articles relating to the subject of homiletics
This is Part 3 in the “Emerging Young Preacher” series. Click here (LINK) for Part 1 and here (LINK) for Part 2. Emerging Young Preachers (EYPs) have unique needs and advantages in the feedback process. The early years of preaching development include a lot of adjustment and we change our approach to preparation and delivery, […]
When I preach in a context that is unfamiliar, I always ask two questions that reveal much about the people to whom I will preach. I inquire, what is the appropriate sermon dress and length? How long I preach and what I wear are factors that, despite their less than spiritual significance, can help or […]
This is Part 2 in the “Emerging Young Preacher” series. Click here (link) for Part 1. Emerging Young Preachers (EYPs) have unique opportunities in their development. We haven’t gained decades of experience to preach from, and sometimes we make big mistakes in preaching. We also haven’t fully figured out our identities yet, and so […]
The responsibility to faithfully and effectively share God’s Word is a daunting task. On any given Sunday, in addition to being mindful of peoples’ eternal destiny, the survival of a marriage, the possibility of suicide, choices about employment, how someone will deal with bitterness, unforgiveness, financial ruin or an unwanted pregnancy, all may hang in […]
During my last 8 years as Senior Pastor at Kentwood Community Church (KCC) we utilized a Teaching Team for communicating in our midweek and weekend worship services. Many people have asked me about why we went to this approach and how we worked as a team. The approach has been used in churches served by […]
News flash for all preachers: “Constantine’s dead, get over it!” In his book, The Reality of the Gospel and the Unreality of the Churches, John Douglas Hall states that, “Today’s preachers have been formed by ‘the Constantinian assumption’ that the kingdom of God and the outward and visible church are identical.” Hall wrote this 1975! […]
A few years ago, when I was serving as the Lead Pastor of a local church, I experienced a strange compulsion. This compulsion surfaced just after the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Along with many admirers of King, I have a deep appreciation for the power and profundity of his Dream Speech. […]
An Emerging Young Preacher (EYP) faces unique challenges and opportunities in their development. In particular they face some identity temptations unique to the early years of preaching development. Few things mess with your identity like preaching. A ministerial student who had never preached once asked me what it felt like to deliver a sermon. I […]
For the last 20 years of my ministry as Senior Pastor at Kentwood Community Church (KCC) I sought to develop an annual sermon schedule. For a dozen or more of those years I would do this work individually, usually in a series of summer getaways (a couple of days at a time). For the last […]
Here is a list of the books that have most significantly enhanced, changed, corrected, and confirmed my preaching convictions and habits. They are listed in no particular order. Some are mentioned because of how they shifted homiletic thought in some ground-breaking ways. Others are listed because they are helpful for the nuts and bolts of […]