Passing the “so-what?” test in preaching
an article by Stuart Briscoe Gerald Griffith, a pastor and Bible teacher in Toronto and my good friend, one day said to me, “Every week God gives me bread for his people.” I looked him straight in the...
View ArticleLeadership and Emotion
To what degree should leaders either show or overtly use emotion as part of their leadership? This very point is being debated widely (and emotionally!) in the media today over President Obama’s...
View ArticleIncremental Preaching
Many pastors want “fast acting” sermons. But what brings lasting transformation is a steady, intentional plan for the pulpit. An article in Leadership Journal online.
View ArticleThe crucible of preaching
A quote from M. Craig Barnes (author of The Pastor as Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life): “The best preacher is always the local pastor. He or she is the one who is skilled not...
View ArticleMore Effective Sermon Conclusions
This week pastors.com offers some practical help on making sermon conclusions more effective. For instance: Use an argument. Anticipate the objections the audience might have and logically refute them....
View ArticleGreat ideas don’t necessarily pop into people’s heads
Steven Berlin Johnson (author of Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, due out tomorrow) recently gave a talk at TED on the amazing power of networks. His thesis is that most...
View ArticleBible Translation and Gender Language
Bible translators are still hard at work producing new English versions, as will be illustrated next year when an update of the New International Version appears (NIV 2011). There are many reasons why...
View ArticleWhy are we unsatisfied with our communication?
Over the years I’ve talked to many leaders about their experiences in the area of communication. I’ve asked, “What has worked for you?” Or, “What’s your solution to the issue of communication?” More...
View ArticleThe Innovator
[It has just been announced that Steve Jobs has died. This post was written earlier this year.] It’s sad to hear that the ugly disease of cancer (or its after-effects) has forced Apple CEO Steve Jobs...
View ArticlePreaching and the Packers
It was a lot of fun yesterday watching the Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears and qualify for a trip to the Super Bowl (especially because I was born in Chicago but grew up in Green Bay, one...
View ArticleWhat Makes Some Speeches Memorable?
Last night the President of the United States gave the annual State of the Union address. What do you do when you have to give a speech that is a prime opportunity to unite and motivate? The State of...
View ArticleSuper Bowl Sermon Outline
Looking for a Super Bowl Sunday sermon? Think about Hebrews 12:22-24. Rationale? Super Bowl sermon outline
View ArticleWould You Like to Double Your Reading?
A few years back I really got into listening to audio books, and I still love it. Audible.com has a vast library of books of all sorts. I’ve been in their “Premium Listener” program for more than five...
View ArticleWhere Good Ideas Come From
I find Steven Johnson interesting. He looks at science, culture, and history from a particular perspective, wanting to figure out how really great ideas develop. (This is not a spiritual or religious...
View ArticleKem Meyer on Less Clutter. Less Noise. Part 2
In the second half of this interview, Kem Meyer discusses her book, Less Clutter. Less Noise. and why effective communication is so essential to effective churches and successful leaders. “Treat people...
View ArticlePassing the “so-what?” test in preaching
an article by Stuart Briscoe Gerald Griffith, a pastor and Bible teacher in Toronto and my good friend, one day said to me, “Every week God gives me bread for his people.” I looked him straight in the...
View ArticleLeadership and Emotion
To what degree should leaders either show or overtly use emotion as part of their leadership? This very point is being debated widely (and emotionally!) in the media today over President Obama’s...
View ArticleIncremental Preaching
Many pastors want “fast acting” sermons. But what brings lasting transformation is a steady, intentional plan for the pulpit. An article in Leadership Journal online.
View ArticleThe crucible of preaching
A quote from M. Craig Barnes (author of The Pastor as Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life): “The best preacher is always the local pastor. He or she is the one who is skilled not...
View ArticleMore Effective Sermon Conclusions
This week pastors.com offers some practical help on making sermon conclusions more effective. For instance: Use an argument. Anticipate the objections the audience might have and logically refute them....
View Article