Monday Morning Preacher

In this episode we sit down with Jeremy McKeen, pastor in West Palm Beach, FL. Jeremy does a great job reaching the skeptic in his preaching. So we discussed his sermon prep for his sermon “Building Up Your Faith” based on Hebrews 2:1-4. He also shares a fun story about having a preacher of great prominence show up one Sunday morning and listen to him preach. You will have to listen to the podcast to find out who this person was! If you would like to read the sermon discussed in this podcast you can find it here: https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2019/may/building-up-your-faith.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our third episode we sit down with Patricia Batten. Patricia is a pastor, Ranked Adjunct Assistant Professor of Preaching, and the Associate Director of the Haddon W. Robinson Center for Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. We discuss her sermon prep leading up to the delivery of her sermon “God Takes Sin Seriously” based on 2 Samuel 24. But we also dig a little deeper into the impact Haddon Robinson had on her early in her calling as a pastor, but also at the end of Haddon’s teaching ministry. She shares some great nuggets of wisdom she learned from Haddon. If you would like to read the sermon discussed in this podcast you can find it here: https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2019/may/god-takes-sin-seriously.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we sit down with a long time contributor to Preaching Today, Lee Eclov. Lee is pastor in Lake Forest, IL. Let’s just say when Matt Woodley and Lee Eclov sit down to talk preaching it is a lot of fun. Lee has a pastor’s heart and shares from his bountiful wisdom, but this is one of the more winsome episodes this season. So sit back and enjoy two preachers talking preaching. If you would like to read the sermon discussed in this podcast you can find it here: https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2019/may/where-does-my-help-come-from.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to Monday Morning Preacher. For this second season we are going to change things up a bit. We are going to sit down with one preacher in each episode and go behind the scenes of their sermon prep for a recent sermon they preached. In this first episode we go behind the scenes with Geoff Chang, pastor in Portland, Oregon, and discuss his sermon “What Is Success?” A sad event happened in the community of Portland while Geoff was prepping for this sermon. It came out that some leading church leaders were involved in some sinful actions and disqualified themselves from being leaders. And now Geoff has to prepare his sermon on Joshua 6-8, on God’s judgment, knowing people in his congregation are dealing with this recent news. Check out the interview to hear how he handled it! If you would like to read the sermon discussed in this podcast you can find it here: https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2019/may/what-is-success.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some great preachers really know how to meddle. They get under my skin by subverting my comfortable ideas about "successful preaching." The 20th century preacher John Stott was definitely one of those subverters. Did you know that Stott seemed to have a favorite Bible passage for the craft of preaching? It was 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul's near-celebration of his weakness as a preacher. As Stott wryly noted, "Weakness would not be an accurate description of many evangelical preachers today. ... If Paul had enrolled as a student in one of our seminaries, we would have regarded him as exceedingly unpromising material." In our last episode of Season 1, we wrap up with some vintage Stott-ness on the theme of "Preaching Through Weakness." Listen to Uncle John: human weakness is a preacher's friend--assuming it throws us on the resources of the Holy Spirit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you get the biblical text off the page, into your own heart and mind, and then into the lives of your people? Veteran preacher Robert J. Morgan, teaching pastor at the Donaldson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, calls us back to the ancient and "lost art" of biblical meditation. Sure, meditation takes time and effort, but in the long run it actually saves time as the Scriptural big idea and structure become clear through pondering on the text's logic, flow, and emphasis. In this week's episode, I talk to Robert about how to incorporate biblical meditation into your sermon prep process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the time I get up to preach I've been living in the biblical text all week. Word studies, cultural background, theological implications, exegetical insights; I have a truckload of stuff to share about the text. But here's the problem: my people have not been living in the text. Pastor Daniel Fusco, Lead Pastor at Crossroads Community Church, calls it "Bible nerd land." But most of our people, even our Bible-reading, Bible-loving people do not live there. So how do we bring Jesus to our people at what Fusco calls "street level"? I explore that question with him in our latest episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Preaching should stir people to do something, believe something, change something, be something. It should move people to action, heroic deeds, or repentance. In short, lives should change—even if we can't always see it. But here's one of my constant struggles in my preaching: how do I challenge people to grow, love, change, obey, repent, give, etc., without throwing them back on their own pathetic spiritual resources? That is the danger of moralistic preaching. It sounds good (and some people really like it), but in the end it can make people proud, self-reliant, or hopeless. It makes people rely on themselves rather than the infinite love of the Father, grace of Jesus, and power of the Spirit. So in this episode, Kevin Miller and I analyze this harmful approach to preaching—what it is, what it is not, why we slip into it, and how to preach grace without compromising the biblical text's truth and challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you bring into the pulpit when you preach? A complete manuscript, some notes, or no notes? I've always assumed this was one of those technical and trivial issues for geeky preachers. But when my friend Kevin Miller and I started exploring this as a topic for our Monday Morning Preacher podcast, we were struck by how emotional a lot of preachers get about this question. And it really matters. What you bring into the pulpit (manuscript, notes, or no notes) can affect how you connect with your text and with your people. So in this episode we break down the pros and cons of the three primary approaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After preaching for 25 years here's one surprising lesson: God wants to transform my soul through the sermon prep process. Pastor Peter Scazzero, formerly the senior pastor of New Life Church in Queens, New York, calls this process "The Life Cycle of the Sermon." It's a cycle that follows a familiar pattern: birth (you get the sermon idea), death (you struggle to put the sermon together), burial (it gets even worse), resurrection (you preach it), ascension (you leave your sermon in God's hands). We break it all down and show how it can change your life in this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At some point in our weekly sermon prep process we need to slow down, put aside our agenda or preconceived notions, and listen to what God is saying through his Word. How do you do that every week? Of course illustrations and applications are important. But how and when in the process do you take time to get the text right? That’s what we unpack in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, ummmmm, we take a look at, ummmmmm, three important parts of sermon delivery, ummmmm: Movement, Gestures, and, ummmmm, Filler Words. Okay, as you can see filler words can become a little annoying for our hearers. You were probably annoyed with only the four above. But it isn't only filler words that can cause our hearers to be distracted in our preaching. That is why we are also talking about some tips for using movement and gestures to further your delivery. Also, in case you missed it, you should check out Part 1 of this series, but after you finish up this episode. In Part 1 we discuss vocal variety and eye contact. We hope that these two episodes challenge you to take a look at your delivery. Find some ways to grow, learn, and maybe do some things that are a little uncomfortable for you, but it could lead to more natural and normal conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I was about 22 and a new believer when a tall, odd-looking preacher came to my new home church in Edina, Minnesota. They said his name was Haddon Robinson. I can’t remember what he preached on. I just remembered how he preached—with authority and yet tenderness, with eloquence and yet relevance. Haddon had gravitas in the pulpit. He spoke to my heart and my mind. And because he believed and felt what he said in that sermon, my heart was stirred by God’s Word that day. Who has influenced you as preacher? Which preachers have ignited your heart with the high call of preaching? Who are your preaching mentors, preachers who teach you about the craft of preaching? As a consummate, lifelong preaching learner, I need mentors and models of good preaching. We all do. That’s why in this week’s episode I talk with one of my fellow preachers, Bryan Wilkerson from Grace Chapel in Boston, to reminisce about the lessons we’ve both learned from one of our preaching mentors—Dr. Haddon Robinson. Bryan shares some humorous, challenging, and tender stories about this great man of God who has influenced thousands of preachers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I think a lot of us preachers have picked up some bad sermon "delivery habits." Of course I'm a huge proponent of finding your unique preaching voice, but then again, that doesn't excuse my poor, untrained delivery mechanisms, including things like volume, speed, pitch, gestures, facial expressions, and filler words. For instance, when I go off script, I tend to say "you know" a lot. It gets annoying for my hearers. As one of my beloved mentors, Dr. Haddon Robinson (who passed away a few weeks ago), used to say, “While ministers spend hours every week on sermon construction, they seldom even give a few hours a year to thinking about their delivery.” As always, Haddon had a good point. So, in this week's episode we start exploring the basics of sermon delivery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a decade I used to write complete sermon manuscripts, which has one huge plus—I can easily review my preaching trends. About six years ago I noticed I didn’t have a few “trends,” I had some preaching ruts. Every outline, every conclusion, every application in my sermons started to have the same look and tone and focus. How about you? Do you have any preaching ruts? Do you allow every genre of Scripture and every text within that genre to have a fresh structure? Do you preach through “the whole counsel” of God’s Word—not just the parts you like? Do different seasons in your church life lead to different emphases in your sermons? We explore preaching ruts and how to get out of them in this latest episode of Monday Morning Preacher. I even interviewed a minor league pitcher to find out how real pitchers get out of a rut. Check out how his insights about baseball apply to preachers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A friend of mine once described a young preacher this way: "He has some great ideas but they aren't organized. It's like he offers people a bunch of pearls without the string." My friend was talking about how to structure your sermon. The string is your big idea—your central theme based on your text. The pearls are how you line up what you want to say about your big idea. Here's a crucial rule for preachers: some structure is better than no structure. And here's a corollary: a simple structure is better than a complex structure. After preaching for over 25 years, I'm still learning how to make a structure that's textually based, clear, simple, memorable, and transformational. If you want to get some more practical ideas about how to outline your sermon check out this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we feature a very fun topic—how to find illustrations. Where do you go for quality ways to make the abstract truths concrete? (See also our podcast on "The Ladder of Abstraction.") Where can you start cultivating your own repertoire of good stories, quotes, stats, etc., that will help make your ideas pop? In about 12 minutes you'll find some great ideas for these questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here are the typical five stages of my weekly sermon prep process: STAGE 1: Wow, I have a great Bible text and big idea. I could preach about this forever. STAGE 2: Oh, no! What can I possibly say about this subject to fill up the 30-minute sermon time? STAGE 3: I have so much material I could talk for 90 minutes. It’s all so good. STAGE 5: Preach the sermon. You noticed I skipped STAGE 4. That’s one of the hardest parts of preaching—knowing what to cut. Filmmakers call it “the cutting room floor.” I’ve noticed something about my sermons lately: they often get better when I get more ruthless about leaving a little more stuff on the cutting room floor. And I’m talking about leaving good stuff on the cutting room floor—exegetical insights, word studies, witty comments, moving illustrations, and so forth. If you also struggle with “STAGE 4,” then this episode is for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost every preacher has heard the phrase “spiritual but not religious.” It describes the rise of the Nones, folks without a religious affiliation. Some preachers think this trend is a disaster or a chore. Maybe, but Dave Ferguson, co-author of "Finding Your Way Back to God," calls this reality a massive opportunity to reach people through preaching. In this week’s episode we talk to Dave about how preachers can speak to people who are far from God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At PreachingToday.com we talk a lot about the craft of preaching. After all, it is a human craft, which means that we can always learn and grow as preachers. But we're also passionate about the supernatural aspect of preaching. It is God's Word delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit. In this episode we talk to J. Kent Edwards, Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, CA, a guy who literally boils over with his passion for what it means to preach in the Spirit's power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve prayed through your message, done your study and prep, and delivered the sermon. How do you get healthy and helpful feedback? Of course some folks can hardly wait to dump their unhelpful feedback at your feet. And other people will smile, shake your hand, and gush, “Great sermon, pastor!”—which is equally unhelpful. So how do you ask for, seek out, and receive feedback that will help you grow as a preacher? And why is that so crucial to your preaching ministry? We unpack those questions in our latest episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I've preached about 25 Easter sermons in my career, but Pastor Lee Eclov has me beat. He's studied, prayed over, written, delivered and then offered up 32 Easter sermons over his pastoral career. So on our latest episode of Monday Morning Preacher we brought Lee into our studio and asked him how he keeps the Easter message—and the preacher's soul—alive, creative, and in tune with the Holy Spirit. As usual, Lee had some surprising and refreshing insights that fed my preaching soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I've been preaching almost regularly for about 25 years now. Rough estimate, I've preached nearly 1,500 sermons so far in my career. Looking back on those sermons I notice at least one glaring weakness in my preaching—applications, bringing the big idea in the biblical text home to the hearts and lives of your hearers. But I am growing in this area, partially by watching how good preachers apply their text. So, in this week’s episode of Monday Morning Preacher we break down John Ortberg's masterful example of application. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a simple concept that helps make your sermons hit home and then stick. It's called the Big Idea. You can use another term, but at some point you have to be able to say (to yourself first and then to your people), "This is what my sermon is about--one clear idea derived from the text that proclaims the good news of Jesus for my people." In this episode we unpack how to find and preach that Big Idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s a goal for every sermon: let it convey the emotion of your biblical text. Allow your listeners to feel the same emotion that comes through God’s Word. How do we do that? And why would you want to do that? We explore those questions in this week’s episode of Monday Morning Preacher. In the process we feature and then breakdown a clip from Francis Chan—a pretty intense guy. But you don’t have to be like Francis Chan. Let the Holy Spirit work through you and your personality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've done your sermon prep. You have a neat, clean outline with some good illustrations. Now there's one more critical step--bring that message home to the hearts of your people. What do we mean by "preaching to the heart"? Why does it matter so much? And how do you preach to the heart? We explore those questions in this week's episode of our podcast Monday Morning Preacher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Preachers are always looking for ways to disciple deep, counter-cultural followers of Jesus. Of course there’s not a single magic solution to that quest. But every year there is a surprising journey for transformation at every preacher’s disposal. It’s called Lent. What? That dusty old legalistic, Catholic, medieval thing? So give up chocolate for 40 days and think you’re a good Christian? As Aaron Damiani explains, the season of Lent may be a quiet but powerful way to invite your people into deep transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How'd you like to preach with a death threat hanging over your head? When I think of "courageous preaching" I think of a dozen people getting upset for a week or maybe a family leaving the church. But Martin Luther King Jr. faced constant death threats—among dozens of other dangers. What can you and I learn about preaching with courage from Dr. King? In this episode I talk with Rev. Lawrence Aker III, senior pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York—one of Dr. King's frequent preaching stops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abortion. Racism. LGBTQ issues. Divorce and remarriage. Your job is hard enough and fraught with enough controversy. Why in the world would you make it worse by preaching on tough social issues? That’s the question Matt Woodley and guest host Kevin Miller tackle in this week’s episode of Monday Morning Preacher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christmas comes every year. Sometimes creativity can get the best of us. Just ask Matt Woodley, editor for Preaching Today and his Christmas sermon from Revelation 12. In this episode we offer 3 ways to keep your Christmas sermons fresh each year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's episode of Monday Morning Preacher we find out the host Matt Woodley had a case of Keller-envy. So much so that he used the motto "What Would Keller Preach" for a year. But he soon learned that he needed to find his own voice. In 15 minutes we will give you some tips on how to find your own preaching voice to help you be the preacher God has called you to be! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Editor of Preaching Today Matt Woodley and his guest host Kevin Miller break down a clip from pastor John Ortberg and discuss the importance of writing an effective introduction and earning your listener's interest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Editor of Preaching Today Matt Woodley and his guest host Kevin Miller break down a clip from pastor Bryan Wilkerson and discuss the importance of using concrete stories and examples to drive home points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices