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.

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

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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.

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(Free) Epiphany Quotes on Faith for Preaching and Reflection

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(Free) Epiphany Quotes on Faith for Preaching and Reflection

The Season of Epiphany is the eight-week journey of coming to put our faith in the belief that God not only exists but is embodied in Jesus of Nazareth. For this reason, this set of quotations for Epiphany focuses on faith. I hope you find them helpful in your preaching and personal reflections.

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Christmas Gift List for Preachers (2023)

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Christmas Gift List for Preachers (2023)

Each year I create a gift list for preachers with suggestions that are hint-worthy to drop with Santa, loved ones, or parishioners. This year’s suggestions are sure to delight and inspire you in 2024, and most will even help save the environment beyond that.

I suggest them because they put a smile on my face, and if you are lucky enough to receive any of these, I hope they will bring a smile to yours, too. Enjoy!

Advent Quote Collection: Inspiration for the Season

Advent Quote Collection: Inspiration for the Season

Organized under the themes of encountering, noticing, preparing, waiting, and magnifying, this collection can be used in your Advent sermons, liturgical prayers, or personal or household devotions for the season. They help us remember the only thing that matters: Christ and Christ alone.

Preaching through Advent? Prepare Now with a Stop-Doing List for More Rest, Connection, and Joy

Preaching through Advent? Prepare Now with a Stop-Doing List for More Rest, Connection, and Joy

Whether you feel happy, sad, angry, or a mix of those this season, one thing is almost certain: your to-do list abounds. To make your Advent season and Christmastide more joyful, here are ten “Stop Doing” suggestions you can begin to implement now.

Apply as needed.

Advent (&dvent) Devotional (A Guest Post)

Advent (&dvent) Devotional (A Guest Post)

Like all deliciously wonderful things in life, Advent takes time to simmer and to develop flavor, texture, and richness. We have created a multi-media devotional based on the assigned texts from the Revised Common Lectionary, Yr B. Inside you’ll find corresponding word clouds, photographs, and resources, as well as questions for reflection. May this devotion offer you a sense of ease and comfort, a place for the Spirit to simmer inside you and inspire you to pull up a chair alongside nature—to see and hear her Advent beauty.  

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