“Read widely, live observantly, and look up stuff.” —Dr. McCarty’s watchword   One of the keys to staying sharp as a preacher is to continually hone your powers to illustrate and to apply biblical texts. This need is often expressed to me by preac... Read More »

We can all admit that life can be pretty busy and chaotic at times. There are deadlines at work, chores around the house, errands to run, time to spend with family, and so much more. The life of the pastor can also be busy. Between making visits, appointments ... Read More »

I say “amen” Sunday night after the concluding prayer, thankful to God for another opportunity to minister but tired from a busy day. There’s great relief, however it doesn’t last long because quickly I’m reminded of the next Bibl... Read More »

During a recent sermon series through Hebrews, our executive pastor called an audible and I was granted the grace and privilege to land both the first Melchizedek passage (5:1–10) and the thorny “if they fall away” section (5:11–6:12). We had to make t... Read More »

Humbert Romans (1194–1277) a Dominican friar, looked to the act of preaching as an act of worship from the preacher to God. He believed that the preacher needed to be saturated in prayer and study to prepare himself to preach the Word of God.[1]Hughes Olipha... Read More »

My wife has the green thumb in our home. Over the years, it has been fun to work alongside her in planting gardens and flower beds and seeing something beautiful develop. Gardening is tough work, but if you invest the time and “sweat equity,” there is frui... Read More »

You’ll probably feel a slight loss of control and a vibration. There might be a distinct sound. Your new car is telling you something about your driving. In fact, when you feel the steering wheel course correcting your automobile because you’re weaving out... Read More »

Last year, I had the opportunity to think through the biblical objectives for preaching in preparation for writing a prior blog for Preaching Source. This was a great exercise in critically thinking through what I must do when I stand to preach. There are some... Read More »

Most preachers have faced the frustration of the clock. A text is packed with information that begs to be explained and applied. The preacher, excited by what he has discovered through exegesis, anxiously anticipates showing the congregation the jewels within ... Read More »

Martin Luther, the Reformer who famously (and unknowingly) ignited the Protestant Reformation by nailing his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, found solace in Paul’s teaching on justification by faith alone in Christ... Read More »