I usually try to avoid people on airplanes, but a few weeks ago I had an amazing conversation with an unbeliever about preaching. Actually, the guy was raised in the church, but he got burnt by what he called "bad preaching." Now he's heavy into New Age spirituality—although I could tell the Hound of Heaven was on his trail. He mentioned three ways to ruin a sermon (which I've adapted here):

1. Do not like your listeners and let it show.
2. Pick a Bible text and then make it say whatever you want it to say.
3. Bore people to death.

I think my friend hit on three things that we highly value at PreachingToday.com:

1. Preach from a heart of Christlike love.
2. Exegete the text and stick to one main idea.
3. Illustrate well.

So this week we offer the following resources to help you preach with deep love, clear thinking, and great stories:

• Featured Illustration: The U.S. Government's Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure
• Featured Sermon: The 10 Financial Commandments by John Ortberg
• Video: Your Words

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.