How Compassion Makes the Preacher Effective

How Compassion Makes the Preacher Effective I talked to a friend this past week about how compassion makes the preacher effective to his congregation.  My friend left a church that he served in California to serve another in Michigan, so he…

The Process For Failing Forward As A Preacher

The Process for Failing Forward As A Preacher In the last couple of posts we have been considering the need to fail forward as a leader and preacher.  It is likely, as we have seen, that you will fail to live up to Paul's description of leaders,…

Failing Forward As a Preacher

Failing Forward As A Preacher In the last post we saw that failure is common among Christian leaders and preachers.  In this post I want to continue those thoughts as we think about failing forward as a preacher of the Good News. What Failures…

Effective Preachers Learn How To Fail Forward

Effective Preachers Learn How To Fail Forward In the last few posts we've been looking at the essential characteristics of the effective sermon.  We've seen that we need the Word (logos), passion (pathos), and character, or ethos.  In this…

Character is an Essential Element of Preaching

Character is an Essential Element of Preaching A couple of posts ago we considered the essential elements of preaching.  The words we use are essential to effective preaching.  Also, the passion we express is essential to effective preaching,…

A Sermon Is More Than Words Strung Together

A Sermon Is More Than Words Strung Together In the last post, we considered the 7-38-55 rule about communication.   I looked at the fact that words are vitally important as an element to an effective sermon.  But a sermon is more than words…

The Essential Elements for an Effective Sermon

The Essential Elements for an Effective Sermon In the last series of posts we looked at the preacher's identity.  Now I want to change the subject.  We will explore this question:  What are the essential elements for an effective sermon…

The Preacher Identifies As A Servant

The Preacher Identifies As A Servant We considered the self-identity of the preacher in the past few blogs.  We studied the concepts that the preacher should see himself/herself as an under-rower, as a keeper of the mysteries of Christ, and…

The Preacher's Identity Is As A Slave

The Preacher's Identity Is As A Slave In the last couple of posts we have been looking at the preacher's identity.  How does the preacher look at himself or herself?  We've seen that we are "under-rowers", and that we are "keepers of the…

The Preacher Is A Keeper of Mysteries

The Preacher Is A Keeper of Mysteries In the last post we began a consideration of the preacher's identity.  We saw that we are "under-rowers", a special kind of servant to Jesus Christ.  In this post I will continue that theme of considering…