The Minister as God’s Sword

Every craftsman must sharpen his tool so his labors will be effective, and every swordsman must whet his blade. This “sharpening” is the topic of the chapter titled “The Minister’s Self-Watch in Spurgeon’s book Lectures to My Students. Spurgeon said, “We are in a certain sense, our own tools, and therefore must keep ourselves in order.ContinueContinue reading “The Minister as God’s Sword”

On the Choice of a Text

There are over 31,000 verses in the Bible. How do you pick one for your sermon? Where do you start? For Spurgeon, the selection of the passage for the next sermon was a major part of sermon preparation. Indeed, it can be a herculean task – perhaps even more difficult than the actual writing ofContinueContinue reading “On the Choice of a Text”

“What Should I Preach About?” – Spurgeon’s Answer

Today, I’ll discuss Spurgeon’s chapter titled “Sermons – Their Matter” by sharing the five lessons I learned that helped me become a better preacher. If you’ve ever done any preaching, you’ve probably had to wrestle with the basic question “What should I preach about?” By asking that I don’t mean, “What should my sermon topicContinueContinue reading ““What Should I Preach About?” – Spurgeon’s Answer”

The Preacher’s Private Prayer

So begins Charles Spurgeon’s very convicting chapter titled “The Preacher’s Private Prayer” in his famous book Lectures to My Students. In this chapter, Spurgeon answers the question “how should a preacher pray in his own private prayer time?” His answer is simple: we should pray as ministers. Here’s what that means (four observations): First, It meansContinueContinue reading “The Preacher’s Private Prayer”