Logos StaffDr. Bock talks about his work as a professor and pastor, including his approach to topical preaching (0:10), and Dr. David deSilva gives an overview of idol worship in ancient Ephesus (4:30). Learn how to study the Bible with Dr. Bock Dr. Darrell...
Thank you, pastors, for all you do. You probably don’t hear that enough. As you continue feeding your flock, may these three simple tips to help you lighten your load and powerfully share the gospel. *** 1. It doesn’t all depend on you...
DidaktikosBiblical performance criticism is a methodology based on the assumption that much of the literature collected in the Bible represents oral performances that were at one time either told from memory or presented as prepared readings before audiences...
Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman not only teaches the book of Proverbs—but also how to preach the book of Proverbs. The following excerpt adapted from Longman’s Mobile Education course Preaching Proverbs appears in segment 24: “Proverbs...
Robert Smith Jr. on Cultivating Imagery to Satisfy the Narrative Mind In the twenty–first century world of theological education, preaching can seem an antiquated exercise that no longer speaks well to a culture immersed in social media and...
Prayer and personal study are vital to powerful biblical teaching, but good teachers and preachers know that they are not the first ones to travel these interpretive pathways. It is often helpful to access what other pastors and theologians have...
Lexham PressThis excerpt is adapted from James: Verse by Verse by Grant R. Osborne. *** James [1:19–26] begins with three characteristics of what we may call “people of the word,” those who truly center their lives on God’s principles for a proper walk with...
By Matthew Kim, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry. I once sat under the preaching ministry of a pastor who loved his people. He cared about them. Everyone knew it. Everyone felt it. But after years of...
Guest AuthorRemember ERP: Estimated Relationship Potential. This is a social science theory from the field of interpersonal communication which demonstrates that when we meet someone we quickly form an estimate of the potential for a relationship. We start to...
In this adaptation below, we read about the gutsy step preachers should take with their preaching. *** In an issue of Leadership journal, Lee Eclov tells the story of a researcher named Hillary Koprowski, who was a leader in the search for the polio...
This post is adapted from “In our preaching, less is more” by Haddon Robinson. *** There is an old story that preachers tell: A man came to church one Sunday and the only person who was there, besides himself, was the preacher. The preacher was...
You may never have asked yourself this question before, but do your sermons sound angry? *** There is a temptation in every preacher to begin and end every sermon with correction. Didn’t Paul tell us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is God...
By Scott M. Gibson, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry. Charles Gore, formerly bishop of Worcester, Birmingham, and finally Oxford, wrote more than a century ago, “The disease of modern preaching is its search...
Many of us are familiar with the passage in Luke 15. It’s the Parable of the Lost Sheep. It goes like this: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man...
An excerpt on sermon preparation and prayer by Matthew Kim, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry. It’s something that we all know in our minds. We’ve considered it. But it’s often difficult to put into practice...
When students ask for recommended books on pastoral ministry before entering seminary, I usually have Paul Tripp’s Dangerous Calling at the top of my list. Tripp points out many of the common heart problems related to pastoral ministry. But this...
Tavis BohlingerStop preaching sermons on the OT that wouldn't pass muster in a Sunday School class. Preach with authority, preach with the best, preach with the men whose sermons lit the church on fire with illustrations that are still relevant today.
Matthew BoffeyBy Jeffrey Arthurs It was said of Winston Churchill that “he mobilized the English language, and sent it into battle.” I exhort you, send your best words into battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Send language forth like soldiers...
I have already offered thoughts for the preaching scholar concerning first things and meditation, as well as my suggested exegetical resources for preaching (including exegetical commentaries). Here I want to pass on my favorite theological...
By Lucas O’Neill, author of Preaching to Be Heard Many sermons are like meals from typical fast-food chains—flavor at the expense of nutrition. It’s easy, fast, cheap, and tastes addictively good. Your We begin with the text and we surrender the...
By David Helm Scottish poet Andrew Lang once landed a humorous blow against the politicians of his day with a clever line indicting them for their manipulation of statistics. With a slight alteration in language, the quip could equally be leveled...
Nijay GuptaPastors of different types and in different contexts have varying amounts of time for “sermon prep.” We all know 5 hours is not enough, but most do not have the luxury of 20+ hours. So, let’s say that we are working in a given week with 15 hours for...
Dare I try to talk about the art of preaching when I am not a full-time preacher? I wondered about this before deciding to start a blog series on preaching. Perhaps it does seem a bit audacious. But what else are blogs for? My hope is simply to...
You will preach narrative far better if you know this literary archetype. The Bible is full of stories, and most of them revolve around a hero. From Abraham to Moses to Deborah to the True and Better Hero, much of Scripture is a hero’s journey...
One quality above all others gives your sermon intro the hook it needs. Here’s how to work that quality into your intro. All ad writers agree that a headline is the most important part of any ad. Famous ad writer David Ogilvy once said, “On the...
What makes a sermon good? Sometimes when people think about preaching, they think about a bunch of rules (i.e., there are three things that go into an introduction; the ways in which you make a good outline; if you are going to use illustrations...
Some time ago I went to church—I go to church regularly—and on this particular Sunday I did not have any responsibilities (i.e., I didn’t have to preach, I didn’t have to read the Scriptures). I had some friends who went with me. They were folks...
The first legalist you must agitate is yourself. At the start of the year, many of us are mindful of how we want this year to be different. Which means sooner or later we have to ask, “How do I change?” I’ve been thinking about how the Bible answers...
In a previous post, I shared an excerpt from the preface to the Preaching the Word Commentary Series, edited by Dr. R. Kent Hughes. I want to follow up with a personal word about Dr. Hughes and his approach to preaching. I’ve never met Kent Hughes...
Ryan BurnsI read a book called Out of Context by Richard Schultz last semester for a seminary class. The author goes through common exegetical and interpretive mistakes in teaching the Bible, including those that famous preachers or authors have made, and...