“Preacher, you must have been reading our mail.” “Have you been listening to us over the back fence?” “How did you know what I’ve been struggling with in my life?” Expressions like these are heard in churches everywhere. The implication is th... Read More »

Even though it was almost 40 years ago, I still remember it clearly. I was assembled with the other graduates of my Bible college. I was about to march in and receive my baccalaureate degree. The chairman of my college’s Board of Trustees asked for our atten... Read More »

Preacher, you stand before the congregation to preach. Now, what is it that you intend to do? You quickly respond. Preach! So, what does that mean? There are some biblical objectives that must be considered if you are going to preach. Shooting an arrow at a ta... Read More »

A shepherd knows his sheep and how to lead them to the best pastures. He knows the habits of his flock, the distractions along their path, and their deficiencies. Thus, he plans ahead to make certain the sheep graze on the choicest grass, take the right path, ... Read More »

Preaching is always a challenging task. The preacher who has the privilege and responsibility to stand before a congregation each week—or even multiple times each week— faces the challenge of being prepared when the preaching time arrives. One practice tha... Read More »

“Should” is a tricky question to answer.  When I hear a question begin with that word, I evaluate whether something is right or wrong.  Should the preacher plan his preaching?  That is an emphatic yes.  Should the preacher use a retreat to plan his pre... Read More »

“But Dad, I NEED it!” It’s amazing to me how often those words are repeated in my house. I have two daughters and a son who are in the teenage years, and they are constantly wanting something new. I occasionally feel like my God-given job is just to say ... Read More »

In one of several interviews with Alistair Begg, I asked if he followed a strict order of explanation, illustration, and application when preparing a sermon. Begg replied, “I’m a bit of a menace to expository preachers.” Begg is hardly a menace, yet what... Read More »

The Christmas story is anything but common.  What God did in the Incarnation was remarkable!  In fact, Christmas has been called both a miracle and mystery.  The miracle is what God accomplished by sending Jesus to earth.  The mystery is why He sent Jesus.... Read More »

When I was a seminary professor, I wrote Planning Your Preaching (Kregel Publications, 2002) as a guide for pastors planning a year’s sermon work. Honestly, at the time I wondered whether the ideas that seemed workable as I wrote in my professor’s ... Read More »