Process

9 Ways to Ensure Your Last Sermon of the Weekend is as Strong as Your First

9 Ways to Ensure Your Last Sermon of the Weekend is as Strong as Your First

When you preach the same sermon across multiple services, there can be a drop in energy, enthusiasm, or presence as the morning wears on. How do you maintain focus and attention so that each event receives the fullness of your abilities?

The Key to Deeper Insight & Broader Perspective (+ 3 Recommendations)

The Key to Deeper Insight & Broader Perspective (+ 3 Recommendations)

Collaboration invites us beyond our own limited understanding to gain new insights and consider other perspectives. It refines our ideas and helps us solve problems that seem insurmountable alone. Not only is the burden of sermon prep lightened, our authentic connection to our listeners is expanded. We are simply better when we are working together.

"The Preacher's Panel of Shame" (and What I Learned from Sitting on It!)

"The Preacher's Panel of Shame" (and What I Learned from Sitting on It!)

I haven't laughed so hard in ages as I disclosed my own worst foibles and heard from my colleagues about theirs! Rather than reveal our "worst" sermon (which for all of us had been blessedly erased from our memories; God is merciful!) we on the panel revealed three of our biggest mistakes and what we learned from them. Here are my "Top Three."

Want to Write a Good Sermon? Listen First, Write Later

Want to Write a Good Sermon? Listen First, Write Later

How can you really know what your listeners need from a sermon? It may be as simple as asking. John McClure, the Charles G. Finney Professor of Preaching and Worship at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, suggests collaborative preaching for sermons that meet listeners in their questions and need. Check out four ways to tap into the power of collaborative preaching for your own sermons.

The Often Overlooked Source for Sermon Inspiration (Or What Hiking in Indiana Taught Me About God's Glory)

The Often Overlooked Source for Sermon Inspiration (Or What Hiking in Indiana Taught Me About God's Glory)

God's glory is revealed in the small as well as the big: in the sparrow and the heavens, the mustard seed and the mountains, the little children and the disciples. And our preaching grows stronger when we learn to attune ourselves to the way God appears in the smallest details of the Bible's stories and text. 

Four Ways a Preaching Community Improves Your Sermons

Four Ways a Preaching Community Improves Your Sermons

One of the most effective ways for preachers to grow and improve is to participate in a collaborative community. Discover how one church builds collaboration and feedback into their staff's weekly rhythm, and see what this kind of support can do for you.

The Transfiguration Again? 10 Ways to See an Old Story with Fresh Eyes

The Transfiguration Again? 10 Ways to See an Old Story with Fresh Eyes

When you've preached the same story several times, finding fresh inspiration is a challenge. Sometimes, a simple shift in perspective—and process—reveals a trove of new ideas.