Craft

The Freedom that Comes from Preaching Growth

The Freedom that Comes from Preaching Growth

Improving our sermon craft results in more compelling preaching, which of course benefits our listeners who hear Good News and experience freedom from the sin, shame, legalism, or pain of living in this imperfect world with imperfect humans and their imperfect selves. But growth in our preaching craft provides freedom for us, too. We feel confident in our ability to execute the preaching vision deposited by the Spirit. And we experience freedom to play, create, experiment, and ultimately excel at preaching—for the sake of the gospel.

How to Hone your Powers of Observation for More Engaging Sermons

How to Hone your Powers of Observation for More Engaging Sermons

By practicing our powers of observation, connecting behaviors to emotions, exploring short bursts of creative writing, and creating files for future reference, we’ll be able to apply details that tell a story of Good News our listeners will not only hear—but experience.

How to enrich your understanding of biblical characters for more compelling sermons

How to enrich your understanding of biblical characters for more compelling sermons

In the same way that seeing Batman with an ice cream cone colors your perspective of him, so too can a few well-placed details in your sermon open up the humanity—the common fears, hopes, regrets, quirks, and dreams—of the biblical characters so your listeners connect to the Good News more deeply.

The Preacher's Trust: A Practice for Becoming a Better Preacher

The Preacher's Trust: A Practice for Becoming a Better Preacher

To become a better golfer, there are clear skills one can practice to improve. But what if you want to become a better preacher? The Preacher’s Trust offers ten areas to which preachers can dedicate consistent effort in order to see growth in their life, spirituality, and craft.

What the comical can do for your preaching (a guest post)

What the comical can do for your preaching (a guest post)

The humorous signifies discourse that aims to make us laugh. Period. The humorous links with the human body and its many foibles. By the comical, I refer to a use of humor that seeks something more than laughter; it aims a metanoia. Such, I believe, is what makes the comical worthy of the serious calling to which we have been called.

Four MISSED opportunities to take your sermon from good to great

Four MISSED opportunities to take your sermon from good to great

This is the third of three posts in our blog series about getting unstuck during sermon prep. Today focuses on the opportunities we miss to take our sermons from good to great so that the message we so carefully discerned can truly land in the hearts of our listeners where the Spirit can do her best work.

Preaching Change? Remind us who we are.

Preaching Change? Remind us who we are.

Perhaps there is no greater reason we fear changing our minds than this one: it causes us to question our character, the very definition we have of our “selves.” When we suggest during a sermon that change is needed, the listener hears that that they are not as good as they see themselves. Whether we intend it or not, they hear that we as the preacher—and by extension, God—see their character as lacking. How do we preach change without suggesting a character assassination?

The nuts and bolts of holy creativity: Two sources inspiring my creative life right now (a guest post)

The nuts and bolts of holy creativity: Two sources inspiring my creative life right now (a guest post)

“I love reading to and listening to other creatives talk about their craft and process. Their perspectives not only provide practical tools and advice for my own work, they help me feel less alone in this strange space of creation. They help me believe the invisible work I do matters. These two gems offer insight on revision, inspiration, and getting to a finished sermon/story/script/etc. that is greater than the sum of its original concepts and drafts.”

Acts 2 Versus The Tower of Babel: The Key to Crafting a Sermon Your Listeners Understand

Acts 2 Versus The Tower of Babel: The Key to Crafting a Sermon Your Listeners Understand

Just as the backstory of preachers’ lives profoundly influences the way we interpret Scripture, discern a message, and deliver our sermons, the backstories of each listener and the congregation as a whole are influential in what they hear. One skill can help us connect our sermon message to our listeners’ context and existing knowledge so they can receive the sermon the Spirit intends for them.

The Invaluable Role of Writing [Your Sermon] (A Guest Post)

The Invaluable Role of Writing [Your Sermon] (A Guest Post)

By wrestling through your draft to the point of absolute clarity, you'll build trust with your listener. Because they'll be able to see for themselves—rather than take your word for it—how you reached the conclusion you preach. And this trust will enable them to BELIEVE the Good News you've offered because you've shown, beyond question, how that Good News appeared in the text, what it means, and how its implications matter to their lives now.