Author: Administrador

A worthy building requires quality building materials. A sermon worth hearing is a sermon of substance.Someone observed long ago that there are two kinds of preachers: those who have to say something and those who have something to say. The preacher, like any other person who would influence human conduct, must consider all the ethical … Continue reading “Building An Effective Message (Part II of a 3-part series on Rhetoric and Preaching)”

One author observed, “A pastor needs the tact of a diplomat, the strength of Samson, the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon — and a cast-iron stomach.”It was the stomach comment that sparked a thought. These days, there are all kinds of diets — the Beverly Hills Diet, the Grapefruit Diet, the Liquid Diet … Continue reading “The Preacher’s Diet”

Although criticism goes with the job of pastor, it has never gone well with self-confidence or self-esteem. Perhaps one of the reasons is that criticism often has little or no rational basis.This is not to say that people issuing the criticism do not truly feel or believe the things they say. My experience indicates they … Continue reading “Carrying the Donkey”

It is popular in some congregations for the preacher to print his sermon outline, often inserting it in the church bulletin for easy reading by the worshipers.At first glance, this may suggest the message would take on too academic a carriage. It could do just that if the speaker is not careful. The sermon could … Continue reading “Making Public the Outline in Preaching”

If you’re looking for more sermon ideas on encouragement, be sure to head over to SermonSearch.com to find 100’s of sermons on encouragment to help you out! His church was growing. The attendance, the finances, and the ministries were at an all-time high.I called to learn the pastor’s secret. He told me that several months … Continue reading “Preaching to Encourage”

This final installment of a three-part series on effective preaching focuses on the technical aspects of the form and presentation of sermons. Part I examined the appropriate relationship between the ancient arts of preaching and rhetoric. Part II analyzed the means of conviction and persuasion available to the preacher. Now we turn from the invention … Continue reading “Forming the Effective Sermon (Part III of a 3-part series on Rhetoric and Preaching)”

(Originally printed in the November-December, 1988 issue of Preaching) Though Atlanta is a city of churches, Wieuca Road Baptist Church is an enduring phenomenon. Once the magnet church for a generation of southern suburbanites, Wieuca Road is now surrounded by bustling Buckhead, Atlanta’s most intriguing urban landscape. It is a strange blending of southern mansions … Continue reading “Preaching To Joe Secular: An Interview With William L. Self”

Not many people read Joseph Parker’s sermons today, but he had his day and a great day it was. His preaching helped make it great.Preaching was the one thing for which God had sent him into the world, and as Robertson Nicoll says, “there was never an hour when he would have changed his work … Continue reading “Joseph Parker: Poet, Seer, Preacher”

Determining the best new book in the world of preaching and homiletics is a daunting and difficult task. The task is made all the more challenging by the release of several new volumes marked by originality, impact, and the potential for lasting significance.Nevertheless, one current release stands as a symbol of the rebirth of preaching … Continue reading “‘Best Sermons’ cited as top book of 1988”

James Black (1879-1949) was born in Rothesay, Scotland, in 1879.While in school, a teacher described one of his essays as the most original, though not the best informed. Originality was one of the outstanding marks of his work as a preacher.Black was educated at Glasgow University, the United Free Church College in Glasgow, and Marburg … Continue reading “James Black: Originality in preaching”