Preaching

I am fascinated with how pastors study and prepare for sermons. While certain principles overlap, the rhythm of preparation varies widely between preachers. Stephen Um has generously shared his rhythm on the Gospel Coalition blog. Here's a thumbnail sketch of his sermon preparation. Tuesday: 2 1/2 hours of group discussion with pastoral staff, 4 hours of … [Read more...] about Stephen Um on Sermon Preparation

Martin Luther (as quoted in Martin Llyod-Jones, Preachers & Preaching, p. 128) offers a helpful reminder to heady preachers: "A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply, roundly and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting...When I preach I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have above forty in the congregation. I have … [Read more...] about Preaching Simply

My buddies and I recently had a lively discussion about the difference between preaching and teaching. We all recognized a general distinction between the two, but we disagreed as to how formal that distinction is in the Bible. I did a quick word study for fun (I don't get out much), and this post is a brief report of what I found. I found the two terms, διδάσκω (teach) … [Read more...] about Preaching Versus Teaching

When you're in the fog of sermon preparation, sometimes a simple reminder of what you're trying to do, the basic movements and goals, is so helpful. I am grateful for Bryan Chapell's (2018) brief summary of a sermon's flow. I thought I would reproduce it here. (Adapted from pp. 211-213. The paragraphing and bolded summaries are mine). State the Main Point "If a main point … [Read more...] about The Basic Unfolding of a Sermon Point

John Stott (2011) lists five paradoxes of preaching. Good preaching is… Both biblical and contemporary (relating the ancient text to the modern context)Both authoritative and tentative (distinguishing between the infallible Word and its fallible interpreters)Both prophetic and pastoral(combining faithfulness with gentleness)Both gifted and studied(necessitating a divine … [Read more...] about Five Paradoxes of Preaching