preaching
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Will your work survive according to 1Corinthians 3:9-16?
What is 1Cor 3:13 warning us about? A day when our ministry will be tested by fire? What does it mean that our gold ministry will last, while our straw ministry will burn? What is it all referring to? Not… Continue reading
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Paul wasn’t worried about being ‘eloquent’
I think some of our translations have done us a disservice in 1Cor 1:17 and 2:1-15 by using terms like eloquence which shift the focus of Paul’s argument from the content of his message to the method in which he… Continue reading
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Is ChatGPT a Ministry Tool?
Yes. The big question is how can we use it for ministry, and to what extent should we use it? Here’s some meaningful ways you could use it right now: 1. Ministry Event Planning Go to ChatGPT and type in… Continue reading
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Repost: Preach with the closing prayer in mind
…and then the preacher says, “lets pray”. I think this point of the sermon (nay – the church meeting) is the pinnacle. This is the moment when you’re asking people to turn what they’ve heard into gospel centred action… The… Continue reading
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Repost: Gospel Ministry is not you speaking truthfully about God
It is that… but “to another human”. Think about that for a moment; it’s an important aspect not to miss. You don’t just “do” ministry, you do ministry “to people”. God made, became and uses humans. Ignoring the human aspect… Continue reading
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Repost: Printing for preaching
If you’re still one who prints their sermon scripts, here’s some tips I’ve picked up from others; Print to read at a glance; Use 15pt font or larger, double spaced, 2cm margins Serif fonts (e.g. Times) are easier to read… Continue reading
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As much as possible, don’t be the messenger
If you’re preaching, you are the messenger. And if your passage is saying “hard things” you – as the preacher – can feel like you’ve got to be the messenger of these hard words. But that’s not the best way… Continue reading
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A Basic Structure for Romans
This term our church is in it’s 4th year of taking 10 weeks (term 2) to slowly move through Romans. So, for our first bible study, rather than picking up in Romans 13 straight away, we did a basic overview… Continue reading
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Sermon styles: the synonym preacher
There’s lots of communication tools one can use while preaching; illustrations are the most well known. Another method of communicating an idea is to keep using different synonyms. It’s where you take one idea from the verse you’re looking… Continue reading
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How far through your sermon should you start the application?
I wonder if you should – in your mind at least – start the application from your very first words. See, if it’s the application of the truths of the bible, then understanding and being convicted of the truths are… Continue reading
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Learn by preaching small passages or massive passages… but not medium
A common trap for young preachers is the medium length passage… its like 15-30 verses. See, you can get your head around it. You can spend 10hrs preparing it and exegeting it and know what it says. But you’ll want… Continue reading
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Being out-the-front puts on 10% more “boring”
They say the TV camera puts on 10pounds… As thin as you might look in person, it never gets fully captured on TV. Being out-the-front at church does something similar… But not to your weight (no one would care anyway…… Continue reading
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If listing while preaching, it’s best to tally palm out
It’s a very minor thing, but please don’t give your congregation the rude finger when preaching. It’s a common accident when you have three short points to make… On your first point you make a fist and point your index… Continue reading
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My response to “Why shouldn’t women preach to men?”
(This would be one of the way’s I’d respond to someone who wanted to accept the bible’s teaching on male and female roles in ministry, but struggled to understand why God put them there.) If a gunman ran into your… Continue reading
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A better way to ask, “What did you think of the sermon?”
It’s really not a great question, is it? It’s intention is wonderful… but it’s execution is poor. How about… “Hey, that talk we just heard, help me think through it for a second… I think he was saying…” “I reckon… Continue reading
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Why the passive voice should be avoided in preaching #ironic
It just takes so much extra effort for your hearers. You’re placing the bulk load of information dissemination onto their shoulders, when – if your content is already full – you want to make it as easy as possible to… Continue reading
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What did Paul share when he shared his life?
In 1Thessalonians, Paul says “We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” A common reaction to… Continue reading
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Col Marshall’s thoughts on the limitations of the Weekly-Sermon-Driven church
At a recent MTS Training day, Col Marshall explained some of the potential risks of the church that’s sermon-driven… – potentially limits the audience to those who can deal with that type of sermon – potentially limits the maturity of… Continue reading
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So many ways to measure success…
We recently ran a carols night that loads of people said, “went really well”! But how should Christians and churches work out whether something “went well”? The error is to assume that there’s only one measure of success… As if… Continue reading
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A microphone doesn’t mean you can use your normal voice
Your normal voice is the voice you use in normal situations… and preaching/mcing is not a normal situation. It’s a very strange situation. You’re infront of hundreds of people. How would you speak if you didn’t have a microphone? Loud?… Continue reading
MINISTRY PRINCIPLES & PRAGMATICS 