If you pastor long enough, you will eventually be asked to preach the funeral for someone who died without Christ. No funeral is easy or fun. Knowing you have to speak to the family and friends on behalf of one who passed into eternity without Jesus can be excruciating. However, it can be a unique and effective time to do real, raw Gospel ministry. When this opportunity presents itself, keep these 3 thoughts in mind: 1. Honor the deceased and... Read more
Every time I have an opportunity to officiate a wedding, I do my best to include a prayer I found many years ago from Al Jackson (full disclosure: this is only one of many things I have “borrowed” from him!). And, every time I pray this prayer over the married couple, I am asked – without fail – where they can get a copy of the prayer. Preacher, the next time you have the chance to lead out in a... Read more
It’s never fun. In fact, it’s painful. You preach an awful sermon. You lay the proverbial egg. Sometimes it doesn’t hit you until after the message is preached. Most times, however, it comes right in the middle – when you realize the congregation isn’t with you and you aren’t with them. It’s then you want a redo. You want to go back to the study. You want to wrap it up and let everyone get on with their day. You... Read more
Recently I found myself watching an episode of ESPN‘s College Football Live. Yes, it was the first week of August. Yes, it was still 3 and a half weeks away from the start of the season. Yes, the episode had nothing to do with what was going on the field (because NOTHING was happening on the field yet!). The content centered around speculation about what “so and so” said or what might happen in the upcoming season. But I am... Read more
Everyone loves a good story, and every story in the Bible is good. I mean, like, better-than-Hollywood good. Not only do stories, by their very nature, keep the listener’s engaged, but they also allow for our God-given imaginations to run wild. Preaching narrative texts are by far my favorite passages to preach. Since over 70% of the Bible is written in narrative form, that’s a good thing. Enjoying a good story and preaching one in front of a congregation, however, are... Read more
This is one of my all-time favorite illustrations and probably my all-time favorite personal story. Though it is personal to me, I hope it allows memories from your own life that tell a similar story – a story that points you (and others!) to the great love of God. In other words, though you are free to steal this illustration (ha), I hope it will cause a similar story from your own life to bubble up and use in future... Read more
I will never forget it. It was in the tiny, old sanctuary of the first church I pastored in Amite, Louisiana. A young boy was acting up in the middle of the sermon. I was preaching away, doing my best to press through, and leaving it to mom and dad to handle the young lad’s obvious misbehavior. Dad handled it alright. In the middle of the sermon, the dad stood, grabbed his son by the arm, and yanked the now terrified... Read more
This is one of my all-time favorite illustrations. It is a tremendous visual to use to explain how the Spirit of God works inside the believer. I originally heard Al Jackson use it in a sermon on Ephesians 5. I have “borrowed” it numerous times. The good news is that it is a great illustration. The bad news is that – if you are a pastor – you can only use it once for your congregation! If you don’t normally... Read more
From time to time, you will be asked to fill the pulpit at another church. Or, you will be asked to speak at an event outside the normal Sunday morning setting—revivals, chapel services, school assemblies, Sunday night fill-ins, etc. These are some of my favorite times to preach. Because these events are usually “outside the norm” of Sunday morning, there is a unique energy in the room. Also, I have learned that people tend to listen better if there is... Read more
It’s happens so fast. It happens when aren’t expecting it. It happens and you don’t even mean for it to. Last Sunday morning, not only was the AC not working in the sanctuary, but we couldn’t figure out how to turn off the heat. It was really, really hot. The first service was held in the sanctuary, complete with bulletins serving multi-purposefully as fans and information. The second service was held in the fellowship hall where the AC was graciously... Read more
Churched
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