preaching

Top 12 Books on Preaching

I have read a lot of books on preaching. Since my dissertation focused on preaching, I have read many more than I ever expected to read and I still enjoy them and consume them regularly. Like books on other subjects, some books on preaching are better than others. Some are worth your time and some …

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Book Roundup for July

I am still far behind my reading goal for the year, but I am at least making some headway. Here are a few books I’ve read recently and one that I’m currently reading that I can recommend to you. Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. So far, my only complaint …

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God’s Provision

Romans 11:5-10. God has given his grace so that his promises could and would be fulfilled. God’s promises will be fulfilled, not because of the ability of people but because of the good grace of God.

How To Listen to a Sermon

Do you know how to read a book? The premise behind Mortimer J. Adler’s and Charle’s Van Doren’s classic book How to Read a Book is that most people can read, but simply do not know how to read a book well. Many people approach reading as a passive activity rather than as an active …

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Preach So They Will Hear

Luke, one of the other pastors at Malvern Hill, and I argue often. We do not have the kind of arguments that lead to anger (usually), but the kind of healthy arguments that make us better and we hope help us to serve our church more faithfully. Recently we were discussing an upcoming round of …

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Inerrancy and Authority are Bound Up Together

There are many great books and articles written on the subject of biblical inerrancy and authority. I doubt that this writing will go down in history as one of the greats, but it is important to continue to sound the trumpet call of inerrancy, for without it, there is no authority. Paul urged Timothy to preach …

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Sermon Checkup

Several years ago, I was involved in an email discussion about sermon evaluations.  A friend and fellow pastor was inquiring about how to do a more effective job at sermon evaluation in his context.  Here’s how I responded, “I use a sermon outline with a central question (I creatively term it The Big Question or …

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Preaching and Praying Yourself Hot

Earlier this week I took time to listen to a short video on sermon preparation featuring Bryan Chapell, Mike Bullmore, and Alistair Begg. The entire video is worth your time if you are a preacher or a teacher of the Bible. It was Alistair Begg’s summary of sermon preparation that jumped out at me.  As …

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The Daily Docket (6/30/14)

God Made Me This Way— Philip Jensen draws some connections that I have never noticed on the nature vs. nurture debate. The Kindness that Will Kill Your Church— But kindness and love are not the same thing, and whenever we separate kindness from love, we unleash a vice that masquerades as a virtue. Kindness apart from …

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