Some Preaching Slooge

Read an interview of Mark Dever and C.J. Mahaney on sermon preparation and delivery.

Read John Piper's exhortation to preach what is true and precious.

Read about Paige Patterson's challenging chapel message (10/21/2008) at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, or listen to it.

Listen to John MacArthur's Q&A on "Keeping Preaching Fresh" at the Straight Up Conference.


Plus, watch Bryan Chapell on expository preaching.

Called to Preach? How do you know?

2 quick hits on being called to preach ...

“There are some preachers who so loudly declare their love of preaching that it is unclear whether it is their own performance and their love of power that has captured them or their desire to minister to the men and women who listen to them.”
-D. A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, 82

Preaching: You can't count the wins and losses...

A good friend of mine, Heath Cross, and student at RTS in Jackson has an excellent post entitled, Preaching: You can't count the wins and losses. It's a great reminder that as preachers, we have to walk and preach by faith, since so much of what we do has fruit born out in the realm of the unseen.

Here is just a bit of what Heath wrote:

Preaching is not like coaching a football team. A football coach gives his message to his players. He implements his philosophy. He installs his game plans. The player practice in order to develop their skills and flourish in the coaches system. And then comes game day. This is when the coach gets to measure the progress his team is making. You just can't do this in practice. Practice can be deceptive. It has to come on game day. The skill and improvements of his players are measured in statistics and in wins. That's the bottom line.

Preaching is not like this for one primary reason - the preacher can't count the wins and losses.

I cannot judge by the response of a congregation on Sunday morning whether or not I am a success. The true determination of the preachers success comes in places where the preacher simply cannot be - at dinner tables, in living rooms, in cars, etc.

Read the rest of the article here.

Piper on Bad Preaching

This was the preaching that I sat under when I first became a believer...



BTW, I hope this isn't already posted here...

Alistair Begg on (Expository) Preaching

In the Introduction to Expository Preaching Class at SWBTS I require his little text Preaching for God's Glory. A few quotes:

• we gather together as the church not to enjoy preaching eloquence (or to criticize its lack) but to hear and heed the Word of God. (p. 13)
• The Scriptures are neglected and debased and are used only as a springboard for all kinds of “talks” that are far removed from biblical exposition. (p. 18)
• There is a contemporary distrust of anything or anyone who is assured or authoritative. (p. 19)
• Expository preaching means unfolding the text of Scripture in a way that makes contact with the listeners' world while exalting Christ and confronting them with the need for action" (p. 23)
  
• It is sheer slackness to fling at people great slabs of religious phraseology derived from a bygone age without helping them retranslate the message into their own experience. That is the preacher's task, not theirs. (p. 29)
• [Expository preaching] establishes the focus of the people upon God and his glory before any consideration of man and his need. (p 33)
• There is no chance of a fire in the pews if there is an iceberg in the pulpit; and without personal prayer and communion with God during the preparation stages, the pulpit will be cold. (p. 43)

My favorite part is where Begg offers 10 caricatures that today masquerade for true godly preaching: The cheerleader, the conjurer, the story teller, the systematizer, the psychologist, the naked preacher, the politician, the end-times guru, and the hobby-horse rider.

And now, a chance to listen to the man himself ...




"It is no small matter to stand up in the face of the congregation, and to deliver a message of salvation or damnation, as from the living God, in the name of the redeemer."
-Richard Baxter, Reformed Pastor

Great FREE Resources for Preachers

One of the books that wasn't required in preaching class at DTS, but that I heartily recommend is Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching.

If you've read it and would like a refresher or would like the content in another format, you can access the preaching course taught by Dr. Chapell (who is also the president of Covenant Theological Seminary) and Dr. Zack Eswine (a great guy whom I met at an EHS meeting a few years back).

You have access to mp3s, transcript, notes, and study guide for each lecture.