Preaching Prophets

In a recent article for Leadership Journal, John Ortberg reminds us why it is so important to preach on the prophetic books of the Old Testament: "The prophets have been given the crushing burden of looking at our world and seeing what God sees: rich people trying to get richer and looking the other way while poor people die. And thinking God is really pretty pleased with their lives. And that the world is going pretty well."

What Makes a Preacher ‘Good’?

You probably have noticed that preachers come in all shapes and sizes. There are big, gregarious, sweaty-foreheaded preachers. There are short, slim, soft-spoken preachers. There are creative preachers who always have a slick gadget or a clever object of illustration. There are King James preachers who love Thees and the Thous of Thy Holy Word.

E. Stanley Jones: Exegete of Culture, Evangelist for Christ

In 1938, Time magazine honored E. Stanley Jones with the distinction of "world's greatest missionary evangelist." Time's laudatory expression was not an isolated one. Christians and non-Christians celebrated the multi-faceted contributions of this visionary man. For instance, his missionary work in India coupled with his outspoken efforts for Indian self-determination in the early decades of the 20th century caused one Indian government official to say Jones was "the greatest interpreter of Indian affairs in our time."

What Is the Gospel: An Interview with Chris Seay

Chris Seay is the church planter and pastor of Ecclesia in Houston and a widely known author. He has written a number of books, including The Gospel According to Lost, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano and the recently released The Gospel According to Jesus. He recently visited with Preaching editor Michael Duduit.

Back Page Pulpit: The In-Between Times

Today I preached in a church which has two morning services. One starts at 8:15, then the church has Sunday School at 9:30 and the second service at 10:45. My preaching duties include both services, but what do you do in the in-between times?

An Election Day Prayer for America in November 2010

As we approach the November 2010 national elections in the United States of America, I have written a prayer for our nation. To do so is to keep in step with our founding forefathers and mothers who treated elections as great moments of spiritual renewal and possibilities.

No Pulpit Endorsements

A recent LifeWay Research survey indicates that although Protestant pastors clearly maintain personal political opinions, 84 percent disagree (70 percent strongly and 14 percent somewhat) with the statement, "I believe pastors should endorse candidates for public office from the pulpit."

A Perfect Pastor?

In his book The Pastor as Minor Poet (Eerdmans), M. Craig Barnes writes, "Nobody really wants a perfect pastor. Those who sit in the pews may try to turn the pulpit into a pedestal, but that is only a projection of their own flawed aspirations to rise above their creaturely limitations.