Earlier this week I lamented the existence of lots of “announcement time” in church services because of the ineffectiveness of the announcements and the disruption the announcements bring to the arc or flow of the service. I acknowledge that the desire to give announcements comes from a good place – a place of wanting to…
Preaching
4 Advantages of Advanced Planning for Sermons/Teaching Series
When I served as an executive and teaching pastor in Miami, I learned the benefit of planning sermons and teaching series months ahead. I don’t mean the entire sermon completely prepared, but a specific direction for a teaching series and a general direction for each sermon within the series. The advanced planning was not only…
3 Things Pastors Must Learn from Teachers
Today is officially “teacher appreciation day,” and while it is right and good to be thankful for our teachers every day, I am glad there is a designated day that reminds us to be grateful. I am so thankful for the teachers in my life. Those teachers who have invested in me have made a…
Sunday was “National Student Pastor Preaching Day” and Why That’s Great
I was preaching the week after Christmas the first time I heard someone joke about the youth pastor preaching the week after Christmas. I was the student pastor. The person was joking that it was “national student pastor preaching Sunday” because many senior pastors take the week off and hand the responsibility to the student…
5 Reminders to Those of Us Preaching This Christmas
To say that I am excited to be preaching the Christmas services at Mariners Church this Christmas would be a massive understatement. I struggle to adequately express in words the honor and privilege I feel to be able to declare the Christmas story to people I love and to the friends they are bringing with…
If You Preach Like Whitefield, Think Like Wesley
In his highly popular book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell contrasted the ministry of George Whitefield and John Wesley. Gladwell articulated that Whitefield was the better communicator, a more powerful preacher than Wesley. Whitefield was also known as a more capable theologian than Wesley, more likely to be compared to Luther or Calvin than Wesley would…
“Why Do You Mainly Quote Dead People, Eric?”
Someone on my team recently asked me why, of all the people I quote when explaining a passage or a topic, I mainly quote dead people. I don’t exclusively quote dead people. And I don’t reference other’s thinking in all my sermons and definitely not in every point I am attempting to make. But it…
[GIVEAWAY] Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in John
I am honored to lead the Resources Division at LifeWay and serve with a team of leaders who are passionate to serve the Church in Her mission of making disciples. Each Wednesday, I share the heart behind one of the resources our team has developed and give an opportunity for you to register to win a free copy of…
“Saturday Night Specials” Versus When Pastors Really Prepare
Preachers talk smack and use slang too. For example, “sugar stick” is a sermon a preacher preaches over and over again in multiple places. If you are preaching in a new place, have a message you invested significant time and work into preparing, and it’s still fresh on your heart, it is appropriate to pull…
Links for Leaders 9/1/17
How to Work With a Bad Listener—Rebecca Knight You don’t feel heard, and the chances for misunderstandings — and mistakes — rise. Are there tactics you can use to encourage your colleagues to listen better? Should you talk to them about their poor listening skills? What’s the best way to deliver the message? A Necessary…