Skip to content ↓

Sunday Ramblings

As some may have noticed, this was a busy week in the forums, and particularly in threads relating to Rick Warren (of which there are too many!). Richard Abanes has made some helpful posts where he tries to clarify certain matters. There have been many back-and-forth exchanges with him and various readers. Richard is publishing a book, set to release next month, and has agreed to an interview with me before then. So sometime later this month I will ask him all the tough questions that those who disagree with Purpose Driven teachings would like to ask of one who defends them. I will also be reading and reviewing his book as soon as it becomes available.

Coral Ridge Ministries is giving away a free book if you’re interested. It is entitled Save A Marriage, Save Our Nation and is written, of course, by D. James Kennedy. The description is as follows: “D. James Kennedy looks at the personal and public importance of marriage in this eye-opening examination into why marriage matters for all of us. Happy homes it turns out, make for a healthy culture. Dr. Kennedy also speaks candidly about what it takes to make your own marriage work, offering insight and biblical teaching to help you be everything you (and your spouse) want to be as a husband or wife.”

And finally…

Earlier this week I read a quote about preaching that caught my attention. I guess it interested me because I have been doing lots of reading about preaching this year, having read books like Famine in the Land, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church and Rediscovering Expository Preaching. Each of these books teaches that expository preaching is most faithful to the biblical model.

One defining characteristic of expository preaching is that it does not dwell on non-biblical examples. It does not focus on stories, jokes and anecdotes. Instead, it seeks to stay focused on the text in question.

Here is the quote. Realize that who said it is not the point, but rather, it is the words that matter. “I do believe in confessional preaching. I believe that you should confess both your strengths and your weaknesses. You don’t dwell on yourself, but in many ways the minister is the message. The word must become flesh. The best kind of preaching is incarnational preaching. The most effective message is when I am able to get up and say, ‘This is what God is doing in [the pastor’s] life this week. This is what I am learning. This is what I need to believe, what I need not to believe, what I need to do, what to not do.’”

I’m wondering if this type of preaching can be consistent with expository preaching. Does the pastor need to share what he is learning and what he needs to believe, or should he instead try to stick closely with the text? Or as this person says, is the minister the message, or should the minister try to do the exact opposite and fade into the background so that the message is the message and the minister is but a mouthpiece?

Help me out here as I try to understand different types of preaching…


  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 24)

    A La Carte: He cares for us / Will the pope to go heaven? / An easy Christian faith / The good we cannot see / Chickens, elephants, and freedom / When we skip the prophets / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Francis

    Did Francis Prove To Be “The Humble Pope?”

    Francis’ time as pope has come to an end and already many are attempting to define his legacy. Was he a reformer? Was he a progressive? Was he an apostate? Perspectives are wildly varied with some honoring him as the greatest pope of modern times and some dishonoring him as a disgrace to the office.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: How to begin a conversation with a dechurched friend / Machen was right / The truth of Christ’s resurrection / When grief becomes sin / Nope to the media’s ideal for a new pope / Book sale / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Pope Francis / Yes, Jesus was crucified with nails / The mystery of “the call” / Just a little bit / The last of the four / John outran Peter / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Will You Be a Pillar?

    How do we lead in a culture shaped by performance, individualism, and platform? Platforms to Pillars by cultural commentator Mark Sayers offers a biblical alternative to the platform mentality that dominates our society. Drawing from the ancient world, Sayers challenges Christians to become pillars—people who provide strength and support for others, who live with character…

  • The Tallest Trees

    The Winds Blow Hardest Against the Tallest Trees

    Through the weekend had many questions about Christian leaders who fall. And I expressed that just as the winds blow hardest against the tallest trees, so temptations may press hardest against the leaders who rise the highest. Just as floods press against shallow roots, so seductive desires rise up against those whose fall would bring…