Welcome to the The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, I want to talk to you about avoiding indecent exposure in the pulpit... To illustrate is to shed light on the subject. Illustrations are like windows in a house. They let the light in. They can also let in voyeurs, seeking to eye the forbidden. There is no place for voyeurism in the pulpit. Sermon illustrations should be like letting sunlight into a window, not like putting a spotlight on a stage. Here are ten guidelines for avoiding indecent...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, I want to talk to you about the dynamics of Spirit-empowered preaching. I believe there are three characteristics of effective preaching: faithfulness to the text, clarity of the message, and passion in the presentation. When I speak of passion, I do not refer to some fleshly demonstration. Or the deacons in my Dad's church would call, "An outside show to an unfriendly world." I am talking about spirit-empower preaching. What are the dynamics of Spirit-empowered preaching?    Godly Character Doctrinal...

  Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, I want to talk to you about my sermon preparation hacks. Every preacher should have an intentional sermon preparation process. This process should include standard elements, which include reading deeply, recording carefully, and reflecting prayerfully. But these standard elements should be personalized. As you prepare to preach, do what works best for you!   What are the sermon preparation hacks I use to get ready to preach the word?   I prepare a study file with all of the...

  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. – Colossians 4:2-4   This week (September 18-20, 2018), the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference will take place at the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville (FL), where I am privileged to serve as pastor-teacher. This is the fifth year of Cutting It Straight....

A friend and I talked about a conference we both attended, during different years. I told him about the year I attended. Then he told me about the year he attended. As he listed the speakers he heard, I asked about a particular name. I knew of this man’s ministry but had never heard him speak.  I inquired, “Can he preach?” My friend answered affirmatively and emphatically. “He knows how to handle the text,” my friend expanded. “And you can tell he’s been with Jesus.” The conversation ended there, because I did not say anything else. I could not. I...

  Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better!  In this episode, I talk about how to preach through distractions. All kinds of distractions may arise as you preach the word. Sound issues, temperature extremes, crying babies, walking people, ringing cellphones, medical emergencies, intentional disruptions can happen during any sermon and distract away from the message. How do you preach through distractions that may arise as you preach? Ignore it. Remain calm. Practice "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23). Address the distraction directly. Ask for help. Use humor to ease...

                Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, I want to talk to you about five neglected tools for sermon preparation. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2:15 Every workman needs tools to accomplish his work, including preachers. Especially preachers. Books are a preacher's tools. Effective preaching requires specialized tools. But no preacher should neglect the most...

B. Lockhart and R. Johnson were members of my father's church, when I was a boy. This brother and sister had relocated to Los Angeles from Little Rock. They loved my dad and faithfully served our congregation. But they constantly talked about their former pastor and church in Arkansas. I didn't understand why, until they gave me a tape of Jerry D. Black. He was preaching his classic sermon, "A Trip to Job's House." I vividly remember the first time I heard Jerry Black preach in person. It was during the National Baptist Convention USA in Los Angeles in 1990....

Jerry Black is the Pastor of the historic Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, where he has served since 1991.     I had the opportunity to interview Jerry Black about his life and ministry. Enjoy! [embed]https://vimeo.com/279145176[/embed] Did you find this interview helpful?  Join the conversation in the comments section. Related Resources Steve Gaines Interview Donald Parson Interview The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference will take place September 18-20, 2018, at the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville, Florida.  This conference is designed to train, model, and promote biblical teaching and preaching. Register TODAY!!!!  

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, I want to offer several answers to the question of how long your sermons should be. Congregations' views on sermon length have changed. Should yours? There was a time when, if I was asked how long my congregation's worship services lasted, I answered, "Until they are over." If asked how long I preached, I answered, "Until I'm finished." Those were bad answers twenty years ago. They are even worse answers now. Time is your members' most important commodity. It is...

Steve Gaines is the Pastor of the historic Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, where he has served since 2005. He has led several congregations over more than thirty years of pastoral ministry. Gaines is also the immediate past President of the Southern Baptist Convention (2016-2018). Steve Gaines is soul-winning pastor, faithful preacher, and prayer-driven leader, whose leadership, counsel, and preaching a sought-after by many. He is also the author of numerous books, including... Pray Like It Matters by Steve Gaines  Share Jesus Like It Matters by Steve Gaines Pray Like This edited by Steve Gaines When God Comes to Church by...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  It's good to be back! In this episode of the podcast, I want to you to offer you several tips for effective preaching as an associate minister. The pastor-teacher of a local church is entrusted with a crucial stewardship. He will answer to the Lord about his charge to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:1-2). The associate minister also has a great responsibility. You may not be the main weekly preacher. But you should make the...