Why? Why do we do what we do? What is our ultimate goal? Why do we dress as we dress? Why do we allot time as we do in our services? Why do we preach as we preach? Why do we sing, and why do we sing it the way we do? Do we care about what the world will think of our activities? Where is God in all this? Do we seek to meet Him in His truth, begging the Spirit to use the word to reveal to us the depths of our on hearts so that we may...

Tonight, in our Midweek Worship Service at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, I plan to conclude my exposition of the longest passage in the Bible – Psalm 119.I began preaching through Psalm 119, stanza by stanza (or eight verses at a time), last September. I had not yet moved from Los Angeles. But I was traveling to Jacksonville to preach the Wednesday night services.It is easier for me to prepare to preach when I am working through one extended passage of scripture. Moreover, I believe sequential exposition is the most faithful way to preach the word of God. And I knew...

It was somewhere between A.D. 61 and 63. The place was Rome, where the Apostle Paul was under house arrest. He was there awaiting trial, uncertain as to whether he would be vindicated and released or convicted and executed. Paul is forced to wait for his trial to begin and its verdict to be rendered. But while he waits, he works. Paul was chained to two Roman soldiers at all times. But house arrest afforded him many privileges. For instance, Paul was able to entertain guest in the house he had rented during his imprisonment. Throughout his imprisonment, various friends...

On and between flights today, I read T. David Gordon's little book, Why Johnny Can't Preach (P&R Publishers). And it was wonderfully disturbing. Playing off the titles of several classics, Why Johnny Can't Read and Why Johnny Can't Write, Gordon argues that media (in the general sense) has shaped the pulpit. Consequently, Gordon argues, many pulpits in America are filled by men who cannot preach. That is, many pastors do not know how to read texts carefully or how to communicate clearly or distinguish between the significant and the insignificant. And the pew is malnourished because of it. I was...

My Master God, I am desired to preach today,     but go weak and needy to my task; Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,     that an honest testimony might be born for thee; Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,     with heart uplifted for grace and unction. Present to my view things pertinent to my subject,     with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,     proper expressions, fluency, fervency,     a feeling sense of the things I preach,     and grace to apply them to men's consciences. Keep me conscious all the...

Grace to You, the radio and television teaching ministry of John F. MacArthur Jr., Pastor-Teacher of the Grace Community Church in Sun Valley (CA) has recently taken a great step of faith and generosity by posting all of the sermons of John MacArthur for free download. Yes. You read the previous sentence correctly. John MacArthur sermons. Available online for download. Free! I can't believe it. Praise God that the teachings of one of the great expository preachers/teachers of our generation will be available in this way to be a blessing to some many people. Click HERE to get to the...

Phillip Brooks has famously defined preached as "truth through personality." This is a simple enough definition. Yet, at the same time, it is rather complex. Of course, the complexity of this definition has nothing to do with the place of truth in preaching. That matter is pretty clear. It's a black-and-white issue. There is nothing ambiguous about it. True preaching must proclaim the truth. And, as Jesus declared to the Father in John 17:17, "Your word is truth." The word of God is the truth. And faithful preaching must "tell the truth" as it is revealed by the word of...

I am on my way to Jacksonville to preach the midweek worship service at Shiloh Church . God willing, I will begin a series of messages tonight on the Mt. Everest of the Psalms - Psalm 119. My plan is to preach through the 176 verses of this psalm stanza by stanza (or 8 verses at a time). I preached through Psalm 119 a couple of years ago at MSMBC, during our midweek services. And my faith and ministry were greatly enriched by the personal study and public teaching of this wonderful celebration of God's supernatural word. And I have...

There was a time when churches placed clocks and bells in the steeples of their buildings, and they would "ring the alarm" for the community when it was time for corporate worship or prayer. Now churches place clocks on the back wall to make sure the pastor does not preach too long. After all, there are many other edifying things people need to do Sundays, aren't there? They do not need to be in worship so long that it interrupts the other important plans for they day that they have made, do they? During the days of the Puritans, the...

Biblical preaching must always occupy the leading place of influence in the life of any church. At the core of any healthy congregation is a vibrant exposition of God's Word. Unfortunately, though, many pastors are turning away from the central role of expository preaching and doctrinal teaching. But in so doing, they fail to realize that new converts, first and foremost, need to be taught God's truth. As a result, many other things are competing with - and even replacing - the primary role of biblical preaching in the church. Christian concerts, drama, pageants, festivals, musical, talk shows, and religious...

My week is being devastated by Chris Erdman and his book, Countdown to Sunday: A Daily Guide for those Who Dare to Preach. This series of brief essays pokes holes in so many foolish assumptions about preaching - from matters of technique to issues of purpose. While I do not agree with everything Erdman writes, I am enjoying the conversation (sometimes argument) about what it means to host the text on Sunday mornings in such a way that you allow the mischief of God in the text to do its missional work in the life of the gathered congregation. Here...

When I was introduced to the expository method of preaching, I was quickly and totally convinced that it is the most faithful way to preach the word of God. I was also surprised by how novel it was. Not many preachers that I heard were doing expository preaching. Some proudly rejected it. But fast forward a few years. Now, it seems that everyone claims to be an expository preacher. Respectfully, I think so many of us are comfortable calling ourselves expositors because we don't really understand the hard work of Bible exposition - which includes both faithful explanation and clear...