Marks of Good Preaching - Avoiding Illustration Delusion
What happens when sermon illustrations are used improperly?
Marks of Good Preaching - Don't Avoid the Growing Pains
Is simple preaching a good thing? And what are some of the results of simple preaching?
Marks of Good Preaching - Accountability
“Good preaching comes from a preacher that has accountability.” Why is that?
Marks of Good Preaching - Christward
How does your preaching demonstrate Christ to the listener?
Marks of Good Preaching - You Are Not the Main Character
To the preacher who seeks to understand God and relate that understanding to the people, every single passage comes to life!
Marks of Good Preaching - Stable and Learned
A Berean Christian is aware of what real Bible preaching is and should be.
Marks of Good Preaching - Straight Lines and the Reasonable Person Standard
One must be able to draw as straight of a line as possible from the intent of the passage to the application one is making.
Marks of Good Preaching - Original Intent
Without authorial intent, God's people have different opinions of what passages mean based on their desired outcome.
Marks of Good Preaching - Thoughts on Sermon Criticism
The proper method of sermon criticism, and why you should be utilizing it.
Observations About Christians with Conspiracy Theories
It is usually not recommended to argue with a conspiracy theorist about these things, but Kay suggests that if you must, go small… That seems counter-intuitive. It is.
Two Litmus Tests for Prospective Church Members
What they evaluate most, is usually the pastor, the one speaking publicly, the “face” of the ministry. They’re deciding if they can place themselves under the care and authority of someone like you. This is why it hurts any time someone leaves. They’re saying, I can be led by many different people in my life, just not you.
A Medical Professional in Pastoral Ministry — Part 2
Medical people like talking to other medical people because you don’t have to translate. So, the staff talks to me like a regular person. And then sometimes the person I’m visiting outs me with something like, “This is my pastor. He’s a medical person too.” Then they change how they speak to me. For some reason, it's more fun if they just don’t know.
A Medical Professional in Pastoral Ministry — Part 1
I’m full-time in the ministry. That confuses some people when I tell them that I also work around thirty hours per month as a Diagnostic Imaging Technologist (this is not a type of nurse). They say something like, “So, you’re part-time in the ministry then?” No. I’m full-time in the ministry.
I'm Warning You to Encourage People!
I know for me, I stink at encouraging. Sure, I can do it, and I do do it. It just doesn’t come as naturally to me as warning does. Does that mean I’m a negative person? Probably.
How Scared are You of Being Misunderstood?
Has the fear of being misunderstood become obsessive for Independent Baptists, like a mental tick? Has it forced us into utter silence among our peers and others? Is there a point at which the wisdom of being careful with words turns into selfishness because we’re afraid of looking bad or ignorant?
Something I Want My Kids to Know About Vocational Ministry
I write this one with some hesitation. People complain about ministry online. Perhaps they want sympathy? I don’t care about getting sympathy.
What Keeps Me Busy?
I have unsaved friends and acquaintances all over the place. I work with them, do business with them, help them when they need it. They almost all still just know me as “Pastor Tom” no matter what my relation is to them.
Can God Use Men Who are not Natural Leaders?
We tend to think of born leaders as just aggressive, overzealous, and ambitious people, always whipping out their sword at the wrong time (John 18:10) or taking matters into their own hands, but…
Deep Fakes and Silly Preaching
While the people of the world are certainly concerned about their reputations, I believe it is the people of God, in particular pastors, whose testimony must be guarded more than others. What if "Deep Fake" technology were to be used in destroying the credibility of spiritual leaders?