The Key to an Inspired Palm Sunday Sermon (or Any Sermon)
Curiosity is a powerful driver in sermon prep. When we pay attention to our curiosity, brainstorm all the questions we have about a text, and then narrow our focus to our top three interests—we’ll save time in prep, discover information that sparks our wonder, and find delight in what the Spirit prompts and unearths for us. Read on for step-by-step instructions on applying this strategy to your Palm Sunday sermon and any sermon.
5 Biggest Blocks to Effective, Creative Sermon Prep
How we set ourselves up for sermon prep makes all the difference in our experience of preaching. Consider these five common mistakes preachers make that block effective, efficient sermon prep. When we overcome these obstacles, our creativity expands, and we craft sermons we believe in and are excited to offer. Are any of these blocks keeping you from a vibrant preaching life right now?
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.
Lenten Quotes for Preaching & Reflection (2024)
Today's free download of quotes feels especially timely and needed. The authors remind me of the most important aspect of Lent: that we, like Christ, are to die to self for the sake of others, out of love. I pray these quote offer you similar comfort, wisdom, and guidance this Lent and throughout 2024.
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
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
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.
Free, At-Home Christmas Retreat, 2023
This retreat will not completely fill your tank, assuage your exhaustion, or provide a clear path of hope for the future. But it will, I pray, provide a theological and spiritual framework for what you have endured, witnessed, and felt this past year.
(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.
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!