4 Tips for Wedding Homilies
I just preached at the wedding of a dear friend’s eldest child. The preparations reminded me of a few important realities about this special event. I hope you find these tips helpful, and I would love to hear your thoughts as well.
A Stewardship Sermon Series on Psalm 50:14 (Part 2 of 2)
This is the second of a two-part blog series , “A Four-Week Stewardship Sermon Series on Ps. 50:14..” The sermon series is titled “To Know God Is to Thank God.”
Psalm 50:14: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High.”
Week One: Offer to God
Week Two: A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
Week Three: Make Good Your Vows
Week Four: To the Most High
The Preacher's Easter Retreat: Hope & Holiness
Whether you have ninety minutes, three hours, or six, this free, at-home Easter retreat is intended to help you reflect on God’s holiness as the source of our hope—because nothing else is as worthy of it.
How to Tell the Story—a Simple Structure for Holy Week, Easter, and Every Sermon
A year ago I wanted to help you prepare for Easter with a series about this simple, save-you-time, quick-to-craft, sermon structure to discern and organize your message. But COVID-19 disrupted everything. I then turned my attention toward preaching into the crisis—and was never able to return to this helpful content. So now, I’m resurrecting the post to show you how to employ this simple story-structure process for Easter (or any sermon).
Palm Sunday Quotations for Preaching and Reflection
Have this collection of inspiration sent directly to your inbox via the link within.
Preaching Ash Wednesday: 8 suggestions for preaching repentance and (avoidable) death
On this Ash Wednesday, not only is there our usual grief and fear about death, there is also anger and resentment. Not to mention shame and guilt from those who may realize too late they’ve contributed to the demise of others. We must acknowledge our unusual circumstances this year and invite people to grieve, confess, and make amends.
Recovering from 2020: Your Free, At-Home Christmas Retreat
“This retreat will not completely fill your tank, assuage your exhaustion, or provide a clear path of hope for the future. But it will, I pray, provide a theological and spiritual framework to what you have endured, witnessed, and felt this past year. By God's grace we will minister in 2021 with an open heart, confident that God will continue to provide all we need to preach, minister, and lead. This, too, shall pass. And in the meantime, people need Good News.”
Three Christmas Sermon Themes for a Pandemic Christmas
It probably feels hard to keep the “merry” in “Merry Christmas” this year. We will miss so many of the usual Christmas traditions. While it is right to grieve, it is also right to find unexpected blessings in our stripped-down celebrations of the Incarnation this year. We can focus more clearly on the “why:” why did God choose to live among us?
Ten Christmas Preaching Do's and Don'ts for 2020
It’s been quite a year. And yet, Jesus came for a time such as this. Consider these ten dos and don’ts as you prepare to preach this Christmas.
Advent Sermon Inspiration: Quotes and Reflections
We’ve prepared this selection of quotes for your use as you prepare your Advent sermons. May you find wisdom and inspiration to nourish your own spirit as you prepare to receive God’s word for your listeners.
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Live Lectio for Sermon Prep (Free!)
Get an early start on your sermon prep by joining us live on Facebook (Mondays at noon Central) as we prayerfully discuss the coming week's gospel passage (RCL & NL).
I participated in the Lectio study today with a complicated and double-speak Gospel (John 17:6-19) and WOW! I received so much great insight and am headed in a direction I feel really good about. Thank you to all my colleagues! If you are wondering if this is worth it, wonder no more. It is.
—Donna G.
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The Gospel People Don't Want to Hear: Preaching Challenging Messages was written to aid preacher’s in understanding what’s at stake for their listeners so they can craft sermons their audience can receive, even if they challenge cherished beliefs.
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