Introducing Hymns – James Grant offers some sound advice on introducing old hymns to a congregation. Practical Shepherding – Brian Croft has done a great job of carving himself an important little niche in the blogosphere as he deals with issues related to the practical aspect of pastoring. In his most recent article he writes…
The Pastor’s Worst Enemy – Here’s a very good word from David Murray about the greatest enemy a pastor will face in his ministry. John Piper’s Leave – John Piper just announced that he will be taking a lengthy leave of absence. “I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense…
Digital Etiquette“This is a friendly call for creators of MP3’s to follow some very simple guidelines that will make end users lives easier, and be a testimony to the messages we preach & teach. If you value the material you post publicly on the Internet, please demonstrate it’s value by following these 3 very simple…
Sound Doctrine, Sound WordsHere is Part 1 of Phil Johnson’s Shepherds’ Conference talk on “Sound Doctrine, Sound Words.” “I’m deeply concerned about the tendency of so many pastors lately to employ profanity, crude and obscene words, vile subject matter, carnal topics, graphic sexual imagery, erotic language, and filthy jokes. Most of you, I know, are…
This is a compilation of various things that caught my eye this week. They were things that needed more explanation than I could offer in A La Carte, but not enough that they merited an article of their own. Same Sex Blessings It’s easy to write off the Anglican Church, and especially so up here…
I continue to read through Dallimore’s biography of George Whitefield and recently reached the portion which discusses John Wesley’s infamous and divisive sermon called “Free Grace.” This was the sermon that began a significant rift between Whitefield and the Wesleys, for not only did it set them at theological odds, but it also betrayed Whitefield’s…
Two months ago, Suzanne Sataline published an article in the Wall Street Journal. The article was cleverly titled “Veneration Gap: A Popular Strategy For Church Growth Splits Congregants” and dealt with churches that had been split apart through the attempts of their leaders to convert them to the Purpose Driven paradigm. Last month I wrote…
As I read Marsden’s biography of Jonthan Edwards last week, I was stopped short several times by Edwards’ wisdom. Constantly surrounded by conflict, and often facing people who sought to undermine his ministry, Edwards had every opportunity to reflect on the task of a minister. During his ministry, one conflict involved whether sermons should primarily…
There are many different types of preaching. Generally they can be divided into five categories, though you must realize that sometimes a single preacher can utilize multiple styles even in a single message. The five main types are: Anecdotal – Preaching based primarily on the recounting of stories which convey a moral lesson. Biographical –…