The following is a guest post written by DA Horton, who is a church planter and published author. Additional information on DA can be found at dahorton.com. I’ve read more articles and studies regarding the Millennial generation than I care to admit. It seems as if Corporate America, Marketing Firms, and colleges are all vying for the attention and dollars of this generation. All the while, the assumption within the Body of Christ is local churches need to overhaul their entire paradigm of ministry to attract millennials. To level the playing field, let me take a moment to identify just...

I have two fundamental goals for every sermon I preach. First of all, I strive to be faithful to the text of scripture. Likewise, I strive to be clear in my presentation of the message. I was in a recent conversation with a fellow pastor about these pulpit goals. He agreed with my philosophy. Then added, "Well, you know there are only three types of preachers..." After he named the three types of preachers, I asked him to repeat them slowly. He did. Then I asked my new friend for permission to share them. He graciously consented. What are the three types of preachers? Some preachers...

My local theater has a new “Silence Your Cell Phones” announcement. It states that you came to the theater to enjoy what is on the big screen. And you should not allow the little screen on your cell phone to make you forget what you came to see on the big screen. This is not the time for selfies, text messages, or social media. It is time to drink a cola, eat a tub of popcorn, and enjoy the happenings on the big screen in front of you. Movies are for entertainment. It may be a comedy, drama, horror, historical,...

Becoming a Grown Up Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST TO THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE TO RECEIVE A FREE WEEKLY SERMON MANUSCRIPT.  Shout-out to Pastor Gary Jones and the Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Dothan, Alabama, for a warm night of worship and fellowship! It was a joy for the Shiloh Church to worship with Pastor Gary Williams and the First Church Hopewell this week. A big shout-out to Dr. Steve Gaines for the opportunity to preach "Awesome August" at the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis this week. What a church! The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference is about a month...

The following is a guest post written by Kevin Smith, Teaching Pastor at the Highview Baptist Church and preaching professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - both in Louisville, Kentucky. Some preachers are not effective because they are unprepared. Faithful, biblical preaching is hard work, which requires preparation. Part (not all) of that preparation involves studying and learning. We must study the Word, even as we study ourselves for the purpose of greater godliness (1 Timothy 4:16). We must study the congregation, in order that we may properly feed them the Word of God (1 Peter 5:2). We must...

I first saw the expression while riding down Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. The “Godfather of Soul” had been arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase through several states. As “the hardest working man in show business” sat in prison, some enterprising brother found a way to profit from his troubles. He stood on Crenshaw, selling t-shirts that read, “Free James Brown!” Over the years, that expression has been adapted to call for the release – sincerely or sarcastically – of various persons in different forms of bondage. Consider this my appeal to #FreeGospelMusic. I love Gospel Music. I...

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST TO THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE TO RECEIVE A FREE WEEKLY SERMON MANUSCRIPT. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the Send North America Conference in Nashville this week. I missed a great meeting. My friend, Carlos Kelly, is the new Pastor of the Beulahland Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia. He succeeded Dr. Maurice Watson. It was a joy to this week how the Lord continues to bless this congregation. Shout-out to the Thomas Dorsey Convention of Choirs for the opportunity to give one of the morning messages during their...

This is episode #023 of The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. This is a follow-up from episode #022: 7 Reasons Why You Should Plan Your Preaching. In this episode, I give basic tips and steps for planning your preaching. Here are five basic tips for planning your preaching...  Establish the length of your sermon plan. Think through your sermon plan in series. Set a time to plan your preaching. Pick a place to plan your preaching. Gather the tools you need to plan your preaching. Here are steps you should take...

James E. Washington is the Senior Pastor of the historic Phillips Temple C.M.E. Church in Dayton, Ohio – where he has served for the last twenty years. Under his leadership, Phillips Temple has grown to be one of the largest and most influential congregations in his denomination. Jimmy Washington is also faithful preacher, with a firm commitment to expository preaching. The following is my recent conversation with my friend, Jimmy Washington, about his life, preaching, and ministry. Enjoy!   Did you find this interview helpful? Join the conversation in the comments section below.  CHECK OUT THESE INTERVIEWS Maurice Watson Interview ...

The preacher was a well-respected pulpiteer. The sermon was doctrinally sound. He seemed to preach with sincerity, reverence, and passion. But the sermon felt like we were driving on a flat tire. What went wrong? At the end of the service, the friend sitting next to me leaned over a said, “He had four alliterated points with three sub-points each. I don’t care what you say, he had sixteen points!” Yep. That’s what went wrong. A good sermon has purpose, unity, and movement. Well-crafted structure makes this possible. But an overcooked structure messes up the whole meal. On the other...