Episode 250: Grab Bag!
It turns out the Grab Bag concept was a hit! Y’all liked the first episode with this concept so much, we’re going to make it a regular feature on the program. In the Grab Bag episodes, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson each bring 2 surprise topics or questions for the other to answer.
Episode 247: FTC Mailbag
A new mailbag installment is here! A couple good questions on preaching, whether it’s ever permissible to “sprinke” rather than immerse, what to do with an unqualified elder team, how important is it to know the biblical languages?, moving a church away from a senior pastor model, and more.
Henry the Baptist Came Preaching: Henry and Baptist Political Theology
Was there anything distinctively Baptist about Henry’s political thought? The answer is yes, and it is focused on the first freedom: religious liberty. Carl F. H. Henry was a Baptist. That might seem like an unnecessary remark in a volume devoted to Baptist political theology, but with Henry it is a point worth making. During […]
Jonah’s Audience Unlocks Our Preaching
I don’t remember a lot from Sunday School as a kid, but one picture that remains clear in my mind was coloring the picture of Jonah in the belly of the fish. That picture, which so beautifully engages imaginations young and old, makes the Book of Jonah exciting and difficult to preach. With a familiar […]
50 Thoughts on Preaching
A few things — well fifty things — I think I’ve learned after nearly 30 years of preaching.
Thoughts about Christmas Sermons
Of all opportunities for special occasion sermons, I have found Christmas to be a uniquely powerful cultural opportunity. In our nation there are almost universally recognized sights, sounds, scenes, and foods associated with the time each year when we celebrate Christmas. What a pastoral gift.
Missing God’s Word While Preaching God’s Words
Did you know that the Bible never refers to itself as God’s Word? Before you tear your robes and stone me for heresy, I do believe that “all scripture is God-breathed and profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16). And I do believe that the words we find in our Bibles are indeed God’s words. But God’s words […]
The Divine Supernatural Responsibility of Preaching
The preaching of the Bible is a supernatural event that prepares eternal souls for the Day of Judgement. Sound preaching matters eternally.
4 Keys to Preaching from a Manuscript
I think more preachers should adopt the practice of using a manuscript. If you’re interested in giving it a try, here are some things to keep in mind.
5 Preaching Pet Peeves
As a preacher who also regularly sits under preaching, I’ve experienced some things that I think have helped me develop as a communicator. Maybe they will provide some food for thought for you, as well.