It is amazing to me who approaches Jesus about fasting in Matthew 9. It’s not a Pharisee. Not a scribe. Not a random person off the street. But some of John’s disciples. John as in “John the Baptist.” Yeah, that John the Baptist. The same John who was Jesus’ cousin. The same John who leaped in his mom’s womb when he heard Jesus’ mom talk. The same John who preached Jesus’ coming and declared His arrival. The same John who... Read more
Recently, in light of Independence Day, I opened the sermon with an illustration using fireworks. The text I preached from was Romans 1:14-17. You can listen to it here. My aim was to cause my listeners to think whether or not they truly believed there was power in the Gospel of Jesus. I wanted the congregation to contemplate whether or not they believed there was more power in a $5 fire cracker to change things in Franklin than there is... Read more
Should the preacher be able to say his entire sermon in one sentence? Opinions vary. On the one hand, I’ve heard proponents argue, “If you can’t say it in a sentence, you can’t say it in a sermon.” On the other, however, I’ve heard opponents suggest, “If you can say it in a sentence, why do you need to preach an entire sermon?” (more…) Read more
I found this illustration in chapter 4 of Martin B. Copenhaver’s Jesus is the Question. Imagine you are at a circus. A skilled high-wire artist has accomplished so many marvelous feats that the audience has come to believe that he can do almost anything. The ringmaster addresses the crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, how many of you believe that this daring man can ride safely over the high wire on his bicycle while carrying someone on his shoulders? If you believe... Read more
One of my biggest fears in preaching is standing before the people on a Sunday morning and not knowing what I am going to say. I have been preaching on a weekly basis for 16 years. I am guesstimating that I have preached anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 sermons. I still get horrified that I am going to forget my next point, go blank on a line I want to communicate, or freeze on the sermon entirely. It hasn’t happened... Read more
My approach to opening illustrations is to provide a smooth runway. I want there to be an easy and smooth and gripping take off, so a good opening is critical. If the take off is bad, the rest of the message can include a lot of turbulence. The preacher wants something to grab the attention of the congregation, leading them to want more. Recently, in order to help the congregation see the gravity of Luke’s nonchalant statement about all of... Read more
Full disclosure: I am not the best person to help you figure out what to preach next. One, I am not very good at it. Two, I don’t know your people nor the needs of your church. Ideally, you would have planned out your preaching well enough in advance to the point that you aren’t stressed about what’s next. But even in ideal situations, there will be times when you will be faced with the task of coming up with... Read more
In order to challenge the congregation to build a relationship with the lost and searching for the purpose of disciple-making, I began a recent sermon with a hypothetical illustration about a doctor making a home visit. You can listen to the entire message here. Below is how I began . . . What would you think of a doctor who made house calls? Not at your request, however . . . at his. He knocked on your door, told... Read more
Pastors, let’s be honest. Church members, nor their loved ones, ever die at a convenient time. Sunday is always coming. Staff meetings are always scheduled. Appointments are on the calendar. Our children’s ball games and practices happen ’round the clock. Funerals don’t happen every week, but they seem to happen during the craziest of weeks. Am I right? But let’s also be honest about something else. Before, during, and after a funeral are when we have opportunities to be MOST... Read more
Below is an opening illustration I used to communicate the difference of doing something just to say you do it, and doing something because it is a part of who you are. You can listen to the sermon here. Tuesday of this week, I went to the dentist for my bi-annual cleaning. I am happy to report that I had zero cavities and have been cavity free for several years now. I was not worried and had solid confidence... Read more
Churched
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