Dear ______: You make a good observation when you say “Half the battle is done if the point you make to the kids is rooted in a biblical text.” But at the risk of mixing my metaphors, any preacher who stops because half the battle is done will preach a sermon that is only half-baked. […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: The Children’s Sermon — Is it Yours?
Dear ______: My goodness, with the kids being out of school for summer the time gets swept away. Sorry to have not written for so long. You are kind to ask if there are other criteria for making sure your children’s sermon is on track. I mentioned checking what you prepare to make sure it […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: The Children’s Sermon — Is it Gospel?
Dear ______: Thanks for asking me to clarify. I said something about how children’s sermons often reveal a preacher’s real theology, for good or for ill. I suspect it is because pastors do not think of the children’s sermon as a sermon. They think of it more as a conversation. If they have a warm, […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: The Children’s Sermon — One Salient Point
Dear ______: I hear your objection to preaching a children’s sermon that is rooted in the main text you are preaching to the grown-ups. But I don’t think it is really a problem. Yes, some parts of Scripture are kind of “R-rated” or at least “PG-13.” But how often (really, let’s be honest here) do […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: The Children’s Sermon — Preaching on Other Topics
Dear ______: Yes, you are right, of course. I too have heard some really good children’s sermons that are on topics other than the biblical text behind the grown-ups sermon. I’ve even preached some. Good Practice, Not Unbendable Law When I said that the biblical text of the morning should be the topic of your […]