The Homiletics Online Blog
As preachers, we spend most of our time trafficking in words. We’re constantly thinking about the words we’re going to speak to a congregation each week, which also means studying the Word of God in the words of the Scriptures. Then we deliver those words and receive the words of encouragement (or rebuke) from the…
Christmas Eve is almost here, but we know it’s been on your mind for a while. You started planning sometime in September or October, psyching yourself up for the big night like a pro football player prepping for the Super Bowl. You ordered the manger-themed bulletin covers and decided to get a few more than…
’Tis the season to be … what? Grateful? Jolly? Joyful? For many, it’s the season to be depressed. Yes, we’d all like to feel thankful sitting down to a Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones or celebrating the joy of the Nativity, but the sad fact is that the holiday season can be a time of…
During this holiday season, after many months of separation due to the pandemic, we honor God who willingly sent his only Son to repair the connection with humanity that had been broken by sin. Reconnecting with family, friends and community members is one way we can celebrate what God has made possible through his love. …
In Homer’s Iliad, a scene depicts a footrace between Odysseus, the hero, and his rival Ajax. As the race plays out, Ajax breaks out to a big lead and it soon becomes obvious that Odysseus is going to lose. As they come down the home stretch, Odysseus does what athletes seem to have been doing…
You’ve just finished writing an epic sermon that is sure to cause your congregation to be overwhelmed by the Spirit. They’ll marvel at your stunning command of biblical exegesis and the brilliance of your powerful illustrations. This one is definitely a home run — a grand slam, even. Problem is that your finished draft is…
A sermon is a divine encounter with God’s Word through a messenger — a preacher. There are good and bad sermons, but how does a preacher design and deliver a perfect sermon? Here are 10 ways to preach a perfect sermon. 1. Keep it short The attention span of adults is now shorter than a…
I was preaching not long ago and invited people to turn in their Bibles to a certain chapter. Not hearing the familiar rustling of onion skin Bible pages, it occurred to me that my audience was not packing. I asked Bible-toting believers to wave them in the air. Nary a one. I made some smart…
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.—Groucho Marx Summer is the time when many preachers get to read books. Congregational life slows down just a bit. Accrued vacation time is often taken during these months. A good book is always…
“In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,” wrote Tennyson. What the poet chose to leave out, however, is that in the same season the fancy of many young women turns to thoughts of a wedding. Those of us who deal professionally with couples and their wedding ceremonies often find…
