NOTE: J. M. Pendleton was a leading 19th century Baptist preacher, pastor, educator, and theologian. See Thomas White. Selected Writings of James Madison Pendleton, 3 vols. (Paris, AR: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 2006). Here is one of his letters, rich with i... Read More »

Eighteen years ago, I wrote about the negative impact a low view of biblical authority, rejection of propositional communication, and the focus on creating an experience, had on preaching. (David L. Allen, “A Tale of Two Roads: Homiletics and Biblical Autho... Read More »

You have doubtlessly heard the oft-repeated quote, “It’s a sin to be boring.” For the preacher, that simple statement should be more than a quote—it should be a mantra. No one who listens to a pastor preach on a regular basis has ever been quoted as sa... Read More »

When He gave His Great Commission in Matthew, Jesus used Himself as the bookends for His assignment to His church: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all... Read More »

In his 1957 crusade in Madison Square Garden in New York City, Billy Graham urged those in attendance to devote themselves to reading Scripture. The reason, according to Graham, was simple: “The purpose of the Bible is to testify of Jesus Christ. The Bible, ... Read More »

“It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.”[1]Frank Luntz, Words That Work (New York: Hyperion, 2007). This, the subtitle of the book Words That Work by renowned political consultant Frank Luntz, reminds us as we proclaim the gospel we must do so w... Read More »

One of the greatest aspects of the Bible is the forward nature of the plan of God. From the first words we find in Genesis to the last amen in Revelation, we see a plan that is constantly moving forward. The Old Testament weaves throughout its pages the messag... Read More »

If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, then you know there are some times that we just get it wrong. We exegete a text wrongly, use a joke that is not helpful or even distracts, or we jump on a “soap-box” and go in a direction that has nothin... Read More »

Gospel Preaching is the Proclamation of the Good News. The Good News, as understood in the Word of God, is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of man and rose from the dead on the third day! The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the Gospe... Read More »

Many believe that preaching and public speaking are virtually the same enterprise. But anyone who makes such an assertion only demonstrates that he has understood very little about preaching. One of the words for preaching in the Greek text is kerussō. That c... Read More »

Creating a Purpose Statement for Your Message A seminarian was invited to preach at a small church one Sunday. All week long, he labored over his sermon, studying the text, constructing an outline, and developing his material. Finally, Sunday morning rolled ar... Read More »

You wake up in a cold sweat, overjoyed that your latest version of “preacher’s nightmare” was not reality. You know the terrible dream: it is time to preach, and you are either not prepared, or you cannot physically arrive at the pulpit. The ... Read More »