In my book, On Preaching, I recommended several best practices for guest preachers. I can summarize that chapter in one sentence: As a guest preacher, don’t make a mess for the pastor to clean up when you leave. I recently got a question about that chapter: I advocate clear, bold, and faithful preaching of the word of God. Yet I recommend guest preachers be careful should not say or address anything controversial in the sermon. Is this a contradiction? This is a good and fair question. But the answer is obvious for guest preachers who are local pastors: Do unto others...

There are several Bible verses that drive my commitment to faithful preaching. They are 1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 2:15, and 2 Timothy 4:2. I regularly share these verses with young preachers, when I am asked for a passage of scripture to encourage them in the work. But there is another passage that reminds me of my charge to preach the word. I rarely share this verse. It is not from the Pastorals. For that matter, it is not from the New Testament. It is 2 Samuel 24:24. But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it...

  It was the last day of the revival. I had just finished my ninth sermon of the meeting. I stood to give my lasting remarks. And I said what I was thinking. Usually, I am able to mind my business when I preach away from home. But since I had no intention of ever returning to that church, I took a shot at them. Thanks for putting up with my preaching this week. And for all of your kindness and encouragement. But all the glory goes to God. Any human credit goes to the church I serve. They give...

The first preacher to influence me was my father. He was more of an orator than a whooper. His preaching had a rhythm and cadence. But he, and most of his preaching colleagues, were not real whoopers. Then it happened. I heard whooping. Real whooping. At the conclusion of the sermon, the preacher turned his words into music. In a real sense, he started singing his sermon. I immediately determined that was the way I wanted to preach. So I began to practice. And I started listening to good whoopers. Being able to sing a bit, I was able to...

“So what do you do for a living?” I have a new answer to that question: “I write sermons.” Occasionally, an alert listener will reply, “You only write sermons? Do you preach them?” Then I give the punchline. “Sure, I do. But it’s hard to remember that part. As soon as the sermon is over, I have to start writing the next one!” That’s the life of a pastor. We have the joyful burden of weekly preparation. To keep your head about water and become effective you have to learn to hack the process. You need a system for Bible...

I am excited about the release of my new book, On Preaching: Personal & Pastoral Insights for the Preparation & Practice of Preaching. (Moody Publishers. Official release date: May 1, 2014). This is my second book, the first being It Happens After Prayer. I wrote this book without knowing it. Desiring to grow in my preaching, I began to read and think about preaching. I also started writing brief articles that summarized my views on various practical areas of sermon preparation and pulpit work. I was more than fifteen articles into the process before it dawned on me that these collected...

Every workman needs tools. It does not matter the nature of the work. He can be a carpenter that needs a hammer and nails. Or she can be a computer programmer that needs a laptop and software. The truth still applies whatever the task. No laborer can do his or her work without good tools. The same goes for preachers. If you are going to be a faithful expositor of the scriptures, you need to learn and practice the principles of Bible interpretation and sermon preparation. But you cannot practice the principles without the necessary tools. My father had a...

Every sermon should have a destination. It also needs a clear path to get there. A sermon outline charts the path for the sermon to reach its intended destination. Good sermons have effective outlines. A sermon is more than an outline. But it is not less. The outline gives structure to the message. That structure supports the substance of the message. Similarly, your body is infinitely more than a skeleton. Yet it is built on and around the connecting bones of the skeleton. There are different philosophies about the use of outlines in sermons. More preachers are using an inductive...

“People have short attention spans. So you really do long series through books anymore. People will check out on you after four to six sermons.” This authoritative claim is simply not true. People are hungry for the word of God. Consecutive exposition both satisfies people’s hunger for scripture and shapes it. Expository preaching is an acquired taste. Before people get it they don’t know what they are missing. But when they get it they don’t want anything else. Consecutive exposition is not the only way to preach faithfully. Jesus did not preach that way. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers,...

“So how was your flight?” When I am asked this question, I typically respond by saying it was a good flight. I speak positively about the flight for one reason. It landed. I may not like my assigned seat. There may have been no room for my bag in the overhead compartment. It may have been a bumpy flight the whole ride. But none of that really matters as long as the flight lands safely. The same is true of sermons. It may get off to a bumpy start. You may have to play catch up to stay within the...

There are three basic elements to a sermon: explanation, application, and illustration. At any given point of the sermon, you are doing one of these three things. Explanation is the foundation of a biblical message. The goal is to explain what the text means by what it says. However, interpretation without application is abortion. You must explain the text and exhort the congregation to do what it says (James 1:22). But your work is not done there. The effective preacher must also work to clarify meaning, make ideas stick, and call the listener to action. To this end, Illustrations are...

I needed a hobby. A diversion. Something. So I started writing on my blog more, among other things. Along with reading, writing is one of the most relaxing things I do. My increased writing led to a blog site update, which led to even more writing. Most weeks, I write a "Notes from Sunday" recap and "Saturday Shout-Outs."  I often write one or two other posts a week, as well. Here are some of the top posts of 2012.. Top Posts Things I've Learned Along the Way 10 Recommendations to Gospel Artists from a Loyal Fan and a Concerned Pastor...