Author: Administrador

Sunday morning approaches as you stare at your stack of sermon notes. The stack stares back and it says, “Preacher, you’ve worked hard on me, but let’s face it — I’m boring.”You have, in fact, worked hard. You have exegeted your text, identified the central idea or theme, and even jotted down one or two … Continue reading “The Split Sermon: A Cure for Boring Sermon Explanations”

Standing for the first time among the group, the middle-aged man looked around the circle, then uttered those words: “My name is Bob, and I’m a compulsive preacher.”“Hi, Bob,” the other voices rang out in unison.“It all started in seminary,” Bob continued. “When I graduated from college, I planned to become a counselor. Nothing too … Continue reading “A Preacher’s 12 Steps”

No mail is delivered on Sunday. We don’t expect it and can manage without it. There is a delivery we do expect on Sunday though, and it is one which we all need. It is a message from God to His people. The non-delivery of that message is a very serious matter.We who are privileged … Continue reading “No Delivery on Sunday”

The growing number of churches that face long intervals between installed pastors has called into being the role of the “Interim Pastor.” Since the early 1970s when the Alban Institute in Washington, D.C. began to study the role of the Interim Pastor, mainline Protestant churches have begun to recognize the value of this specialized ministry … Continue reading “Preaching During the Interim”

Earl Ferguson has defined a sermon as “the length and shadow of a man.” Joseph Sittler, in a similar vein, tells us “Preaching is not merely something a preacher does, it is the function of his whole existence.” If this is generally true, it is specifically true of Billy Graham. Graham and his preaching are … Continue reading “The Use of Scriptures in the Evangelistic Preaching of Billy Graham”

In less than eight years we will break into the third millennium. Apocalyptic fervor and fever loom on the horizon. Books reminiscent of The Late Great Planet Earth will flood the secular and religious market. Doomsdayers carrying placards heralding the end of time will appear in record numbers on our city streets.Eschatologic hope and fear … Continue reading “Back to the Future: Preaching into the Third Millennium”

Charles Kemp notes, “The great preachers have usually been faithful pastors. The great pastors have very often been effective preachers.”Jonathan Edwards needs to be viewed as a pastor-preacher. There are well over 1000 sermons by Jonathan Edwards. Thomas H. Johnson identified four groups in Edwards’ sermons: the disciplinary, the pastoral, the doctrinal, and the occasional … Continue reading “The Pastoral Preaching of Jonathan Edwards”

(Every weekend, some 15,000 persons make their way to the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois, to participate in the life of Willow Creek Community Church. Characterized by a contemporary worship style and a focus on appealing to non-churched persons, the church has been led for sixteen years by Bill Hybels. Under his leadership, Willow … Continue reading “A Preaching Interview with Bill Hybels”

Paul Scherer was born at Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania, on June 22, 1892. He graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina in 1911, and from the Mount Airy Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, in 1916. He was ordained to the ministry of the Lutheran Church in 1916. After a short period as the assistant … Continue reading “Paul Ehrman Scherer: Confronting Man with God’s Word”

Now that the Supreme Court has lowered the gavel on “Dial-a-Porn” 900-number telephone services, all those vacant phone lines will be available for other, more productive uses. Like preaching.The Pope got things off to a rousing start with his new service, 1-900-740-POPE. Call that number and you’ll hear, in English a tape of Pope John … Continue reading “A Penny for Your Thoughts …. No, Make That $1.95 per Minute”