Skip to content

Soul Preaching

Menu
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Popular Updates
    • Preaching Methods
    • Homiletic Theory
    • Sermon Construction
    • Exegesis
    • Feature Articles
  • SUBSCRIBE
Menu

You Need Training – A Basic Program

Posted on December 3, 2009

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

blackstudyIt is interesting how many budding preachers turn on the television and think that copying the various personalities is effective preaching.   They end up with superficial copies of some preachers.  Sometimes they even copy preachers with incorrect or superficial theology.  So you end up with a superficial copy of a superficial original.  Certainly I am not saying that all television preachers are superficial or wrong, but there are many that are.  So what can you do?

You can be trained.  Now I do not wish to argue that seminary is required, although it can be very helpful, but I do wish to argue that you need to begin a lifelong training program if you going to be an effective communicator of the Gospel.  So what do I need?

1) Preaching Training.  Learn how to put together an effective sermon.  Learn the fundamentals of an effective sermon.  Learn how to preach in such a way as to encourage understanding of the message.  You can find a number of books that will help you in this endeavor.  I would encourage you to sign up for my own Supercharge Your Sermons course and/or download our free ebook You Can Preach: 7 Steps to an Effective Sermon.  If you do these things you will be well on the way to constructing effective sermons.

2)Bible Training.  Learn the contents of the Bible.  What was said and where.  All of these things will inform your preaching.  Start a Bible in a year program.  Read it daily.  Read it for sermon ideas as well as for inspiration.  Read the Bible!  Let me also encourage you to do a forgotten practice…Memorize Scriptures.  You may have done it when you were young, start doing it again.

3)Theological Training.  Learn the basic teachings of the Bible.  What does the Bible teach?  How does the Bible Teach it.  What are your denominational teachings?  How do they inform your understanding?  Are you in agreement with them?  Why or why Not?  These are some of the questions that will indirectly inform your preaching and provide depth.  Read a  theology text and some of your denominational literature.

4)Christian History.  Some hate history, but it will provide depth to your sermons.  It will also help you to understand the same basic questions that come up over and over in history.  It would also be helpful to know about your denominational history.  Read a book here.

5)Pastoral Care. All preachers are not pastors, but most are assumed to know how to do some basic pastoral care.  Once again.  There are a number of books on the subject that can help you in this.  People will come to you wondering how they can make the principles you spoke of in your message real in their lives.   You need to spend a bit of time understanding this question if possible.

Great preaching doesn’t happen immediately.  It takes time.  And over time you will get better and better.  Begin a training program that will make you a well rounded preacher.  This will help you be more true to your God and the people you serve.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

Related posts:

How One Sermon Was Remembered Default ThumbnailPreaching in the Black Tradition Selling Sermons – Or Give Them Away Free? Will The Preacher Shut Up?

4 thoughts on “You Need Training – A Basic Program”

  1. Jimmy Stanfield says:
    September 26, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    “So you end up with a superficial copy of a superficial original.”

    hahaha…brilliant line!

  2. Dinesh kumar panigrahi says:
    April 26, 2011 at 3:26 am

    sir,
    I found this opportunity by the grace of God and hopefully i applied for the student who is poor to deposit the monthly fee for study while you will support then he will able to bring other shepherds
    before him.
    thank you
    Joseph panigrahi

  3. Bruce Leonard says:
    August 6, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Excellent article and advice for those who are beginning their work as a minister.

  4. Jacqueline says:
    April 1, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    I just want to say Thank You! I’m new in the ministry and sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but your teaching helps me to know that the things that I struggle with are not uncommon.
    I appreciate you so much and I hope that God will continue to Bless and use you even more in this incredible ministry. I hope that I can take the tools that you have shared and use them to strengthen my ministry, and reach more souls with greater understanding.

    Thank You Again
    Jackie

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • How The Blues Helped My Preaching
  • Preaching Truth Through the Blues
  • What The Blues Teaches Us About Celebration
  • Stop Sleeping In The Pulpit
  • Thou Shalt Have Good News
  • The Answer Is In The Records
  • Just Keep the Ball In Play

Free Email Training

Sign up for the New Preaching TIPS Email Newsletter. You will recieve 5-7 emails a week.

Click Here

Revised Common Lectionary

  • August 03, 2025: Proper 13 (18)
    on July 28, 2025 at 5:00 am

    * Hosea 11:1-11 and Psalm 107:1-9, 43 * Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14 * 2:18-23 and Psalm 49:1-12 * Colossians 3:1-11 * Luke 12:13-21

  • July 27, 2025: Proper 12 (17)
    on July 21, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 20, 2025: Proper 11 (16)
    on July 14, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 13, 2025: Proper 10 (15)
    on July 7, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 06, 2025: Proper 9 (14)
    on June 30, 2025 at 5:00 am

In this video, we take a candid look at the new direction for SoulPreaching.com and what it means to preach with a limp. For years, we’ve focused on practical tips to help preachers structure and deliver sermons. But now, we’re making a turn toward blues theology—preaching that tells the truth about pain, wrestles with injustice, and rises with authentic hope.

The blues teaches us that God’s people don’t just dance; sometimes they limp. That’s the kind of honest preaching we need in this moment—preaching rooted in lament, resistance, and real hope.

Watch as we lay out:

Where SoulPreaching.com has been

Why this blues turn matters

What it means to “preach with a limp”

👉 Read the full article here: https://soulpreaching.com/blues-preach-with-a-limp
👉 Subscribe for more resources: https://soulpreaching.com/9-2
Preaching With A Limp
People don’t need another polished performance.
They need something real.

This video dives deep into the connection between authenticity and effective preaching, drawing from the raw honesty of the blues tradition. The blues never lied. It didn’t fake joy, didn’t clean up pain, and didn’t hide behind big words. It told the truth — out loud.

And that’s what preaching must do too.

If your sermon doesn’t come from your gut, it won’t land in theirs.
If your preaching ain’t real, it ain’t healing.
And if your gospel wears a mask, the people will too.

This is a call to preach from your scars, not just your notes.
To stop performing… and start testifying.

#Authenticity #Preaching #BluesTheology #RealGospel #BlackChurch #SoulPreaching #NoMoreMasks #BluesAndTheWord
Authenticity, Blues, and Preaching.
What do the blues have to do with the gospel? Everything.

In this video, we explore why passion is essential in preaching — not just performance, not just polish, but real, soul-deep fire. The kind of passion that groans like the blues, that feels what it says, and that tells the truth even when it's messy.

Drawing from the rich tradition of Black preaching and the raw honesty of the blues, we look at how this music can reignite the pulpit — not just to inform, but to transform. From the gut to the gospel, from the blues to the blessing.

If you’re a preacher, a speaker, or someone longing to hear truth on fire, this one’s for you.

🕊️ Don't just preach. Feel it. Live it. Sing it.

#Preaching #Blues #BlackChurch #PassionInPreaching #SoulPreaching #GospelTruth #BluesTheology
Passion, Blues, and Preaching
Cover of Crowder's All My Hope.
All My Hope
Gravity by John Mayer cover #smuleglobal
Gravity Smule cover
Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover #smuleglobal
Tracks of my Tears Cover
You will only get better writing sermons by writing many sermons. In this video I share the importance of getting our reps in....practice more. Sermon Construction is a muscle. Like any other muscle you need to exercise it for health.
Get Better At Writing Sermons By Writing More Of Them!
The sermon construction tool that you might not be using.
Use The Hymnal To Write Better Sermons!
The one question that will totally and fully improve your sermon construction.
The One Question That Will Make Your Sermon Construction Better
Load More... Subscribe

shermancox

Instagram post 18035264126160509 Instagram post 18035264126160509
Instagram post 18039911987063802 Instagram post 18039911987063802
Instagram post 18053936150312478 Instagram post 18053936150312478
Instagram post 18041906996079829 Instagram post 18041906996079829
Instagram post 17910296783919000 Instagram post 17910296783919000
Instagram post 18035493148903548 Instagram post 18035493148903548
Instagram post 17887097775081541 Instagram post 17887097775081541
#smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning #smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning
I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal
Instagram post 18087447073438590 Instagram post 18087447073438590
Instagram post 17851233018147535 Instagram post 17851233018147535
Instagram post 17907649217946063 Instagram post 17907649217946063
Intro to prayer Intro to prayer
Instagram post 17982108473571505 Instagram post 17982108473571505
Instagram post 18030258256647195 Instagram post 18030258256647195
Instagram post 18128574130309862 Instagram post 18128574130309862
Instagram post 18388873843007811 Instagram post 18388873843007811
What’s on the wall when I’m singing? What’s on the wall when I’m singing?
How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist. How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist.
Goodness of God cover. Goodness of God cover.
Follow on Instagram

Instagram

shermancox

Instagram post 18035264126160509 Instagram post 18035264126160509
Instagram post 18039911987063802 Instagram post 18039911987063802
Instagram post 18053936150312478 Instagram post 18053936150312478
Instagram post 18041906996079829 Instagram post 18041906996079829
Instagram post 17910296783919000 Instagram post 17910296783919000
Instagram post 18035493148903548 Instagram post 18035493148903548
Instagram post 17887097775081541 Instagram post 17887097775081541
#smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning #smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning
I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal
Instagram post 18087447073438590 Instagram post 18087447073438590
Instagram post 17851233018147535 Instagram post 17851233018147535
Instagram post 17907649217946063 Instagram post 17907649217946063
Intro to prayer Intro to prayer
Instagram post 17982108473571505 Instagram post 17982108473571505
Instagram post 18030258256647195 Instagram post 18030258256647195
Instagram post 18128574130309862 Instagram post 18128574130309862
Instagram post 18388873843007811 Instagram post 18388873843007811
What’s on the wall when I’m singing? What’s on the wall when I’m singing?
How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist. How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist.
Goodness of God cover. Goodness of God cover.
Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • How The Blues Helped My Preaching
  • Preaching Truth Through the Blues
  • What The Blues Teaches Us About Celebration
  • Stop Sleeping In The Pulpit
  • Thou Shalt Have Good News

Archives

  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • September 2024
  • March 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • March 2019
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • December 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006

Categories

  • 11Cartoons
  • 11Fiction
  • 11Instruction
  • Associate Ministry
  • Audio
  • Basic Preaching
  • Bible Study
  • Black Church
  • Black Preaching Style
  • blog
  • Book of the Month
  • Book Reviews
  • Devotional
  • Exegesis
  • Feature Articles
  • feedburner
  • Fixing the Sermon
  • Funeral
  • General
  • Gospel Music
  • Headline
  • History
  • Homiletic Theory
  • Issues
  • MiniBlog
  • Ministry
  • Negro Spirituals
  • Planning
  • Podcast
  • Practice
  • Prayer
  • Preaching
  • Preaching Methods
  • Preaching Style
  • Premium
  • Questions and Answers
  • racism
  • Scripture Selection
  • Sermon Analysis
  • Sermon Construction
  • Sermon Craft
  • Sermon Editing
  • Sermon Outline
  • Sermons
  • Software
  • Theology
  • Titles
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Web Ministry
  • WebSeminar
  • Whooping
  • Without Notes
©2025 Soul Preaching | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme