"The Earth Shall Yield its Increase": The Cost of Severing Work from Worship (A Guest Post)
Scripture offers us a vision of human life grounded in three deeply intertwined covenantal relationships: God, humanity, and the earth. But these three vital relationships have been broken by sin, leading to a distorted theology of worship, work, and rest.
Free Easter Retreat for Preachers: "While It Was Still Dark"
Download your free Easter retreat to refresh and prepare your spirit.
Easter Quotes for Preaching & Inspiration (2024)
Download your free collection of Easter quotes for preaching inspiration and personal devotion.
The Case for Preaching the Passion on Palm Sunday & Good Friday
Some preachers feel it is not necessary to preach on Palm Sunday or Good Friday. The Passion speaks for itself, the thinking goes. The story is so rich, so full of awe, so packed with meaning—there is simply nothing we could say to add to its profundity.
I appreciate the humility in that perspective, because it can feel that anything we add to the story is anti-climactic at best. However, I encourage preachers to offer a homily on Palm Sunday and Good Friday for three important reasons.
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.
Beyond Candles & Icons: 5 Items to Inspire Your Sermon Prep
These items help us to be more mindful of the Spirit’s presence, remind us that our preaching really does make a difference, widen our creative pipelines, speed our sermon prep, and add considerably to the fun and joy of our vocation.
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.