulfill God’s purpose” where God’s purpose is defined as “succeeding in this life.”
Webinar SuperSALE!!!
Why do you attend seminars? You like to get good live information, however you also like to get big discounts on resources.
How To Preach on Issues
There are many issues to preach on. However, sometimes when we preach on issues we are not really preaching sermons. What we say may be enlightening, it may be helpful, but is it truly a sermon?
In this article, I want to give some rules to keep in mind when preaching on issues.
It is Still a Sermon
Methods for Preaching Without Notes
What are the methods for Preaching Without Notes? Learn the answer in this video.
Importance of Style
Some have said that I spend too much time writing about “style.” These individuals say that what is important is not the “style” but the “content.” They argue that one of the greatest problems with much African American preaching is spending too much time worrying about the style.
Style Affects Listener Understanding
How Long to Preach
This is a very good Question. It is too bad that there is not a universal answer. It is highly dependent on where you preach. For example, there are some contexts where preaching longer than 20 minutes may cause people to start fidgeting. There are other contexts where the people would feel cheated if you only preached for 20 minutes. While there is no universal answer to the question, there are some principles to keep in mind.
Exegeting the Text for Relevant Preaching
Frank Thomas, in his important book They Like to Never Quit Praisin’ God: The Role of Celebration in Preaching writes:
When Celebration Goes Bad
One of the problems that often rears it’s head in African American worship is when celebration is abused. Martha Simmons referred to this dynamic among some whoopers as the “dark side of Whooping.” This is when the power of whooping is used to mask a preacher who has not done his or her work to provide a solid presentation.