I love to eat. But I am not into cooking. I do not cook. And I do not like waiting on those who cook. When it is time for dinner, I want to eat. I don't care how Crystal made it. I just hope it is good. When we go to a restaurant, I am not concerned about the chef's process and procedures. My only thought about what is going on in the kitchen Why are they taking so long to bring out the food? I don't want to talk about cooking when I am hungry. I want to eat....

To illustrate is to shed light on a subject. Illustrations are like windows in a house. They let the light in. They can also let in voyeurs, seeking to eye the forbidden. Voyeurism is not just the vice of those who want to see what they should not see. It is also the vice of those who want to show what they should not show. 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 10 guidelines for avoiding indecent exposure...

"You have to do whatever the Lord says you have to do in order to preach that Bible." When I heard a friend say this in a conversation with a group of preachers, I laughed. He was asked his philosophy of sermon preparation. Specifically, they wanted to know what steps he takes to get from text to sermon. How long does it take him to prepare? Things like that. His answer: "You have to do whatever the Lord says to do in order to preach that Bible." I laughed. (Some things we laugh at because they are funny. Some things...

“Help me to speak your word with faithfulness, clarity, authority, passion, wisdom, humility, and liberty…” These are words I often pray publicly, as I lead the congregation in prayer before I read my text and begin my sermon. I do not know when I started praying this prayer. And I don’t remember forming these words intentionally. But they have become a regular part of my prayers. I do not pray this out of vain repetition. I pray this because I need the Lord to do the same thing for me every time I stand to preach. Whether I pray this...

I preached my first sermon at the age of eleven. The first thing I did when I stood up was to pray. No one instructed me to do this. My father never prayed when he stood to preach. And none of the preachers I heard regularly or looked up to prayed at the beginning of the sermons. For some reason, I did. I remember a seasoned pastor advising me, “If you haven’t prayed before you stand up to preach, it’s too late. And if you have already prayed, it’s not necessary.” I couldn’t argue with this logic. Yet I have...

I recently had dinner with several pastors. As we waited for our table, a friend and new pastor asked, “How do you find time for study?” As soon as he finished the question, the hostess seated us. But when we sat down, he asked again, “So how do you find time for study, H.B.?” I offered several answers that I hope were helpful. And we moved on to other topics. But the question stayed with me. Time-management is a big for busy pastors. Many people think that pastors don’t work. But pastors often work so hard that they don’t have...

O my Lord, Let not my ministry be approved only by men, or merely to win the esteem and affections of people; But do the work of grace in their hearts, call in thy elect, seal and edify the regenerate ones, and command eternal blessings on their souls. Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking; Water the hearts of those who hear thy Word, that seed sown in weakness may be raised in power; Cause me and those that hear me to behold thee here in the light of special faith, and hereafter in the blaze of endless glory; Make my...

I believe the Holy Spirit is God, the third member of the holy, undivided Trinity. Therefore, I believe the Holy Spirit is sovereign. God the Holy Spirit has unimpeachable authority over the times, details, and circumstances of our lives. He (not “It”) operates with perfect wisdom, eternal purpose, and infinite goodness. With this confidence, I plan my preaching in advance. Well in advance. In the name of honoring the Holy Spirit, some inadvertently dishonor him by thinking and acting as if the Spirit’s work is someone quenched if he is not free to work spontaneously. They treat the Holy Spirit...

I recently received a message from someone who heard me speak at a conference on Bible exposition. He thanked me for my ministry. He also asked a question: What advice would you give to help me become a better expositor? What a great question! I am a student of expository preaching, not an expert. But I relish the opportunity to answer questions like this. My heart's desire is to be a better preacher. I trust that my preaching is clear and consistent. But I still have much to learn about the great task of Bible exposition. I pray this will...

Paul instructed Timothy to "preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2). What does this solemn charge (2 Tim. 4:1) mean? At the least, it means that our preaching should be focused on and filled with the truth, wisdom, and message of the scriptures. Of course, just because a man reads, quotes, and talks about the Bible in his sermon does not mean he is preaching the word. Many use the word of God as a springboard to proclaim a self-styled, man-centered message. But it is clear that you cannot preach the word if you do not actually use the word in...

A new friend sent me a text yesterday, “Do you have any advice for voice control in and out of the pulpit?” he asked. I should have responded, “You are asking the wrong person.” Instead, I ventured a brief answer. I doubt it was helpful. This post is my fuller answer to the question I should not be answering in the first place. My father had a big, preaching voice. And many of my early preaching heroes sounded like preachers, whatever that means. However, I do not have a preacher’s voice. I sounded like Simba practicing his roar in the...

The scribble to my left are the preaching notes from my sermon this past Sunday. Typically, I write out a complete sermon manuscript for preaching. I usually do not have to bring any notes to the pulpit. But I am not neurotic about it. If I need the entire manuscript, I take it (having an iPad has made this easier for me). Or if I need an outline or specific notes, that is what I created. I do not really set the entire sermon to memory. I basically internalize it over the course of writing and editing the manuscript. But I...