Today’s episode is about the preacher’s voice. Let’s dive in with Spurgeon’s 3 Lessons on Using Your Voice properly and 7 tips on caring for the voice. I. When it comes to preaching, don’t use an affected voice. Spurgeon said that “scarcely one man in a dozen in the pulpit talks like a man.” ByContinue reading “On the Voice”
Tag Archives: preaching
Spurgeon on Spiritualizing
Have you ever been subjected to a sermon that was vulgar, perverted, or just plain unbiblical? Chances are, it was an example of bad spiritualizing. Today’s episode is about the chapter titled “On Spiritualizing” in Spurgeon’s book Lectures to My Students. What is spiritualizing? It is applying a spiritual meaning to something – specifically for preachers, itContinue reading “Spurgeon on Spiritualizing”
How You Can Know If You Are Called to Preach
In any discussion regarding the call to the ministry, the question often asked is “How do I know if I’m really called to preach?” It is a good question – and an important one. In addition to being sure of his salvation, the pastor should be sure of his divine commission to the pastorate. ForContinue reading “How You Can Know If You Are Called to Preach”
Unbelievable Preaching
Few things are as dishonoring to Christ and His cause as boring sermons. Preaching should be heralding the riches of God’s glory, calling sinners to repentance, and edifying the saints. Instead, it is often the instrument by which God is portrayed as irrelevant, sinners are bored to tears, and the saints are afflicted with habitualContinue reading “Unbelievable Preaching”
The Easiest Way to Instantly Improve Your Preaching
The simplest way to improve your sermon delivery is to make eye contact with your audience. Some public speaking coaches will tell you to stare at the back wall to mitigate nervousness. Do not do this. It ruins your delivery. Other preachers make the mistake of preaching at their pulpits with only the briefest ofContinue reading “The Easiest Way to Instantly Improve Your Preaching”
The Call to the Ministry: Did Your Phone Ring?
Summer is coming to an end, the youth conference season is closing, and new college recruits are packing out their Hondas and heading off to train for the ministry. I always reminisce this time of year. Recently, my mind traveled back to a day in college long ago. I was a freshman. One morning, oneContinue reading “The Call to the Ministry: Did Your Phone Ring?”
One of My Favorite Journals
Andrew Bonar: Diary and Life by Andrew A. Bonar My rating: 5 of 5 stars Several years ago I was given this books as a gift from a dear friend and church member. I began to sip from Bonar’s cup over these years (diaries are best sipped), and then last month I decided to guzzleContinue reading “One of My Favorite Journals”
In the Shadow of the Broad Brim: A Book Review
In the Shadow of the Broad Brim by Richard Ellsworth Day My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a well-written, light biography and therefore a good introduction to the life of Spurgeon. If Spurgeon’s own autobiography seems too large, I recommend Day’s work. I appreciate how the author divides the book into aspects ofContinue reading “In the Shadow of the Broad Brim: A Book Review”
On Sermon Length
Question: How long should a sermon be? Answer: A sermon should be long enough to impress the truth on the people’s hearts, and no longer. Let me explain: Most sermons could be distilled down to a paragraph or shorter, but if a sermon consisted of 45 seconds of reading an explanatory sentence, then the peopleContinue reading “On Sermon Length”
"He Loves God A LOT!"
It’s funny how people take to different styles of preaching. Some folks view the loud preachers as condemnatory and mean. Not my daughter Moriah. Recently we enjoyed a vacation in Tennessee with my in-laws. On Sunday we visited a Baptist church in the area (Pigeon Forge). The preacher there was one of those (as IContinue reading “"He Loves God A LOT!"”