From the realm of real estate, you may have heard the repeated refrain that identifies the most important consideration in a transaction as “location, location, location.” Over the years, this perspective has come to mind when I think about expository prea... Read More »

I’ll never forget my first trip to the mountains. My adolescent eyes were filled with awe. The mountains rose high above our car. Occasionally there was a waterfall that sprung from the mountainside. Wonder was not the only emotion I experienced. My über-ob... Read More »

The greatest collection of literature in Scripture is in the genre of narrative. Eighty-eight of the ninety chapters of Genesis and Exodus are narrative, along with most of Numbers. From the ascension of Joshua to the exaltation of Mordecai, the history of Isr... Read More »

The late college basketball coach John Wooden said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” We all believe that character is imp... Read More »

Sermon application is most effective interwoven throughout a sermon. The efficient expositor stirs his listeners back to the subject at hand with pointed questions, eye to eye contact, and first-person singular pronouns. Why wait? Why wait until after an illus... Read More »

You may’ve seen a meme that’s circulated on social media. One man says, “I don’t care about doctrine, I just follow Jesus.” His friend responds, “Oh, and tell me about Jesus?” With great passion, the first man responds, “He’s God incarnate, w... Read More »

It was the biggest blind spot in my preaching ministry. A year and a half into my first pastorate, I discovered it. The previous few weeks I had noticed that there was a spiritual need in our congregation. I was finishing a series, so I scheduled the next one ... Read More »

In middle school, one of my favorite P.E. sections was when we learned archery. Coach would set up a dozen or so large, round targets for us to shoot at with red, recurve bows. Throughout the week, we shot arrows from 10 yards away, aiming at the bullseye and ... Read More »

Every preacher of the gospel ought to have the end in mind when beginning his sermon. As we all know great gospel preaching begins with a creative introduction, a clear explanation, and a convincing application. Let me say it another way. You need to ask yours... Read More »

The hallmark characteristic of an expository sermon is that the main point of the text becomes the main point of the sermon. As such there are various models of expository preaching, ranging from text-centered preaching of the older generations to the more pop... Read More »

Many people claim various places are sacred. In a recent family trip out west, we visited the sacred grounds of the Black Hills. Several years before we visited our nation’s military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery which is reported to be sacred ground... Read More »

Life seemingly gives us two manners of learning. The first way is learning from personal experiences. Lessons from our experiences yield both pros and cons. Positively, we have the satisfaction of figuring out the matter. However, negatively, we face the agony... Read More »