Category: Preaching
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Two Main Reasons Why Members Leave and Join another Church
Members come and go. Some leave because they relocate. Others are compelled to leave because of doctrinal errors. Some leave not because the church is at fault but because they want to look for a congregation where their worldly practices can be tolerated. There are those who leave because they are fed up with church…
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Revere the Lord as You Listen to the Preaching of His Word
Ultimately, God Himself speaks to us through biblical sermons. Who is this God who speaks to us? He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the most high and holy God, and the almighty Creator of all things. He created us and rules over us, and we owe Him everything we have to…
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Learning to Adjust for the Sake of the Gospel of Christ
By God’s grace I’ve been preaching now for 20 years and I’ve had the privilege of preaching for different churches (usually Baptist, Presbyterian, and Reformed congregations). While these churches have many things in common, they also have their own distinct emphases in belief and practice. For instance, they differ in the way they worship God…
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Exercise Patience as You Listen to the Preaching of God’s Word
Sadly, our culture has helped make us all far less patient than we need to be. We live in a world full of impatient people who demand instant gratification from those who serve them. I’m afraid this self-centered way of thinking has now become tolerated, or even accepted, in our local churches. As a result,…
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Come Prepared as You Listen to the Preaching of God’s Word
Because the preaching of God’s Word is the most significant and challenging part of public worship, it requires mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual participation from not only the pastor but also the listeners. For the pastor, preaching is an exhausting process. In fact, some think that preaching just one sermon is the equivalent of a…
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Respect the Time Your Pastor Needs for Prayer and Sermon Preparation
One of the Calvinist Baptist ministers that came out of eighteenth-century evangelicalism was Samuel Pearce (1766–1799), who, in the words of Susan Huntington (1791–1823), was “pre-eminently a holy man.” He was the pastor of Cannon Street Baptist Church in Birmingham where he served faithfully from 1790 until his death in 1799. With God’s blessing, the…
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Two Extremes to be Avoided in Preaching
Extreme # 1: Preaching as if everyone in the congregation is saved. Years ago I received an email from a member of a certain congregation. This person, whom I did not know personally at the time I received the email, was wondering why their pastor preached as if everyone in their church was saved. And…
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Six Pieces of Advice for Preachers
In her book The Great American Sermon Survey, Lori Carrell asks a group of listeners, “If you could get one message across to all preachers in the United States, what would it be?” The answers that she gets can be grouped into six sections: 1. “Make the message relevant and meaningful” (36%). “I keep…
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Titling Your Sermon for Maximum Impact: The Case for an Integrative Use of Titles (Part 2 of 2)
By Dr. Jim Cowman (guest blogger) This past summer, one of the former waitresses in my favorite restaurant stopped by to attend our Sunday morning service of worship. I had invited her to attend our service of worship ten years earlier, and now, during the time when our church family turns to shake hands…
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15 Pointers for Preachers
Preach doctrinally. Don’t only teach Bible doctrines such as justification and sanctification in your Sunday school. Preach these doctrines also during your worship service. Preach discriminatorily. Address both believers and unbelievers in your preaching. Don’t assume that everyone in your congregation is saved. But don’t think either that no one is saved. Preach applicatorily.…
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