Dear ______: Thanks for your note, which brings me back to the topic at hand: preaching. And baseball. A couple of letters ago I was musing about the “home run” sermon you heard from a famous preacher. I suggested that when you step into a pulpit, hitting a home run is not really a great […]
Can You Hit a Home Run Sermon? (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: So, you went to hear The Great Preacher. He made you laugh. He made you cry. He left you with new insights about the Bible and your life. I’m not surprised. He is gifted, with well-honed skills. He left you feeling inadequate as a preacher. I’m not surprised about that either — though I […]
Do You Cite Your Sources in Sermons? (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Well I suppose you are right on both counts: I didn’t quite answer your question, and I didn’t explain my most interesting point very well. Sorry. I’ll give it another go. You asked Just how much do pastors depend other people’s commentaries in their sermon development? How much is reading or quoting others […]
Your First Sermon (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Well I have to say your letter brought me joy: I know being in your first preaching class makes you nervous, but I think it is just great. Whether you become “a preacher” full time or not, Christians are given good news to share with the world. Preaching class is a lab to […]
Vocabulary Lesson: The Keys of the Kingdom (Heidelberg Catechism, Q83)
Read your King James Bible and several times you’ll run across the word “sackbut.” Say that today and somebody will feel insulted. Back in 1611 people knew it was a musical instrument. Language changes as centuries pass. That can happen with theological vocabulary too. Take the word “keys.” Listen hard to sermons, to your Christian […]