I recently shared some notes setting out what I’m looking for from a preacher.. I suggested that we are looking for, in terms of content: I would suggest that in recent years, the emphasis has tended to be more and more on the first of these with a nod to the second. That to some… Continue reading The forgotten objective of preaching and why it matters
Tag: preaching
Where do you stand?
The Ukrainian situation has changed dramatically in the past few months. The rhetoric from Britain and America for most of the war has been that we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainians as they face down Russian aggression. However, since President Trump’s inauguration, it has been clear that the US sees itself as having… Continue reading Where do you stand?
Does preaching carry the same authority as Scripture? A response to Julius Santiago
A friend asked the question recently on Facebook “What do you think preaching is?” They offered three options: I opted for “other”, or perhaps a slight modification of the first option. Preaching is the application of Scripture to the hearts of a congregation assembled together. The prompting for the question was a new book, “Preaching… Continue reading Does preaching carry the same authority as Scripture? A response to Julius Santiago
Nostalgia and jars of stones
Steve Kneale wrote recently in Evangelicals Now about the danger of nostalgia. He was responding to a recent spate of articles letters and blogs which seem to harp back to some golden era in the life of the church when churches held three teaching meetings a week and the pastor led all of them. David… Continue reading Nostalgia and jars of stones
Recruiting a new pastor: What to look for when listening to them preach
Some jobs give the candidate opportunity to demonstrate one of the core skills. Whilst it is very difficult to observe a counsellor or engineer in action, you can observe a teacher at work and you can check out whether or not a potential pastor can preach. Of course there is always the risk that the… Continue reading Recruiting a new pastor: What to look for when listening to them preach
Haggai and Nehemiah – background
This autumn our church are going to be looking at two books of the bible which take us into the period of history after the Jews return from exile in Babylon and Persia where they had been dispersed to due to their sin and rebellion against God. A bit of historical background to show how… Continue reading Haggai and Nehemiah – background
Should pastors expect to preach 3 times a week?
As a follow up to John Brand’s open letter to those training people in church contexts, a further letter to the editor appeared in the next month’s issue from David Randall. You can read it here but it may be behind a pay-wall. So, in summary, he contrasts what Brand had referred to as “real-world… Continue reading Should pastors expect to preach 3 times a week?
An open response to an open letter in Evangelicals Now about training future pastors
This first appeared as a letter in Evangelicals Now here. Evangelicals Now have recently published an open letter from John Brand, principal of Edinburgh Bible College. It’s addressed to “church leaders training men for ministry.” Well, that kind of sounds like me, so I hope that John and EN will accept an open letter in… Continue reading An open response to an open letter in Evangelicals Now about training future pastors
Prophecy and the excluded middle
Sometimes’ a football team’s strategy is to hit the ball long, consistently bouncing it between defenders and strikers so that the midfielders become passive observers. The middle of the pitch is excluded. There are ways in which we can exclude the middle too. There is a tendency I think for churches to think in terms… Continue reading Prophecy and the excluded middle
The preacher
Jesus’ baptism and temptation mark the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus returns from the Jordan river and begins preaching, visiting synagogues on the Sabbath and addressing the crowds which begin to be drawn to him as he starts to do miraculous signs and heal the sick.[1] Note that Matthew specifically links this with John’s… Continue reading The preacher
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