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.

Preaching Points: Poetry

I always have believed in a widespread and eclectic use of poetry in sermons. There are very few rules that should be heeded in deciding which poems should be used. There are a few guidelines, though, and I would like to provide my convictions on the matter. Let me say at the outset that you should use poetry if only for the sake of trying to bridge the gender gap. Women who are forced to endure ESPN all week should not be forced to listen to ESPN from the preacher on Sunday-at least not every Sunday. After all, women are Christians, too, and with a more generous and romantic mystique; so they should get to hear a little sermonic poetry now and then.

Back Page Pulpit: A Service About Nothing

In a recent news report, I learned that atheists are arguing they should have their own military chaplains. The New York Times (April 26, 2011) tells us that among some 3,000 chaplains in the U.S. armed forces, most are Christians, along with a few Jewish and Muslim chaplains and even a Buddhist. There may be a Hindu and a Wiccan on the way.

Preaching the Gospel of Matthew

This is the fourth in Westminster John Knox's excellent series of homiletical commentaries focused on the preaching of the gospels. Written by a New Testament professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, the commentary offers exegetical insights to each major section of the book, followed by ideas and counsel for preaching of that text.

Preaching Like Calvin: Sermons from the 500th Anniversary Celebration

One thing preachers always should welcome is published collections of sermons, and this collection is a particularly distinguished homiletical treasury. Most of the sermons were preached in July 2009 at St. Pierre's Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland, in honor of the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth. St. Pierre's is where Calvin preached more than 2,000 of his own sermons between 1536 and his death in 1564.

Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself

Joe Thorn's new book Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself (Crossway) is not about preaching but about applying the truths of Scripture to your own life. As he explains, "Preaching to ourselves is the personal act of applying the law and the gospel to our own lives with the aim of experiencing the transforming grace of God leading to ongoing faith, repentance and greater godliness."

Helping Johnny Listen

Helping Johnny Listen (Wipf & Stock, 2010) by Thadeus L. Bergmeier is subtitled Taking Full Advantage of the Sermons We Hear. Bergmeier, a pastor, wants to provide a tool to help the average church member better hear, understand and apply the biblical insights he or she receives during church's preaching.

The Recalcitrant Imago Dei

It's not a light-reading summer beach book, but J.P. Moreland's The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism (SCM Press) is a powerful indictment of the naturalistic philosophy that has taken over much of the western academic and culture.

Renovation of the Church

Pastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken believe that "the church in North America is in serious trouble" in their new book Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation (InterVarsity Press).