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Podcast
#156 | Impactful Sermons I’ve Heard [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. discusses impactful sermons he has personally heard over the years. The sermons affirm the power of hearing the word of God preached. They remind us that the Holy Spirit is at work through our preaching. They also show us that the Lord uses people with different backgrounds to preach effectively. Sermons discussed in this episode... "Will Your House Stand?" by H.B. Charles Sr. "Will You Give Jesus Your Lunch? by Richard D. Sanders "What Can that Boy Tell Me?"...
Sermons
Be Careful How You Build | 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Will it last? That is the most crucial question of any building project. While there are other factors to consider, nothing matters more than whether that building will stand the test of time. The same principle applies to the church. The size of a church may impress people. The gifts of a church may attract people. The work of a church may benefit people. That will not matter in the end. What is done for Christ and the church only has legitimate value if it has lasting value. You may build great cathedrals large or small, You may build skyscrapers grand and tall, You may conquer all the failures of your past, But only what you do for Christ will last. Will it last? That...
Podcast
#155 | Key Questions for Proper Interpretation [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast, dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better? In this episode, H.B. discusses how to ask the right questions to properly interpret your sermon text. Proper interpretation is the foundation of biblical preaching. It should be preceded by careful observations of the sermon text. As you seek to understand the meaning of the text, it is important to ask the right questions. You must ask the right questions to get the right answers. What are the key questions for proper interpretation? What is the book about? What is the literary genre? ...
Podcast
#154 | How to Learn to Preach [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. talks about practical ways to learn to preach or to preach better. Because we are called to preach the holy word of the living God, we should strive to give it our best. The good news is that you can learn to preach, following practical rules with divine help. And you can learn to preach better. How can I learn to preach better? By studying the Bible. Through prayer to God. By listening to good preaching. By preaching. By...
Sermons
Such Were Some of You | 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Is it right for Christians to sue one another? We live in a litigious society. If we suffer an actual or perceived wrong, we may not take matters into our own hands, but we will take you to court. Whether the opposing party is a fellow Christian is irrelevant. We feel we should not allow someone to take advantage of us if we can do something about it. To ask if it is right is a strange question to us. But just because a thing is legal does not mean it is moral. And it does not mean it is the Christian thing to do. 1 Corinthians 6 addresses the ethical dilemma of Christians suing one another. The disputes were civil, not criminal. No...
Podcast
#153 | Vital Statistics for Biblical Preaching [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. discusses the importance of getting the vital statistics of a book of the Bible before you study individual texts in that book. Here's the principle: A proper introduction to the book leads to a proper interpretation of the text. What vital statistics should you discover? The Author The Audience or Recipients Date of Writing Place of Writing Key Terms Key Verses Key Persons Key Places The Occasion The Point or Purpose The Doctrinal Themes The Structure View of Christ ...
Sermons
How the Lord Grows the Church | Ephesians 4:11-16
Matthew 16:13-20 predicts the sovereign construction of the not-yet church: “I will build my church.”Ephesians 4:11-16 explains how the church is built up in Christ. Ephesians 4:1-3 exhorts the church to walk in unity: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the body of peace.” Verses 4-6 states the grounds of unity: “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to...
Podcast
#152 | Elements of a Sermon [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. What is a sermon? A sermon is the declaration of a biblical message. Declared - spoken rather than written Biblical - based on a biblical text, theme, or topic Message - a singular unit of thought with purpose, unity, and movement. What are the elements of a sermon? Introduction Proposition Transition Explanation Argumentation Application Illustration Conclusion Invitation In the church, preaching is that holy half hour each week when the assembly of the redeemed closes her collective mouth, opens her ear and heart,...
Podcast
#151 | 25 Tips for Using Sermon Illustrations Effectively [PODCAST]
Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. gives 25 tips for using sermon illustrations effectively... Purposeful Illustrations Strategic Illustrations Personal Illustrations Transparent Illustrations Discreet Illustrations Historical Illustrations Biblical Illustrations Contemporary Illustrations Pastoral Illustrations Relatable Illustrations Visual Illustrations Real-world Factual Illustrations Credited Illustrations Interesting Illustrations Diverse Illustrations Detailed Illustrations Brief Illustrations Simple Illustrations Creative Illustrations Humorous Illustrations Appropriate Illustrations Practical Illustrations Authorized illustrations Prepared Illustrations You may build up laborious definitions and explanations and yet leave your hearers in the dark as to your meaning;...
Sermons
Working Together through Growing Pains | Acts 6:1-7
A disgruntled reader wrote the editor of his local newspaper, arguing that the paper was not what it used to be. The editor replied, “It never was.” The same can be said about the church. In a real sense, the church at its birth was the church at its best. But we should not look back wistfully for some non-existent “golden age” of the church. The church has never been perfect. It will not be perfect until the Lord presents it to himself without spot or blemish. Until then, the church is in the process of becoming. We are reformed and being reformed. The Lord is building his church. But we must work together through our growing...
Sermons
Walking Together in Spiritual Unity | Ephesians 4:1-6
In the late 1800s, a small church in Mayfield County, Kentucky, had two deacons who hated each other. One Sunday, one of those deacons nailed a small wooden peg to the back wall for the pastor to hang his hat. When the other deacon saw the peg, he was outraged that he had not been consulted. An argument ensued, and the members took sides. The church split was called the Anti-Peg Baptist Church. Some things we laugh at because they’re funny. Some things we laugh at because they’re true. Some things we laugh at to keep from crying. Churches fight, split, and die because of congregational conflict. There are...
Sermons
The Church at Its Best | Acts 2:42-47
Acts 2 records the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost. As the disciples prayed in the Upper Room, the sound of hurricane-force winds swept through Jerusalem. Investigating the sound, the crowd found the disciples praising God in languages they had not learned. The crowd dismissed the disciples as drunk. Then Peter arose and addressed the crowd. The disciples were not drunk but filled with the Holy Spirit. He proclaimed that Jesus – whom they crucified but God raised from the dead – was the Messiah. Cut to the heart, the people repented of their sins and trusted Christ for salvation. Acts 2:41 says, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:42-47 picks up the story. It is a summary of...