Lexham PressThis post is lightly adapted from “Preach to the outer edges” by Patricia Batten in Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry, edited by Scott M. Gibson (Lexham Press, 2016).
In the practice of preaching, is there an effective method for how to start a sermon that will grab (and help keep) your listener’s attention? In his book Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Become a Better Preacher, available now...
It’s probably not a stretch to say that suicide has impacted every church. Nor is it a stretch to say that many church attendees—even the ones who show up every week—have never heard a sermon on suicide. And yet, it’s become the eleventh leading...
Learn little-known facts about polygamy in the Bible, what Jesus says about polygamy, and whether Jesus and Paul changed God’s commands.
By Murray J. Harris What does “lead us not into temptation” mean in the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:13? In this excerpt adapted from Navigating Tough Texts: A Guide to Problem Passages in the New Testament, Murray J. Harris explores this part of the...
Many Christians reflect often on how the resurrection impacts the everyday life of believers. Because Jesus lives, we will live too. But what about the ascension of Jesus? Is it a doctrine we return to? In this excerpt from The Ascension of Christ:...
Preaching is one of the highest callings, but it can be one of the most challenging—which is why learning how to prepare a sermon outline is so critical. This one step will help ensure each message you preach is delivered succinctly and clearly so...
These days, many people are talking about unity in diversity. But what does that mean for the body of Christ? What are our biblical models, and how can we learn from them? In the following excerpt from the excellent Mobile Ed course Ministry in...
Is there a difference between preaching and teaching? This question is one of many that Professor and Preacher Jonathan T. Pennington addresses in his book, Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Become a Better Preacher. Small...
In the late 1970s, British nationalism and racial discrimination were in full swing, and British Christians began to voice their increasing concern about racial diversity. One way that evangelical leader, John Stott, did this was through his monthly...
We’re excited to share that Surprised by the Parables by Michelle Lee-Barnewall (available now from Lexham Press) was named a finalist for a 2021 Christian Book Award! The book walks through nine of Jesus’ parables to help readers see them in a new...
Below is an excerpt from Finding Our Voice by Matthew D. Kim and Daniel L. Wong that addresses the forms of discrimination Asian Americans commonly face and how to begin to address that pain pastorally. *** “What are you?” “Where are you from?”...
Sometimes, when we read through the Gospels, we’ll see passages where Jesus does something remarkable, then everyone gets mad. On occasion, the Gospel writers explain why people got angry, but often we don’t get much overt explanation—which causes...
In this excerpt from Suffering & Glory: Meditations for Holy Week and Easter, J. I. Packer takes readers on a journey with Jesus on the Emmaus road and explores how like the two disciples, we too can find help in our time of need.* *** On Friday...
Peter J. Leithart explores the meaning of baptism and how those baptized form a beautiful picture of Jesus and a “present-tense” sign of the gospel.
This excerpt about the meaning of suffering comes from Jeremy R. Treat’s reflection on Good Friday, collected in Suffering & Glory: Meditations for Holy Week and Easter. *** Many of us instinctively feel that if we are faithful to Jesus, then...
The following post is adapted from Finding Our Voice: A Vision for Asian North American Preaching by Matthew D. Kim and Daniel L. Wong (Lexham Press, 2020). *** Asian North American (ANA) preachers read and interpret Scripture with a unique lens. We...
What is the unforgivable sin? In this excerpt, adapted from Navigating Tough Texts: A Guide to Problem Passages in the New Testament, Murray J. Harris explains what it is—and discusses the one thing that shows evidence you have not committed the sin...
This post is adapted from Preaching to Be Heard: Delivering Sermons That Command Attention by Lucas O’Neill. *** [As a preacher], you’ve got to get people hungry for what they are about to hear. Burke’s analogy of “appetite” is a good one. Simon...
This excerpt is adapted from The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father by Wesley Hill, a new release from Lexham Press. At the center of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, He offers to his disciples a model for prayer...
Samuel Pearce was a Baptist pastor known in eighteenth-century England for his moving preaching and strong, pious character. In his short life, he supported believers in his own parish as well as in the many cities where he preached and helped send...
This excerpt is adapted from James: Verse by Verse by Grant R. Osborne. *** James [1:19–26] begins with three characteristics of what we may call “people of the word,” those who truly center their lives on God’s principles for a proper walk with...
This post is adapted from Church History for Modern Ministry: Why Our Past Matters for Everything We Do by Dayton Hartman. I used to suffer from chronological snobbery, but that wasn’t my only problem. I was also arrogant, rude, and condescending to...
When it comes to biblical mysteries, the temptation that most Christians face is . . . to favor our own thinking, to trust our own minds. If we do this, however, we exclude the rich mysteries of the Christian faith.
By Scott M. Gibson, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry. Charles Gore, formerly bishop of Worcester, Birmingham, and finally Oxford, wrote more than a century ago, “The disease of modern preaching is its search...
This post is adapted from God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of This World by Scott Harrower.
Despite popular belief, Saul did not become Paul on the road to Damascus. Those are simply two versions of the same name: Saul the Hebrew version, Paul the Roman. However, what did change when Christ appeared to Paul—and it’s perhaps the most...