Great preachers are great story tellers. Jesus is the perfect example (literally). Sermon illustrations are important. They wrap heavenly ideas and in earthly examples. For this reason, I always collect good illustrations when I find them. In fact, a good…
The Christian life is like a marathon. It requires hard work and perseverance. Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we make mistakes. But no matter how difficult the journey, we must get up and keep pressing forward. God calls us to finish the…
Marriage is hard and affairs come easy. Today, an affair is just a mouse click away. But the reality of an affair is always worse than temptation’s promise. True story: He called himself “Prince of Joy.” In an Internet chat…
You step on stage. The lights come up. Everyone is looking at you. Adrenaline starts pumping as your fight or flight response kicks in. You are nervous. You are about to preach a sermon. The problem: the nerves and adrenaline…
The church is not just about you and your preferences. The church is a body. It should be diverse–filled with people from different backgrounds with different personalities and gifts. When all members of the body work together, God is glorified….
I was not prepared for the toll that truly following Jesus would take. And I am not alone. Just read this post I wrote about the difficulty of being a pastor. It struck a nerve! Hundreds of pastors wrote to…
Your attitude changes how you see the world. When you look at something, do you first see the positive or the negative? Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty kind of person? Maybe you need to change your perspective. A boy,…
The work of ministry is never done. There is always more you could do. More people you could meet with. More sermons to write. More emails to answer. More outreach opportunities. More. More. More. Productivity matters for pastors. You will…
How do you preach without notes? I wrote earlier about some of the benefits to preaching without notes. But, as some readers mentioned, the question remains: How does a person actually go about doing this? What are the steps, tips,…