Blogs

Too Sexy for This Selfie |  Interview by Rachel Marie Stone, ChristianityToday.com
“Nancy Jo Sales’ new book, American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, grew out of a set of troubling questions like mine: How did social media become so sexualized? Why do women and girls get harassed so much online? Why are girls posing like porn stars in selfies?”

Ken Myers: Cultural heart attack | Interview by Marvin Olasky, World Magazine
“Four years ago you suffered a heart attack that, doctors say, only 4 percent of sufferers survive. Since the Patrick Henry College students here, like all 20-year-olds, see themselves as immortal, could you talk a bit about that close encounter with mortality?”

James Durham on Ministerial Qualifications (2) | Donald John Maclean, Meet the Puritans
“But an understanding of the truths of scripture itself would be useless to a minister, unless they also possessed the ability to communicate those truths. Thus there had to be giftedness to ‘express and bring forth, for the edification of others, what they had conceived themselves.’”

Scientific paper which says the human hand was designed by a ‘Creator’ sparks controversy | Doug Bolton, The Independent
“A recent scientific paper on the movement of the human hand has faced strong criticism for referring to a ‘Creator’ throughout.”

Hope for the Unhappy Christian | Phillip Holmes, Desiring God
“The Christian’s unhappiness, discontentment, and the way we view God are directly linked.”

Defending Boys in a “Girl Power” Age | Heather Wilhelm, RealClearPolitics
“Unfortunately, in its earnest quest for female empowerment, America—never quite good at moderation, and always quite good at fighting the last battle—is quietly and methodically marginalizing boys. Every day, through various media campaigns, America’s boys absorb countless messages that girls can do anything—and that they deserve our unending attention and adoration. When it comes to boys, however, the cacophony of ‘dream big’ media encouragement falls oddly silent. The assumption, one supposes, is that the giant, sinister swath of oppressive male ‘privilege,’ supposedly inherited by young boys, speaks for itself.”

New Book

The Lord’s Prayer for His People by Robert Traill

Kindle Books

Couple of relaxing “weekend” books for you first of all.

This Is NPR: The First Forty Years ($2.99)

Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation by Maggie Oman Shannon ($1.99)

The Gospels and Acts (The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible) ($2.99)

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture by Michael Williams ($3.99)

So far we’ve looked at the Preacher’s Checklist for selecting a text and for introducing a sermon. Today, I want to offer a checklist for exegeting a text.

1. Have I explained the historical background and canonical context?

2. Have I taken account of the genre of the passage?

3. Have I explained who wrote the text, when, why, and to whom?

4. Have I distinguished between what is central and what is peripheral?

5. Have I shown the connections between the text and the previous verses?

6. Have I explained every significant word in the text? (the most common area of failure)

7. Have I incorporated relevant Scripture cross-references?

8. Have I connected the passage with systematic theology, biblical theology, and Christology?

9. Have I checked my exegesis with reliable commentators?

10. Where is the Gospel in this text?

Bibliography

Here are my Top 10 Books on Preaching. And if you want to read more about how to exegete a text, here are the relevant passages in various preaching books.

Jay Adams, Preaching with Purpose, pp. 27-33.
D. L. Akin, Text-Driven Preaching, 135-218.
J A. Broadus, The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, pp. 32-75.
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching, pp. 59-128.
H. B. Charles, On Preaching, pp. 58-67.
R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric or a Course of Lectures on Preaching, pp. 74-104, 154-167, 179-213.
Mark Dever, Preach, pp. 107-108.
Mark Dever, The Westminster Directory of Public Worship, pp. 94-96.
T. D. Gordon, Why Johnny can’t Preach, pp. 43-60.
S. Greidanus, Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, pp. 48-121, 188-337.
D. R. Helm, Expositional Preaching, pp. 39-60.
D. Kistler, Feed my Sheep, pp. 61-128.
C. W. Koller, Expository Preaching Without Notes, pp. 28-33, 61-75.
D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, pp. 45-63.
Sam Logan, The Preacher and Preaching, pp. 192-272.
John MacArthur, Preaching: How to Preach Biblically, pp. 93-135, 171-182.
John Macarthur, Rediscovering Expository Preaching, pp. 119-224.
J. C. Meyer, Preaching: A Biblical Theology, pp. 257-279.
C. Miller, Preaching: The Art of Narrative Exposition, pp. 61-77, 125-172.
Al Mohler, He is not Silent, pp. 65-75.
A. Motyer, Preaching: Simple Teaching on Simply Preaching, pp. 29-88.
David Murray, How Sermons Work, pp. 35-58.
Denis Prutow, So Pastor, What’s Your Point, pp. 61-70.
Haddon. W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching, pp. 57-114.
S. W. Smith, Dying To Preach, pp. 63-76, 113-135.
C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to my Students, pp. 97-109.
John Stott, Between Two Worlds, pp. 213-227.

Blog

What if you’re not as awesome as you think you are? | Denny Burk
“We are by nature prone to excuse our own shortcomings, to overlook them, or even to justify them. The result is that we walk around with a self-regard that often exceeds reality.”

35 Totally Random Life Hacks | Scribblepreach.com
Funny, intriguing, inspiring, convicting.

The Importance of the Little Things by Nicholas Batzig | Ligonier Ministries Blog
“It’s the little things that members of a church or church plant do that help the ministry thrive and without which the growth of the local church would be greatly hindered.”

How I Optimize My iPhone for Maximum Productivity – Michael Hyatt
“Today I use my iPhone to keep track of most of the moving parts of my complicated personal and professional life. And I’ve optimized my home screen to put everything I need within one or two clicks. Here’s a list of the apps I currently have on my home screen:”

Limitless Grace for Limited Leaders | For The Church
“So why am I nervous to admit that I can’t do everything that needs to be done? I think it’s simple. I am afraid to to confess that I have limits. I’m afraid to admit that I have God-allotted periods and boundaries of my dwelling place (Acts 17:26). And I’m afraid that will render me unimportant.”

Hobbies to the Glory of God | Tim Challies
Tim takes away false guilt about having hobbies

“I believe God is pleased when we pursue hobbies. I also believe that we can confidently pursue them and do them for the glory of God even if there is no obviously redeeming value in them. “

These Are The Highest Paying Jobs In The U.S. For 2016 | Fast Company
But money’s not enough for satisfaction:

There’s no doubt that pay is among the leading factors most job seekers weigh when determining where to work, Chamberlain, says. However, our research shows that a big paycheck isn’t necessarily tied to long-term satisfaction in your job….When we dig deeper into what keeps employees satisfied once they’re in a job and with a company, we find that culture and values, career opportunities, and trust in senior leadership are the biggest drivers of employee satisfaction.”

Kindle Books

Paul Meets Muhammad: A Christian-Muslim Debate on the Resurrection by Michael Licona $1.99.

The End of Christianity by William Dembski $2.99.

And an intriguing book from Buzz Aldrin.

Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration by Buzz Aldrin $2.99.

Video

E.Y. Mullins Lectures | Southern Seminary
Videos of Mark Dever’s lectures on preaching at Southern Seminary. The first one below and here are the others.

Following up on yesterday’s post about teaching beginning preachers, here’s my second checklist for beginning (and not-so-beginning) preachers on introducing a sermon.

1. Is it too long/too short? (Too long is by far the most common problem)

2. Does it contain no more than one thought/idea? (second most common problem)

3. Are you showing off your learning or trying to be sensational?

4. Is the introduction connected/relevant to the sermon?

5. Does the introduction connect with your hearers? Does it draw them into the sermon?

6. Does it give hearers a reason to listen to the sermon?

7. Does it steal the sermon’s thunder? In other words, is there sermon material in the introduction?

8. Is it apologetic and hesitant rather than authoritative and declarative?

9. Is it unnecessarily offensive?

10. Is it sufficiently varied when compared with your other sermon introductions?

Bibliography

Here are my Top 10 Books on Preaching. And if you want to read more about how to introduce a sermon, here are the relevant passages in various preaching books.

Jay Adams. Preaching with Purpose, pp. 59-64.
J A. Broadus. The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, pp. 266-275.
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching, pp. 237-268.
H. B. Charles, On Preaching, pp. 73-82.
R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric or a Course of Lectures on Preaching, pp. 137-153.
Mark Dever, Preach, pp. 102-106.
Mark Dever, The Westminster Directory of Public Worship, pp. 93-94.
C. W. Koller, Expository Preaching Without Notes, pp. 77-78.
John MacArthur, Preaching: How to Preach Biblically, pp. 201-204, 243.
John Macarthur, Rediscovering Expository Preaching, pp. 242-247.
David Murray, How Sermons Work, pp. 71-84.
Denis Prutow, So Pastor, What’s Your Point, pp. 171-180.
Haddon. W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching, pp. 159-174.
John Stott, Between Two Worlds, pp. 243-253.

TGC Asks: 3 Books Every Church Planter Should Read | Matt Smethurst, TGC
“I asked 20 church leaders what three books every planter should read and why.”

How I Prepare a Sermon | JOETHORN.net
“I’ve been preaching for over 20 years. Over those two decades my approach to preparation and and my preaching has changed, and I continue to work on it. Continued growth is needed in this area since it is such a major part of my calling. But my basic method at this point have been in play for a while now and enough of you have asked me to share how I prepare a sermon. So, here it is.”

10 Marks of an Immature Believer | Mike Leake, Borrowed Light
“In his little book, Grace: The Truth, Growth, and Different Degrees, Christopher Love, gives ten marks of an immature believer. He does this not to shame but in order to spur on towards growth in Christ.”

12 Bible Verses Every Leader Needs to Memorize | Ron Edmondson
“The Psalmist said, ‘I have hidden your word in my heart so I might not sin against you.’ God’s Word can be a protection for our heart and soul. It can teach us, convict us, and challenge us. The same is true for leaders. The best leadership book is the Bible.”

Vocation of a fast food worker | Gene Veith, Patheos
“Like a lot of people in this economy, my former student Stephen Williams is “underemployed” right now.  But he understands the doctrine of vocation.  Read his account of how working in a fast food joint is charged with spiritual significance and gives him occasion to love and serve his neighbors.”

Is Our Media Consumption Hindering Our Pursuit of Holiness? | Jessica Schaeffer, Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics
“…consuming media inherently entails a moral status. The very act of choosing one activity over another has direct moral implications. ”

The 7 Key Mindset Changes for Shifting from Passive Idleness to Active Readiness | Brett and Kate McKay, The Art of Manliness
“The 7 key mindset changes that will enable you to move from the path of least resistance to the road less taken – from passive idleness to active readiness.”

Why Millennial Women Are Burning Out | Kelly Clay, Fast Company
“The trend of young women burning out by the age of 30 is very real and unfortunately common.”

New Book

The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones

New from Steven Lawson and Reformation Trust
“In The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the latest addition to the Long Line of Godly Men series, Dr. Steven J. Lawson introduces us to the life and ministry of a trained physician who sensed an irresistible call to preach. Surrounded by theological liberalism, Lloyd-Jones began a pulpit ministry that would exert profound influence on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Kindle Deals

Who Am I? Identity In Christ by Jerry Bridges ($1.99)

Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain by William M. Struthers ($2.99)

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture by Michael Williams ($3.99)

The New Matthew Henry Commentary: The Classic Work with Updated Language edited by Martin H. Manser ($3.99)

Video

How stress affects your brain – TED-Ed – Madhumita Murgia

I teach preaching at PRTS and I’ve listened to a lot of student sermons in our weekly “Practice Preaching” sessions. As I’ve noticed that it can be difficult for beginning preachers to translate what they hear in lectures on preaching into the actual practice of preaching, I’ve put together various checklists so that students can quickly check if they’ve got the basics right for each part of the sermon preparation process. For example, here’s the checklist for choosing a text.

1. Does the text start at the beginning of a thought/passage/paragraph?
(By far the most common problem is starting and finishing in the wrong places; breaking into a thought or else finishing before the thought does.)

2. Does it finish at the end of a thought/passage/paragraph?

3. Is it too long/too short?

4. Does it contain one important point?

5. Does it contain too many important points?

6. Is it the best text for teaching this subject?

7. Is it suitable for the congregation, the occasion, the time of year?

8. Does it contribute to a balanced preaching diet?

Can you think of any other questions that would help beginning preachers select texts?

Bibliography

Here are my Top 10 Books on Preaching. And if you want to read more about how to select a text, here are the relevant passages in various preaching books.

Jay Adams. Preaching with Purpose, pp. 21-26.
J A. Broadus. The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, pp. 19-31.
H. B. Charles, On Preaching, pp. 50-57.
Mark Dever, Preach, pp. 63-78.
Mark Dever, The Westminster Directory of Public Worship, pp. 93.
Sidney Greidanus, The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, pp. 122-140
David Murray, How Sermons Work, pp. 19-34.
Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, pp. 9-22.
Denis Prutow, So Pastor, What’s Your Point,  pp. 53-60.
Haddon. W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching, pp. 53-56.
Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to my Students, pp. 81-96.
John Stott, Between Two Worlds, pp. 213-219.

And here are a few on preaching a balanced diet of varied sermons.

R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric or a Course of Lectures on Preaching, pp. 49-73.
C. W. Koller, Expository Preaching Without Notes, pp. 98-102.
David Murray, How Sermons Work, pp. 59-70.