According to the latest survey by LifeWay Research, most Americans prefer in person preaching to a video sermon when attending worship at a church. About a third (35%) indicated they will only visit churches with services of worship that feature live sermons. Strikingly, less than 1% prefer viewing a video sermon. So What? I have only attended one service of worship that featured a video recording of a pastor's sermon. Prior to that experience, I disliked the idea. Read More …
preaching
Exercising While Preaching?! (#1160)
I have heard more than my fair share of strange preaching habits over the years, but nothing that I can place in the same category as the exercising preacher. Chris Townsend, pastor of Emanuel Lutheran Church (Lodi, CA), believes he is the first pastor to regularly deliver his sermon while exercising. So far he has preached using a yoga ball, riding a stationary bike, and even while walking on a treadmill. So What? Townsend was inspired by members of his congregation to work on his Read More …
Sermon Prep (#1142)
Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently facilitated a Twitter poll asking pastors to share how long they spend preparing a sermon. The results show that most pastors take between 10-18 hours to prepare each message. More specifically: 70% prep between 10 and 18 hours, 15% prep between 7 and 9 hours, 10% prep for 6 hours or less, and 6% devote 19 hours or more to prepare each message. So What? Sermons vary widely in many respects, Read More …
Core Sermons (#1017)
Have you ever thought to yourself (or perhaps even vocalized the idea to others) "my pastor preaches a different sermon every week but really only has a handful of messages to deliver?" In reality, most clergy gravitate to specific themes. Nanette Sawyer, author and the founding pastor of Grace Commons (Chicago, IL), recently shared her own understanding of the five core sermons she preaches. Be here now. It’s where everything is, including God. God loves you and you are Read More …
Review of The Truth Shall Make You Odd (#0316)
Frank G. Honeycutt. The Truth Shall Make You Odd: Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations. Brazos Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781587432637. Meet the Author Frank G. Honeycutt is an ordained Lutheran (ELCA) pastor with twenty-five years of parish ministry experience who currently serves as Senior Pastor of the nearly 900 member Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the author of six books including Marry a Pregnant Virgin: Unusual Bible Read More …
A Year With the Sermon on the Mount (#0236)
For the last few years, I have been studying the life and ministry of Jesus in an attempt to more fully answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” A few months ago I wrote series of posts sharing areas of emphasis in my study of Jesus over the last several years: prayers, parables, priorities, and creed. Recently, I read a blog that has led me to ponder the possibility of spending some time focusing on preaching. That blog, "A Year With the Sermon on the Mount," encourages Read More …