Scholar, pastor, and biblical greek guru, Bill Mounce, has recently written some good advice for how to and how not to use biblical languages from the pulpit. Mounce reminds us that we can effectively show the differences in translations without giving our listeners opportunity to lose trust in God’s Word. Pastors, remember: “Do not correct …
“The cross is also the ground of humility of preaching because the cross is the power of God to crucify the pride of both preacher and congregation. In the New Testament the cross is not only a past place of objective substitution; it is also a present place of subjective execution – the execution of …
“Therefore, the goal of preaching is the glory of God reflected in the glad submission of the human heart. And the supremacy of God in preaching is secured by this fact: The one who satisfies gets the glory; the one who gives the pleasure is the treasure.” -John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching …
“The great design and intention of the office of a Christian preacher [is] to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men.” -Cotton Mather; cited in John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1990), 22.
A recent Newsweek article explores the changing face of the pro-life movement in America, especially since the political landscape has changed under the leadership of Barak Obama. In Pro-Lifers in Obama Land, Sarah Kliff looks to those in the pro-life camp who are leaning toward legislation and agendas that aim at reducing abortions rather than …
The kind of sermon which is likely to break the hearer’s heart is that which first has broken the preacher’s heart, and the sermon which is likely to reach the heart of the hearer is the one which has come straight from the heart of the preacher. -Charles Spurgeon
“I know of no surer way of a people’s perishing than by being led by one who does not speak out straight and honestly denounce evil. If the minister halts between two opinions, do you wonder that the congregation is undecided? If the preacher trims and twists to please all parties, can you expect his …
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 …
To preach the word . . . and not to follow it with constant and fervent prayer for its success, is to disbelieve its use, neglect its end, and to cast away the seed of the gospel at random. John Owen, The True Nature of a Gospel Church and Its Government, Works, Vol 16.
” There is a double trajectory in preaching. One trajectory is from God to us. This is the prophetic trajectory. The other trajectory is from us to us. This is the priestly trajectory. The ministry of the priest is preferred to that of a prophet because the prophet afflicts the comfortable and the priest comforts …