Tongues of Fire How The Holy Spirit Transformed the Preaching of Great Evangelists
Our testimonies are connected, faith spreading as does fire.
Preacher, You’re Fired! Surviving Forced Termination
Being invited to leave a position and role you enjoy, love and that probably has become your means of self-identification can be a devastating blow, unless you approach it with a certain attitude.
Sample Sermon Outline: Healing the Hurts of Life
Death. Divorce. Disease. Disasters. They are all alike. They cause loss; loss produces grief; grief can lead the best of us to question God, raising our faces and fists toward heaven and asking, "Why?"
Preaching to Heal Conflicted Congregations
Perhaps the best question regarding conflict was offered by that outstanding theologian from Los Angeles, Rodney King, who asked, "Can't we all just get along?" Pastors and congregations across the country might respond, "Amen!" Interestingly, the very people who decry conflict seem unable to break free from it. The people who identify themselves as followers of the Prince of Peace lack peace. Believers who claim the fruit of the Holy Spirit have trouble experiencing or expressing love, joy and peace.
The Curious Case of the Illusive Illustration
Modern preachers use a plethora of electronic gadgets to keep up with e-mails, text messages, Internet resources and daily appointments. Yet they fail to employ the most basic tools to store and retrieve vital illustrations.
Whose Plan Is It Anyway?
July 19, 2009
?Proper 11
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Have you ever conceived a plan that you thought was perfect, only to find out that no one wanted to do it? Were you crushed? Did you become discouraged or depressed? What went wrong? What do you do now?
Count Your Many Blessings
July 12, 2009
?Proper 10
Ephesians 1:3-14
What do you do when problems keep you awake at night? Toss and turn? Take a pill? From that grand old hymn by Johnson Oatman to the ballad popularized by Bing Crosby, the best advice I've found is to count your many blessings, naming them one by one. Paul did exactly that when he wrote to the church at Ephesus. Consider with him all the ways God has blessed believers.
Wonder-Working Power
July 5, 2009
?Proper 9
Mark 6:1-13
Preaching before my home church was intimidating. I saw the faces of Sunday School teachers whose classes I had disrupted, friends who knew me in high school and family members who had wiped my nose and other body parts as a child. While they encouraged their preacher boy, the message seemed to lack the power experienced in other venues.
Preaching in High Definition
How can we achieve a higher degree of resolution in our preaching, not to compete with the HD television but to communicate the unsearchable riches of Christ?