Author: Administrador

As we approach the November 2010 national elections in the United States of America, I have written a prayer for our nation. To do so is to keep in step with our founding forefathers and mothers who treated elections as great moments of spiritual renewal and possibilities. Churches often were filled to hear Election Day … Continue reading “An Election Day Prayer for America in November 2010”

Today I preached in a church which has two morning services. One starts at 8:15, then the church has Sunday School at 9:30 and the second service at 10:45. My preaching duties include both services, but what do you do in the in-between times? Unless you are teaching Sunday School (hard to imagine in addition … Continue reading “Back Page Pulpit: The In-Between Times”

Because the Bible is the foundation for the preaching of the church, effective preachers are able students of the Word. This annual survey offers a glimpse at many of the more useful and significant Bible study resources published each year. BiblesThe most significant study Bible to come out this year is the Holman Christian Standard … Continue reading “2010 Survey of Bibles and Bible References for Preaching”

As an Ulster-Scot, I can tell this story on one of my own: There is a wonderful story about an old Scotsman of a former generation, who, pulling the wrong coin from his pocket, unintentionally dropped a gold sovereign in the offering bag at a church service. It was a serious mistake by his calculation. … Continue reading “Preacher to Preacher: Wanted: Cheerful Preachers!”

Chris Seay is the church planter and pastor of Ecclesia in Houston and a widely known author. He has written a number of books, including The Gospel According to Lost, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano and the recently released The Gospel According to Jesus. He recently visited with Preaching editor Michael Duduit. Preaching: After … Continue reading “What Is the Gospel: An Interview with Chris Seay”

In 1938, Time magazine honored E. Stanley Jones with the distinction of “world’s greatest missionary evangelist.” Time‘s laudatory expression was not an isolated one. Christians and non-Christians celebrated the multi-faceted contributions of this visionary man. For instance, his missionary work in India coupled with his outspoken efforts for Indian self-determination in the early decades of the … Continue reading “E. Stanley Jones: Exegete of Culture, Evangelist for Christ”

You probably have noticed that preachers come in all shapes and sizes. There are big, gregarious, sweaty-foreheaded preachers. There are short, slim, soft-spoken preachers. There are creative preachers who always have a slick gadget or a clever object of illustration. There are King James preachers who love Thees and the Thous of Thy Holy Word. … Continue reading “What Makes a Preacher ‘Good’?”

In a recent article for Leadership Journal, John Ortberg reminds us why it is so important to preach on the prophetic books of the Old Testament: “The prophets have been given the crushing burden of looking at our world and seeing what God sees: rich people trying to get richer and looking the other way … Continue reading “Preaching Prophets”

Several months ago, my clergy support group discussed stewardship. We eventually got to the topic of stewardship sermons. When we did, a member of the group said, “When it comes to preaching about money, most preachers are wimps!” Unfortunately my colleague’s comment is often true. When it comes to preaching about stewardship, clergy tend to … Continue reading “God Lessons from the Great Recession: Preaching in the Context of a Financial Downturn”

In a recent column, John Leo talks about the generation born between 1977 and 1994: “Now the focus is almost entirely on millennials, 78 million strong and the largest birth cohort in American history. Speaking at the American Magazine Conference, (Ann) Clurman (of the Yankelovich Partners) described millennials this way: ‘They are family oriented, viscerally … Continue reading “Millenial Generation Is Pluralistic but Seeks Strong Families”