I’ve written elsewhere my conviction and calling to preach to “churched” people. I want to help those who think they know God see and experience and taste the God of the Bible. In other words, there are so many who really believe they know the God of the Bible but don’t yet. They’ve read and studied their Bible’s. But they have yet to truly encounter the loving God behind it all. I am called to help change that – even... Read more
Without a doubt, the best book I have ever read on the Sabbath is Mark Buchanan’s The Rest of God. In my opinion, it is a MUST READ. He begins chapter 6 in a unique way. It includes a great lesson for preachers. To introduce a sermon, the illustration doesn’t have to capture the essence of the message. Sometimes all you need is unique thought to help you dive into the subject matter. The goal of an introduction is to... Read more
My oldest child loves dolphins. Let me rephrase that. My oldest child is amazed, enthralled, and obsessed with dolphins. This summer, while on family vacation, I shelled out just south of $100 so the family could see dolphins up close on a “guaranteed to see ’em” dolphin cruise. The Pearson Five woke up early, got ready, ate breakfast, greased up spots showing skin, and drove the half hour to the designated departure area. Excitement was high. Anticipation was brewing. Thoughts... Read more
Recently I preached a message on approach to spiritual influence. We looked at Paul’s approach to influencing the Ephesians to become more Christ-like. I began the sermon with the following illustration (ahem. . . joke). Enjoy. . . When you want to influence someone spiritually, what is your approach? Recently I heard about a preacher who held a baptism service for anyone wanting to find Jesus. He and a group from town gathered at the creek behind the church building... Read more
In chapter 7 of Eugene Peterson’s As KingFishers Catch Fire, he reveals how the book of Deuteronomy formed his preaching. He said: I was in the early years of being a pastor when I learned this story of the discovery of Deuteronomy and the revolutionary reform led by Josiah and Jeremiah. I suddenly knew why preaching is important. It develops an imagination adequate to embrace revolution. (Bold mine) He then goes on to describes what a sermon is: This sermon (the... Read more
When I think of Arby’s I think of two things: One, I think of delicious and juicy roast beef sandwiches, baptized in their amazing sauce. Two, I think of the guy’s voice in their commercials who says, “Arby’s! We Have . . . THE MEATS!” Arby’s is known for, and good at, piling lots of meat on a sandwich. We need Arby’s to be good at this. This is why I was beyond less than enthused when I learned Arby’s... Read more
A preacher’s job is to help people understand. Understand the meaning of a biblical text and understand how it applies to them. Oftentimes, especially if you are preaching to “churched” people, biblical truths being proclaimed are nothing new to the listener’s ears. They’ve heard it a million times before. Familiarity with a truth, however, does not mean the truth is being applied and practiced. When your people know the truth but are far from applying the truth, contrast. Contrast what... Read more
Recently, the Campus Pastors of Brentwood Baptist preached a message aimed to help spiritual leaders refresh their souls and renew their relationship with the Lord. Jay Strother, the Campus and Teaching Pastor at The Church at Station Hill, passed along a unique and convicting version of the 23rd Psalm. It is a fantastic illustration to use in order to help our people realize just how busy we are and just how needy we are to stop and enjoy God’s presence.... Read more
Every preacher experiences two extremes. The incredible high of delivering a perfect illustration that makes the point of the passage pop. And the depressing low of having an illustration you were excited about fall flatter than pancake. Sermon illustrations are tricky. They can help the sermon shine and they can cause the sermon to suffer. On top of that, the search for illustrations can add hours to a preacher’s already busy week. The purpose of illustrations is to help the... Read more
When officials are trained to detect counterfeit money, they do not study fake bills. Cops and detectives and store owners are not encouraged, nor taught, nor instructed with examples of fake money. The way, I am told, officials are trained and equipped to detect counterfeit money is to study the real thing. If they know what the real article looks like, feels like, and smells like – they can detect a fake from a mile away. If they have studied... Read more
Churched
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