Preach with Conviction

I think it was Goethe who said, after hearing a young minister, "When I go to hear a preacher preach, I may not agree with what he says, but I want ...

Leadership in God's Image

As a Christian I believe each person is made in the image of God. For those of us who have received the gift of leadership from the people we lead, this ...

Reading Between the Lines

Reading Between the Lines,

or What the Pulpit Committee Really Means:

"We have 246 members on the roll!" means Sunday morning worship attendance ...

Preaching to One

Here's an easy method for testing whether a sermon can deliver: ... Change the setting from a public situation to an individual one. Take away the ...

Getting Our Hands Dirty

We are agents of the Creative Spirit in this world. Real advance in the spiritual life, then, means accepting this vocation with all it involves. Not ...

God's Interruptions

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans ... sending us people ...

Getting Away from Godhood

I once picked up a 5-year-old at vacation Bible school in the Kool-Aid and cookie queue. I took a bite from his cookie. He looked very comfortable as ...

Sermons Should Direct

What a shame for people to leave church services unaware of what they are to do or to stop doing.

Full Souls, Better Preaching

The more full our souls, the more we can preach without running dry.

Martin Luther's Primary Concerns

When Luther became a priest and celebrated his first Mass, in 1507, he trembled so much he nearly dropped the bread and cup. He became so terrified of ...