Never underestimate the power of a well-placed joke. Steve Dunmire offers 3 reasons why preachers should use humor in their sermons.
So often, we are tempted to imitate those we admire. But, it can be important in any endeavor to find your own voice and your own way of doing things. How can we find our own preaching voice? Jeremy Smith has helpful advice on how to be authentically yourself in the pulpit.
What is a Watch Night service, and how did they start? Antoni Sinkfield explains how Watch Night services got started and what a pivotal role they play in the life of African American congregations.
How can we accomplish the difficult task of expressing the mystery of the incarnation: God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ? Bob Kaylor shares wisdom on telling the old, old story with a fresh voice.
What do you do when you have been chipping away at that sermon all week, but when it comes down to it, you just aren’t feeling it? Jessica LaGrone gives sound advice on how to make it through a rough patch.
You admire those preachers who can deliver a sermon without notes. But, how in the world do they do it?! Guy Williams offers some tried and true tips for delivering your own note-less sermon.
George Whitefield (1714-1770) was one of the greatest preachers in history and even though he eventually had a split with the Methodists over his burgeoning Calvinism, his impact on the role of preaching in American churches is still being felt today. Bob Kaylor shares 5 Ways Whitefield offered for getting more out of a sermon.
It is hard to improve at preaching, or to gauge how you’re doing, without getting input from others. Every preacher receives unsolicited feedback ranging from flattering to outright rude, but how can a pastor seek feedback? Steve Dunmire offers four ways to start.
“Winning never feels as good as losing feels lousy,” said Pat Riley, the former NBA coach. Likewise, preaching a great sermon never feels as good as preaching a bad sermon feels lousy. My worst attempts at preaching have given me far more pain than my successes have brought me joy, and here are some of the factors that contribute to a homiletical flop.
Until I discovered the difference between preaching without attending to my inner life and preaching as one who did, my sermons were rote, facile, and dry.
Most associate pastors passively wait for preaching invitations to come their way. But if you truly want to grow as a preacher, you can easily preach more often by actively searching for new opportunities to share God’s Word with others.
How can a pastor make the most of limited sermon preparation time? There is no one right amount of time to spend in working on a message, but whether they are able to spend a lot of time or not, every pastor wants to maximize the impact of their sermon preparation time.
