Preaching Helps

How Much Do You Have to Hate Someone Not To Proselytize?

This should be shown in churches, evangelism classes, and should become a mainstay in missions courses… Penn of Penn and Teller is an atheist. His response to being evangelized after a show may surprise you. “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be …

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The Study and The Sermon

We are always trying to equip you with resources that you can use to help you become both a better pastor and preacher.  One of the greatest challenges facing pastors is the reservation of time for sermon preparation in the study.  During some of my study today, I listened to a talk/lecture by R. Kent …

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A God of Wrath?

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.  –Nahum 1:2 This is definitely not the picture of God that we normally sing and preach about.  This is not a cuddly teddy bear God; this is a …

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Commenting on Commentaries

As Charles Spurgeon said, we must “lie a-soak,” and bathe in the text that we are studying. Only after we have first bathed in the text ourselves, should we then seek help from a commentary. Commentaries are helpful tools to aid our study of Scripture, as well as the preparation of preaching and teaching. However, …

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Book Review: Spirit-Led Preaching

For some strange reason, books on preaching either tend to emphasize study, work, and preparation or the Holy Spirit.  Very few books find the balance between the indwelling Spirit and the necessary work that accompanies the act of preaching the Word.  Greg Heisler has done just that in his book, Spirit-Led Preaching.  Realizing the great …

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Book Review: We Become What We Worship

Biblical Theology has become a sort of passion for me in the past year.  I was first introduced to biblical theology through Graeme Goldsworthy, and have since enjoyed Vaughan Roberts and now G.K. Beale, both writing biblical theology.  In his latest work, We Become What We Worship: A Bibilical Theology of Worship, G.K. Beale examines …

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Spurgeon on Church Growth

I heard of a report of a church, the other day, in which the minister, who was well known to have reduced his congregation to nothing somewhat cleverly wrote, “Our church is looking up.” When questioned with regard to this statement, he replied, Everybody knows that the church is on its back, and it cannot do anything else but look up.” When churches are looking up in that way, their pastors generally say that you cannot tabulate the work of the Spirit, and calculate the prosperity of a church by figures. The fact is, you can reckon very correctly if the figures are honest, and if all circumstances are taken into consideration: if there is no increase, you may calculate with considerable accuracy that there is not much being done; and if there is a cleare decrease among a growing population, you may reckon that the prayers of the people and the preaching of the minister are not of the most powerful kind.

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Prophetic Love: Part of the Pastor’s Calling

John Piper recently wrote about the importance of having a prophetic love for our people.  Oh, that we would be found faithful in loving our people, by speaking the truth to them about sin!  Below is his original post in it’s entirety.  The Pain of Prophetic Love October 27, 2008  |  By: John Piper  Category: Commentary  Prophetic …

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Desiring God Videos

The Desiring God Confernece 2008 Videos have been posted online.  I’ve not seen much yet, but you can rest assured that these are valuable for your ministry.