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Is expository preaching the only way to go?  What about topical preaching and textual preaching?  In this episode, we share pretty strong opinions on this but we feel we have Scriptural backing on the issue.

We also spend some time clarifying what expository preaching really is.

Expository preaching as defined by some greats that are mentioned in this episode: Read the rest of this entry »

posted by Joel Southerland

One of the secrets to making preaching “go the extra mile” is making sure there is something in your sermon that is memorable.

Now, don’t get your hopes up if you’re thinking that I’m about to tell you how to get them to remember all three points, every illustration, every Greek word you define, and the title.  Sorry to burst any potential bubbles - they’re not going to remember all that.  They can’t.  It is too much information. You can’t either. Most who read this cannot remember the points to their sermon three weeks ago!

But that is not the way sermons work anyway. Sermons preach for change right now.  They are preached for decisions in the hour. Yes, we hope those decisions last for a lifetime, and they often do, but rarely will they know to attribute it to a Spirit-inspired sermon.

So, what do you do?

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posted by Joel Southerland

When a special day, project, meeting or event looms on the horizon it can create great amounts of stress for the pastor. The planning, promoting, and organizing can add to the workload of an already frazzled minister (not sure if “frazzled” is a word but you know it when you’re in it).

One of the solutions I have found is to choose project managers for these types of events. When I have a special event or project, I use a lay volunteer to be the Project Manager and Coordinator. The PMC meets with me to get my vision of the project, and they begin the task of putting it all together. You may think this risky, but I’ve found that they often go far beyond my expectations.

Whey they have a question, it can usually be handled through a quick phone call, meeting, text or email. A week or two before the event - or “due date,” if it’s a project - we have our final meeting to go over everything in detail.

It works seamlessly. Our goal is to have a project manager for every event we do. And, we want to keep the PMC from year to year. That way, they can be thinking about their one event (instead of my 65) all year long.

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