The structure of the text should be the structure of the sermon. This axiom is easy enough to follow when preaching a New Testament Epistle where you can follow the clear paragraph structure of the text, using rhetorical clues to divide the text such as verbs ... Read More »

Have you ever sat next to someone in church who has a terrible singing voice and just doesn’t care? They just sing it like they really mean it. I envy this person. Without the slightest bit of self-awareness, they simply rear back and let the song fly. They ... Read More »

Isn’t she someone else’s wife? David ignores the question of his servant and sleeps with her anyway. She’s pregnant. David ignores the opportunity to come clean and orders her husband to be killed. The stealth of deception is absolutely shocking. Cold, s... Read More »

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to that prophet... Read More »

Recapturing the Voice of God by Steven W. Smith To observe what is counted as preaching in the modern day is one of the strangest journeys imaginable. In this thought-provoking volume, Steven Smith makes a claim in the title that, though stunning, should be ob... Read More »

Riding on the City of New Orleans, Illinois Central Monday morning rail Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders, Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail. All along the southbound odyssey The train pulls out at Kankakee Rolls along past houses, farms an... Read More »

Final words are often defining words. Remember the thief on the cross? He was apparently guilty of crimes deserving of death, crimes that defined his life and determined his death. Then he said these words (Luke 23:42), “Jesus, remember me when you come into... Read More »

 “It is the same with men as with donkeys: whoever would hold them fast must get a very good grip on their ears.” – Russian Proverb So it is for the introduction to a sermon. The preacher must capture the listener quickly. It is vital for the opening wo... Read More »

While a student at the Moody Bible Institute I was challenged by Dr. George Sweeting in the area of preaching. He said, “Do not fill them with the Word, thrill them with the Word.” Preaching should pack a spiritual punch. It’s not a talk, a speech, or si... Read More »

Engaging exposition that is faithful to Scripture will not only explain the text, it will, of biblical and theological necessity, apply the text. It will be God-centered and Christ-focused even as it exhorts hearers to respond, react, and conform to the messag... Read More »

It was June 1988, the city was San Antonio, Texas, and it was my first Southern Baptist Convention as a pastor. That year much in Baptist life hung in the balance, with many wondering about the direction of convention?  My former preaching professor at Southw... Read More »

Is there meaning in the text? Has God actually spoken in Scripture? These questions float around the academy, but they are more than academic. These questions frame a larger conversation in the culture about the nature of truth.  While people have these quest... Read More »