Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
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” »
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” »
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 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” »
