Pete is a master preacher. He is a person in whom natural ability, cultivated skill, and divine gifting are woven into a beautiful preaching life. I had not seen Pete for a few years when we were assigned the same table at the wedding reception of a mutual friend. Pete wasted no time, asking me […]
Category: Articles
articles relating to the subject of homiletics
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Power for Preaching
I want to write on a topic which initially may appear to be unrelated to preaching, yet for some may have significant implications to their sermons. Here is what I am sensing in a nutshell: I fear we engage too quickly in ‘mission and calling,’ without first having a transformation of heart, developing true substance […]
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Focus Your Sermon in a Word
Since leaving the pastorate in 2005 to become the Program Director of Pastoral Ministries and Church Planting at Kingswood University, I and my family have taken full advantage of the opportunity to visit dozens and dozens of churches in the U.S., Canada and internationally, ranging from mega-churches to the tiniest of congregations, including Wesleyan, Pentecostal, […]
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Wesleyans and Alcohol
There are many uses for the word Wesleyan. Often on this site, we mean Wesleyan in a broad sense: all of those committed to classic Wesleyan theology. At times though, we reference issues specific to The Wesleyan Church which sponsors this site. Wesleyans, in this denominational sense, have long been t-totallers, abstainers, a “dry” church. […]
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Wesleyans and Divorce
This month on Wesleyan Sermons we are highlighting a few thorny issues Wesleyans do not always agree on. While our discipline underlines the most significant aspects of what we believe, there is room for disagreement intentionally left in the discipline. Last week we asked how should Wesleyans preach about war? This week, how should Wesleyans […]
In another year or so I will have been helping preachers sharpen, focus, and stamp their sermons into listeners’ minds for a decade. That’s not very long at all. Yet it is long enough to know some things I offer preachers are more helpful than others. Here’s one that seems more helpful than others when […]
In the Spring of this year Kerry Kind and Lenny Luchetti asked me to consider taking over Wesleyan Sermons as Lenny focused his life on other things. We are very grateful for Lenny’s devoted work in getting this site started and delivering some great sermons and content to our community. I agreed to assume the […]
This is part four of the “Emerging Young Preacher” series. Click here for part one, here for part two, and here for part three. As Emerging Young Preachers (EYPs) we often have a lot of energy and a real eagerness to communicate. People usually connect with our passion, our conversational tone, and our “relevant” talk. […]
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Healthy Preachers S.H.E.D.
The preacher who develops a healthy plan to S.H.E.D. the super-hero, messiah complex that leads to stress and burn-out will endure in ministry. Preachers are, of course, just as human as everyone else and the rigors of the preaching life require healthy patterns of sleep (S), hobbies (H,) exercise (E), and devotions (D). SLEEP The […]
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The Preaching of the Wesleys
There are many ways to evaluate and enhance the ministry of preaching. One that some may overlook is the study of historic preachers, people who have successfully shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in their time. Two people that Wesleyans in particular can look back at are John and Charles Wesley. They were leaders of […]