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What Is Really There?
As I listened to a couple of lessons at Polishing the Pulpit recently, I was further convicted about something that I have been trying to work on for some time. It is so easy to find little phrases in the Bible that are worded in an interesting way and just start making applications from them. While the applications we make may be Biblical and needed, they may not necessarily be what is in that text. Here is one that I am reflecting on this week as I study and prepare a sermon for Sunday night. How often have we read and taught the book of Jonah? It is one of…
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5 Ideas for Sunday Night Sermons
Yes, I’m one of “those” preachers. I plan my sermons well in advance. While we must deviate from our plans at times, I have all my 2011 Sunday morning titles and texts planned (and have for about six weeks). I did this for 2010, too, and it was wonderful. I changed the plan a couple of times, but that was okay, because I still knew the direction I wanted to go. But, what about Sunday nights? Those “PM sermons” are often unplanned and can still leave us thinking about what to preach from week to week. I plan a few of them well ahead of time, but I like to…
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Three Reviews
This post will finally catch us up on book reviews! (At least, until I finish another book.) ————————————- The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis originally published 1942, my copy published by Harper Collins in 2001 (209 pages) I have had this book on my shelf for a long time, and a member at Lebanon Road suggested that I would love it. That gave me the “umph” needed to add it to my reading list. I’m so glad I did! Lewis is able to weave through the letters from “Wormwood” to “Screwtape” (an uncle demon to his nephew) the way we see Satan working in our world. The allegory is clear, but…
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More and More Reviews
In our continuing effort to catch up on book reviews, here are some more this week! (We should catch up next week.) Also, during this time frame, I finished reading the Bible in the New King James Version. Here’s my review: The Bible is the greatest book ever written!!! ——————————– Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World Dr. David Jeremiah Thomas Nelson, 2009 (253 pages) I reviewed this book for Booksneeze.com. You can read that review by clicking here. ———————————— Mosaic Dayna Zoll Cookson self published, 2010 (85 pages) I don’t read poetry books very often, but when you found out that the author went to high school with you,…
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Playing Catch-Up on Book Reviews
Wow! It has been a long while since we posted book reviews. The following won’t get us caught up, but will get us closer. Enjoy! ————————— The 15 Periods of Bible History Andy Kizer Quality Publications, 1993 (68 pages) My Sunday morning Bible class wanted to do a “survey” of the chronological Bible, trying to piece together how the Bible flows in time. Brother Kizer’s little book was our class book, although I used other sources in addition to this one to help me in my preparation. Brother Kizer’s book is brief, but its intent is simply to give the basics of what is found in each of the 15…
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On Using Original Languages in Sermons
Confession time: I have never taken a course in Greek or Hebrew. While I have “picked up” quite a bit in my studies over the years, I have never done what so many other preachers have done. Many has studied the Biblical languages (especially Greek) in a systematic way through classes and even work through their own translating of the text when they study for a sermon. I do study in the languages, though. While I am not (yet!) able to “go deeply” into every word and phrase, there are plenty of tools at my disposal that help me get more out the text as a I study for a…
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10 “P’s” of Time Management
Last Friday, Dale Jenkins and I went “guest-less” on iPreach. We decided to have a program on time management. While the program was focused more heavily on ministers, nearly anyone could gain something from the program. If you would like to hear it click here, then listen to program #110. It was suggested in our chatroom that we post some notes from the program, so here is a quick summary of the things we discussed. Before we give the 10 “P’s,” let me share with you some statistics that Dale found to introduce our topic. These stats come from three individuals: James Nored, Eugene Cho, and Darrin Patrick. While these…
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From 1st to 21st
[NOTE: Every post on our blog has a “comments” section. Sometimes 1 or 2 leave a comment. I don’t do this often, but I would really like your thoughts on this post. Check back later to see what others have said. Your comments could lead to a great deal of discussion! Thanks in advance.] Preaching is hard. This post isn’t about all the challenges of preaching, but take some time to think of just a few. A preacher must “come up” with sermons and lessons nearly every week, and must try to do his best to avoid “retreading” the same verses and topics over and over. However, one of the hardest…
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A LOT of Verses
For many years, preachers in churches of Christ were known for using a lot (and I mean, a lot) of verses of Scripture. Whether the sermon was basically textual or topical, many passages were used to show the truth of the matter being presented. Of course, passages can be taken out of context, but, as I read and listen to many of these sermons, I am touched by the faithfulness to the text in using verse after verse. A few weeks ago, we were visiting where my parents worship and the young men led the evening services. One young man presented a good sermon on baptism. His lesson was basic…
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20 Ways You Start to Know that You are a Preacher
In my short time as a preacher, I have been called on to do many things and have faced many ups and downs. When I think about these experiences, they pale in comparison to many who read this and have worked longer and done far more. Please read this list knowing that this is not a “resume” or an “I’m better than other preachers” list. Please read it as (1) a fellow preacher who is beginning to understand, or (2) a preacher trying to let “non-preachers” know a bit of the heart of the men who stand before you and try to present God’s Word as best we can, though we…
