articles relating to the subject of homiletics
Some preachers are naturally funny while others are not. Every preacher, however, has the capacity to add a bit more humor to their preaching. Part of the battle is knowing when and how to use humor, as well as when and how not to use it. Humor is, like most elements of preaching, contextually based. […]
A lay leader in our church sent me the following note. Kerry, Pastor talked about spending 20 hours a week on sermon prep, and it seemed that you and others thought this number to be in line with expectations. If that is the case, when do pastors have time to manage staff, build relationships, attend […]
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC, wrote a ground-breaking work on communication theory called Rhetoric. In this book, he notes that it’s not just the logos, (content) of the speech but the ethos (character) and pathos (empathy) of the speaker that determines the level of audience receptivity to the speech. Aristotle highlights […]
Many preachers have discovered the benefits of a sermon planning retreat. I have too! Some preachers may not be convinced of the necessity of such a retreat or, assuming they’re willing, others may not know where to start in planning for the retreat. In order to convince the unconvinced and assist the willing, we will […]
As a teacher of preaching for nearly a decade, I have observed that one question inevitably surfaces in every class: Do you think it is okay to preach another preacher’s sermon? I cringe a bit, even though I have come to expect the question. The reasons for my cringing are several. For starters, I know […]
All of us have our particular preaching preferences; so do the people who listen to our sermons. On any given Sunday, we preach to a diversity of people including seasoned saints, new believers, and spiritual seekers. Seasoned saints have followed Christ for more than a few years with a deep level of commitment. New believers […]