Welcome to THE ON PREACHING PODCAST, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. I was introduced to the ministry of Ray Pritchard through his book, In the Shadow of the Cross. I have followed his ministry ever since. Looking up his church website, I found links to sermons manuscripts and his blog. Ray was the first pastor who blogged that I knew. And I read him every day. In fact, blame Ray Pritchard for me being a blogger! After missing some days of checking his site, I logged on to discover that he had resigned his...

Ray Pritchard said... I know a whole handful of miserable, grumpy Christians, and I think I know what is wrong with most of them. They have decided that they're going to keep the body of Christ at arms length and they're not really going to get involved. They are not going to join the church. They are not going to really get involved and they are going to sit on the fence and watch as things go by. They're going to stick their toe in and pull it out and stick their toe in and pull it out and that's...

I was introduced to the ministry of Ray Pritchard through his books. I have never failed to profit from a Pritchard book. But I enjoy his preaching even more than I love his books. Ray is a clear and compelling Bible preacher, whose love for Christ and people is evident as he proclaims the word of God. Even though Ray is no longer in a full-time pastorate, he still has a pastor's heart. And it shows. In part 2 of my interview with Ray, we discuss preaching and pastoral ministry, along with things God is doing in his life and...

I started blogging because of Ray Pritchard. I bought one of his books and became an instant fan. When I looked up his church website, I found his blog. It was the first pastor's blog I had ever read. And I read it religiously after that. I read it so much that I decided to try my hand in it. So we can all blame Ray Pritchard for my blogging foibles. I shot Pritchard an email question one day. He respond. And thus began our friendship. In more ways than I can describe, Ray has been a friend, mentor, and...

I studied Daniel 3 to preach last week. During my reading and research, I take note of every homiletical outline I come across. It helps me in sermon preparation to see how others organize the text for preaching. I was particularly curious to see how others preachers have treated Daniel 3, for several reasons. First of all, it's Daniel 3 - the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace! If you mess this story up, someone should revoke your ordination! But Old Testament narrative is not my strength. And I had to find a way to put my arms away...

I am reading The Incredible Journey of Faith by Ray Pritchard. It is small work. But it is taking me some time to read it. It seems that every couple of pages, I stumble over some statement that I am forced to wrestle with before I can go on. It happened to me again last night, as I was reading a chapter that focuses on a petition of the model prayer: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10b). Pritchard calls this petition that hardest prayer you will ever pray. And I agree with him....

This morning, I listened to a message by Dr. Ray Pritchard, president and primary teacher of Keep Believing Ministries, on Proverbs 3:5-6 entitled, "When You Need to Know, You'll Know." And the Lord has already begun to use this message this morning to help me stop worrying about things that I have absolutely no control of. Really, all I - or any of us - have to do is fully depend on the Lord and submit to him and trust that as we walk according to his will, he will do what needs to be done. I am admittedly biased...

We were blessed to have a special day of worship at Mt. Sinai yesterday. First of all, we one first Sundays, we celebrate the Lord's Table together, which is always a special time in the life of our congregation. Likewise, our fall semester of small-groups began on yesterday. But what really made the day so special was the presence of Dr. Ray Pritchard, president of Keep Believing Ministries, who preached in both of our morning services. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Dr. Pritchard spent Saturday morning with us, giving practical advice for faithful and effective preaching. But, come...