Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
It has been about eight months since I have been a pastor of a church. While I don’t intend to be a pastor again after I retire as a chaplain, I will admit that I enjoy preaching. This is ironic because as a child I was painfully shy and even during my undergraduate studies, public … Read More “I Still Have Opportunities to Preach” »
I am coming close to the end of my pastoral ministry. In less than two weeks, I will no longer be a pastor. I will be a full-time military chaplain. Many pastors who go into chaplaincy plan to return to pastoral ministry when they are done. That is not my intention. I do not know … Read More “The Part of Pastoral Ministry I Want to Continue” »
There are many defenders of expository preaching that would be very critical of topical sermons. Some would say that it is never appropriate to preach topically. I can understand the concern because there is a danger. The worry is that the pastor just preaches their opinion and then appends a few Bible passages to add … Read More “Is It Wrong to Preach Topical Sermons?” »
How can pastors include apologetics into their pastoral ministry. One way is to preach apologetics-themed sermons. I try to put this into practice. I recently preached a sermon at my church based on Jude 3 called “Being a Contentious Christian.” You can watch it below. This is the first video on my new YouTube channel. … Read More “Apologetics Sermon: Jude 3” »
Preachers sometimes joke that sermons are “three points and a poem.” That is an exaggeration but we can easily get into a rut. I will confess that I prefer a teaching model, where I exegete the text and present and an application that arises from the text. Expository sermons should be the cornerstone of our … Read More “Experimenting With Preaching” »
I know that there are some preachers that are very against topical sermons. It is expository or nothing. While I’m sympathetic to this, I don’t fully agree. I think there are times when a topical sermon is needed. Your community might be struggling with mental illness. Perhaps a cult or heretical group has become active … Read More “How to Preach Topical Sermons” »
While pastoring is more than preaching, developing my preaching skills is high on my priorities. There is one thing I do that I find is very helpful in this area. I always write out a full manuscript for my Sunday morning sermons. I don’t bring them with me when I preach, but I still write … Read More “A Helpful Exercise For My Preaching” »
I love my church, especially in its diversity. We are have a variety of ethnic groups, ages and people with disabilities. It is something to celebrate but it is also a challenge, especially for preaching. What segment do you aim for? Do you preach toward one group or another. I attempt to cast a wide … Read More “Preaching to a Diverse Audience” »
I am so happy with my new routine for writing sermons. I wish I started doing this twenty years ago. The funny thing is I began this out of necessity. My wife has started at seminary and I drive her to and stay at the school on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are not my day off and … Read More “I Wish I Wrote My Sermons Like This Before” »
While I consider myself an apologist, my primary role is that of a pastor of a local church. But I don’t find these roles to be contradictory. I try to include apologetics in my pastoral ministry. There are many ways to do this but one way is through preaching. Often in the summer I offer … Read More “Apologetics and Preaching” »
When it comes to pastoring, some of the most popular resources are in the area of leadership and other practical ministry tools. But I would suggest that pastors, especially those just beginning their ministry, work toward building their commentary library. Preaching and leading Bible studies are key activities for pastors. While some pastors feel comfortable … Read More “Important Tools for Pastors” »
My wife is starting to take New Testament Greek at McMaster Divinity College, the seminary where I studied. But why do people who study for Christian ministry even need to study the original languages, such as Greek and Hebrew? This morning I actually used my Greek New Testament as part of my sermon preparation. I … Read More “Why I Still Use Greek and Hebrew as a Pastor” »
In smaller churches, pastors are equated with preachers. But even in larger churches, many pastors have preaching as one of their responsibilities, although perhaps not every week. After preaching for a number of years, it is is easy to get complacent when it comes to sermon preparation and delivery. It would be a good idea … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Invest in Your Preaching” »
I remember a time when no one used PowerPoint for sermons. In fact, I can remember when I first saw (and not just heard) a pastor preach using PowerPoint. I thought it was pretty amazing and couldn’t wait to try it myself. In those early days, it was quite the process to put together a … Read More “Questions to Ask When Using PowerPoint for Sermons” »
As a pastor of a local church who preaches weekly, I’m always looking to improve my craft. This includes reading books on preaching. But how many ways can someone tell you to find the meaning in a text and communicate it in a relevant and engaging manner? I often fear that I’m just going to … Read More “Preaching With Cultural Intelligence – Review” »
One of my favourite activities as a pastor is the writing and preaching of sermons. I love finding the intersection between biblical truth and the real needs of my congregation. But what should a sermon look like? How many points should there be? My homiletics professor in seminary suggested that every sermon should have at … Read More “Four Ways That I Structure Sermons” »
One of the things that I have noticed about contemporary Christian ministry is there is disagreement over the purpose and aim of Sunday worship services. The two options for the focus are: Christians who are part of that Christian community. Non-Christians who will hopefully visit the church, either as an invited guest or their own … Read More “Who Should Sunday Worship Services Be Aimed At?” »
Between my time as the pastor of Woodford Baptist Church/First Baptist Church Meaford and my current church of Queen Street Baptist Church, I had an opportunity to wrestle with my calling. During that time, I was teaching an almost full load of courses, between Emmanuel Bible College and Tyndale University College. I thought about my … Read More “On Being a Pastor and Teacher” »
I believe that good biblical content is the key to any sermon. However, if that content is not delivered effectively, the congregation will struggle to learn from the good teaching. There has been one thing that has improved my sermon delivery more than anything else. The good news is that it is very simple. The … Read More “The One Thing That Has Improved My Sermon Delivery More Than Anything Else” »
I don’t think that there is any one answer to how long a sermon series should be. At the same time, there are some good decisions we can make to help our messages be most effective. Part of our consideration should be how the content informs the length of the series. For example, I love … Read More “How Long Should a Sermon Series Be?” »
I recently listened to an episode of the Pastor Talk podcast on teaching teams. Teaching teams are when the preaching in a local church is shared between two or more pastors. This episode had some great insight and asked some important questions. Listening to this episode made me recall my first full-time pastoral position. I … Read More “Teaching Teams in a Local Church” »
I sometimes get asked about how long it takes me to prepare for a sermon. The usual writing of it while sitting at the computer takes between an hour and an hour and a half. But the sermon preparation takes much longer. But how long? I can’t tell you. It’s not because it is a … Read More “Why I Can’t Tell You How Long Sermon Prep Takes” »
Is there a difference between preaching and teaching? There certainly is overlap. There are some larger churches that have a position called teaching pastor. What is meant by that is that this pastor is released from other duties and can focus on the preparing and preaching of sermons. In this way, teaching and preaching are … Read More “What’s the Difference Between Teaching and Preaching?” »
For many years I preached from a manuscript. There was no way that I was going up to a pulpit with a full manuscript. I actually introduced a welcoming time (passing of the peace) at First Baptist Church Meaford because I realized part way during the service that my manuscript was still on my desk! … Read More “Why I Don’t Preach From a Manuscript” »
When I began my studies at seminary, I had no desires to be a preacher. However, over the years preaching has become one of my favourite aspects of being a pastor. Every pastor has a different way to prepare a sermon. I’m not suggesting that my way is the only or even the best way but … Read More “7 Steps in My Sermon Preparation” »
I truly believe that the pastor needs to take the lead on helping a church to become disability-friendly. This can happen in many ways, but one is to preach on disabilities. There are a number of passages that deal with disabilities that would make for a good sermon. Here are some suggestions: Now Jonathan, Saul’s … Read More “Preaching on Disabilities” »
I have recently participated in two different training events on preaching. While both events were very different, there was one concept that came up in each of them. It had to do with sermon preparation. At both events, speakers talked about shifting their sermon preparation so that they are always preparing for the sermon that … Read More “A Major Shift in My Sermon Preparation” »
When I met with one of the faculty as I began my studies at McMaster Divinity College twenty years ago, I made it clear that I wanted to be a pastor but I didn’t want to preach. Ironically, writing and preaching sermons are now one my favourite activities as a pastor. Much of the work … Read More “5 Things I Do For Sermon Preparation” »
I was asked today on Facebook about the difference between a speech and a sermon. I thought that was a good question and so I have decided to look more closely at it. What is a speech? According to one online dictionary, a speech (at least in the relevant context) is: A formal address or … Read More “What is the Difference Between a Speech and a Sermon?” »
One of the biggest challenges for pastors is preparing one sermon for a congregation that is extremely diverse in their knowledge and experience. It is impossible to design a message that will touch everyone where they are at. But it is important to have sense of where people are at, so that over the span … Read More “4 Things That Pastors Need to Remember About Their Congregation” »
I remember the feelings that I experienced as I began my pastoral ministry, especially around the role of preaching. I knew that I had to work hard at writing the message and presenting it in a clear way. At the same time, I was very aware that I needed to trust in God through the whole … Read More “Pastors Should Take a Compliment” »
Now that I am back in pastoral ministry, I am doing some more reading in the area of preaching. One of the books that came my way was A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Ministry by Abraham Kuruvilla. Kuruvilla organizes this book around his definition of preaching, which is: Biblical preaching, by … Read More “A Vision for Preaching” »
For a long time I would always bring a full manuscript with me to the pulpit. I would make notes in the margins, underline certain words or sentences and perhaps highlight main points. I was never happy with it. My wife strongly encouraged me to not use a manuscript but I knew my memory was … Read More “What I Use for Sermon Notes” »
I have attended and visited churches that have different philosophies of preaching. Some churches seem to be purely topical. Each week is a topic such as mental health, finances, prayer and so forth. These can be quite popular. Other churches are extremely expository. The preacher will pick a book and go through it verse by … Read More “Expository or Topical Preaching?” »
This year began with me being semi-employed, having been laid off from Faith Today at the end of October. This year was a year in which we really needed to rely on God and God really came through. Here is a short summary of what 2015 looked like from a ministry context: I taught four … Read More “2015: Year in Review” »
I have been preaching sermons for almost twenty years. Hopefully my skills have developed during that time. I know that I have learned a lot, both through the good responses and the less than good responses. How do I write a sermon? It is slightly different if I am writing a sermon for a church … Read More “How I Write a Sermon” »
What do you do when your pastor preaches? Do you zone out? Do you play with your phone (text, Facebook, etc.)? Do your try and listen? Listening to a sermon does not have to be a completely passive experience. Here are five things that you could be doing. 1. Take notes. One of the most … Read More “5 Things You Can Do While Your Pastor is Preaching” »
Ideally a preacher will have had time to formally study preaching/homiletics in a Bible college or seminary before presenting their first sermon. That should include practice with feedback from the teacher and/or class. Mentoring by an experienced pastor is also very helpful. Having said that, I know that the ideal is not always the reality. … Read More “How to Write a Sermon” »
I often hear people complaining that they do not feel fed at church. By this they usually mean they do not like the pastor’s sermons. I will admit that I have been there before. So what should you do if you feel this way? Here are five suggestions. 1. Get over it There is no biblical … Read More “5 Things to Do If You Do Not “Feel Fed” at Church” »
This is my sermon from this morning at Queensway Baptist Church. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 Introduction Change is not something that comes easily. I have sometimes joked that I don’t mind change as long as it is the same kind of change that I have always had. I enjoy the familiar. The familiar is comfortable. This … Read More “What are You Made Of?” »
It is important for pastors to prepare their congregations for apologetic encounters. It may be difficult to get people to an apologetics small group or Sunday school class, but a pastor can still make an impact through sermons. Here are five ways to preach apologetically. 1. Preach from 1 Peter 3:15. There is enough material … Read More “5 Ways to Preach Apologetically” »
When people leave a church, the most common reason is, “I just wasn’t being fed.” So they go to some other church where they are fed, until they find another church that will feed them more. It happens all the time. With this in mind, I would like to share some biblical perspective. I have … Read More “Pastors, Congregations and Expectations” »
So you are a pastor who has caught a vision for apologetics. But how do you do that? Will people be overwhelmed? How do you bring up apologetics in a non-academic setting? Here are five suggestions to get things going in your congregation. 1. Don’t mention apologetics. The word ‘apologetics’ scares a lot of people. … Read More “5 Ways That Pastors Can Introduce Apologetics Into Their Ministry” »
Pulpit ministry is both a tremendous privilege and responsibility. For many people in the congregation, it is their only interaction with the Bible. A pastor cannot take this lightly. It is not enough to just throw something together and fill up a chunk of time during a Sunday service. Here are four things that a … Read More “4 Things for a Preacher to Remember” »
This is not an attack on Pentecostals. Rather it is so easy to preach in a way that people do not understand. The two extremes are that preachers give sermons heavy with theological terms or are so seeker-sensitive that their message is little more than a motivational talk. Trevin Wax offers a nice balance in … Read More “Too Many Preachers Are Speaking in Tongues” »
Introduction Some surprises are good and some are bad. I remember some bad ones. I remember biting into what I thought was a chocolate donut and finding out it was a pumpernickel bagel or what I thought was a nice sweet grape and finding out it was a black olive. On the other hand, I … Read More “Six Surprises of Easter” »
I am currently teaching a course on 1 Corinthians at Tyndale University College. One of the texts we are using is Leon Morris’ 1 Corinthians from the Tyndale series. I liked the comment that Morris makes on preaching: “Preaching the gospel is not delivering edifying discourses, beautifully put together. It is bearing witness to what … Read More “Leon Morris on Preaching” »
I have been enjoying Andy Stanley’s leadership podcast. It is a great resource that I would highly recommend. One of the podcasts that I particularly enjoyed was on effective communication. This would include preaching as well as other forms of communication. Andy offers five questions that should always be asked when you are trying to … Read More “5 Questions for Effective Communication” »
I am currently going through Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor. I will give a more detailed response later but I will share a quote from the book that I thought was quite good. It is a palpable error of some ministers, who make such a disproportion between their preaching and their living; who study hard … Read More “Study That Matters” »
