Inspiring Ministry & Church Development Articles

Moving from Concept to Sermon: The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative

Jon Krakauer cleared the ice from his oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind, and straddled the summit of Mount Everest. It was 1:17 P.M. on May 10, 1996. Krakauer, an accomplished climber and journalist, had not slept in fifty-seven hours. He had not eaten much more than a bowl of ram

Making The Point With SHARP Illustrations

Hershael York

The SHARP Principles While it is usually best to utilize the strongest illustrations in the introduction and conclusion, illustrations are also needed in the body of the sermon. Within the various points of the message they further explain the point, give the audience time to digest the truth

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Servant Of The Word

David L. Larsen

Although Charles Haddon Spurgeon was often called "The Last of the Puritans," the title probably better belongs to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), whose strategic ministry at the heart of London spoke to the nation and impacted the entire world (and still does through his tapes and printed se

Preaching Cross-Culturally

Dave Pederson

One wrongly translated word contributed to the atomic settlement of World War II. In July, 1945, many influential Japanese, including the emperor, were prepared to consider the terms of the Potsdam ultimatum. Before responding, the Japanese cabinet felt that they needed more time, so they anno

From Classroom to Pulpit: Interviews with Fred Craddock & Walter Brueggemann

Michael Duduit

Craddock Few preachers or teachers have influenced the preaching world as much in recent years as Fred Craddock. Now 75 years old, he taught for many years as Bandy Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Emory University in Atlanta. He presented the Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at

Preaching To Women

Alice Matthews

Is It Really True That Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus? In the 1990s, John Gray made at least a small fortune with his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. The book was on best-seller lists for years and was discussed on almost every talk show. It also fed some of the preva

The Voice Of The Mind – The Word Of God

Leslie Holmes

The voice of the mind must never be confused with the word of God! I listened to an erudite TV ora-tor speaking from the prestigious pulpit of a well-known church. He had lots of words but no meaning - great know-how but no know Him. Not once did he mention Jesus, His cross, or the resur

No Other Name

Preaching.com

No Other Name (Lectionary Starters) Third Sunday after Easter, Year B May 11, 2003 Acts 4:5-12 Gary Robinson, Pastor, Conneautville Church of Christ, Conneautville, PA Shakespeare's Juliet asked, "What's in a name?" If God had commanded that His Son be given any other name, it would perhaps sm

The Best Christian Albums of 2003

Christianity Today

Time again for our annual Best Albums in Christian music, with six journalists teaming up to determine our favorite projects since December 1, 2002. Beginning with a list of 70 nominations, we gradually whittle... Continue Reading...

Christmas Wrap-Up 2003

Russ Breimeier

The local mall is already decorating for Christmas, so we can start thinking about it too. Besides, the new Christmas albums have already hit the stores. Here's what's new this year.While there aren't many high... Continue Reading...