Author: Administrador

As my brother was busy gazing at his bride-to-be and trying to remember his one line, I — as the best man — had plenty of time to examine the accoutrements around the altar. On Sundays, a little known European language was spoken in this edifice and everything in our surroundings, except for the few … Continue reading “Finding the Timeless Truth”

I thought I was the first to discover this technique of dealing with controversial issues from the pulpit. But it turns out this littlefind of mine has been unearthed many times in the past. Galileo, for instance, demonstrated it in the 17th century. His message was burning a hole in his heart and soul. He … Continue reading “Preaching on Sensitive Subjects”

Mullin, in his book, Laughing Out Loud and other Religious Experiences, has a chapter entitled “Please God may we laugh?” And the resounding answer from many good Christians is “No!” For them, religion is deadly serious business and — even at the risk of dullness — one must not, as the Psalmist suggested “make a … Continue reading “Using Humor in the Pulpit”

The service I had dreaded was finally upon me. For a couple of weeks I had known that my resignation was coming, and although I knew that I was in the center of God’s will, announcing that publicly is always hard. I preached that Sunday evening and then made the announcement. It was difficult for … Continue reading “What to Say…When You’ve Said It All”

I could scarcely believe my ears!   Last week I took advantage of a denominationally sponsored pre-retirement seminar for clergy that was hosted at our church. It was interesting in a number of ways but never more so than when one instructor, a retired pastor, spoke about how to cope with the painful memories of … Continue reading “Dealing with the Alexanders”

It’s been almost seven years now since my wife and I faced the big decision: what to name our new baby. Our first son – soon to be 11 years old – was a fairly easy one. Every eldest male in my family (going back at least five generations) has had the first name “James.” … Continue reading “Name that sermon!”

Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23-26 Moses towers like a titan across the vast reaches of our Bible. He is mentioned in 261 verses in Exodus, 80 verses in Leviticus, 216 verses in Numbers, 35 verses in Deuteronomy, 51 verses in Joshua, and 47 verses in the other historical books. The book of Psalms and the Prophets … Continue reading “Jochebed: The Mother of Moses”

F. W. Boreham (1871-1959) was introduced once to a gathering of preachers in Edinburgh, Scotland as “the man whose name is on all our lips, whose books are on all our shelves, and whose illustrations are in all our sermons.”1 Frank William Boreham did have a unique way of illuminating a text through the life … Continue reading “F.W. Boreham: Telling Stories, Exalting the Cross”

The first step in preparing a biblical message is to study the passage. This large step breaks down into several stages: • Read the surrounding context for an overview. • Flag the things you don’t fully understand. • Use your skills and resources in the original languages. • Consult good commentaries. Read the Surrounding Context … Continue reading “Study the Passage: The vital step in preparing powerful sermons”

When it comes time to travel, you have plenty of choices. Even after all the airlines that have gone out of business-and I was shrewd enough to buy stock in several of them, thank you very much-there is still an ample selection of airlines available to send your luggage on to Chicago as you are … Continue reading “If Airlines Were like Churches”