Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.
01465 – Are Words Necessary?
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01372 – Eloquent Sermons
I am sometimes amazed, even alarmed, at the extent to which people judge ministers by their preaching, and preaching by its rhetoric. To do so is to make the entirely spurious but nearly universal assumption that God is better served by a poet than by an accountant....
01328 – Jesus Would Still Upset Us
Do you understand why he upset them? I used to think the reason Jesus was crucified was because he picked a bad century. Now, it wouldn't make any difference. He could come to Louisville during this last decade of the 20th century and if he did the kind of preaching,...
01295 – Preaching That Can Cause Trouble
It's funny, isn't it? You can preach a judgmental and vengeful and angry God and nobody will mind. But you start preaching a God that is too accepting, too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind...and you are in trouble.
01201 – The Reign of God is Like a Seed
Whether on the stage of world history or in the individual human heart, the reign or rule of God is like seed growing of itself: pregnant, mysterious, fruitful. As a man scattering seed on the ground, we work at preaching and teaching, at supporting each other, at...
01163 – What is Your Worship Style Preference?
Is your preferred style of corporate worship quiet and contemplative? Loud and raucous? Centered on preaching? Centered on communion? Prayer focused? Service focused? Other? Wonderful. Don't let anyone shame you for how God made you to worship Jesus through the...
01056 – Go, Go, Go!
Then he starts calling names, “Jim and bill, you take Baldwin; John and Nancy, Batesville. Bob and Gil, I’m thinking Alto for you… Here’s what I need you to do: preach the kingdom, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the outcasts, cast out demons. Boy, do I need a...
01024 – What Will You Say?
The trouble with pastors is we are called on to speak more often than we have anything to say.
00905 – Pleasing to God? Or Pleasing to Me?
We do in fact say things like, “Oh, that kind of music, that kind of preaching, that kind of ceremony, isn’t pleasing to God.” Now, I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but I’m not yet convinced that those of our number who argue this way have really heard a word from...
00783 – Word of God: Central to Liturgy
The effectiveness of a liturgy lies in its humility, in the absence of self-proclamation—”I am the liturgy, notice me.” The Word of God is the gathering point for all the content and all the action. If there is a high point or seasonal emphasis in a liturgy, this is...