INTRODUCTION:And so we are expecting the rise of Samuel, and the fall of the house of Eli. Eli warned his sons of this, and a prophet warned Eli. And now the word of the Lord comes to Samuel for the first time, and it is a word that highlights the loneliness of a prophetic calling. …
How Sudden Turns Teach
“Although not every joke form contains as radical a reversal . . . nonetheless, the humor is occasioned by the sudden shift which is unexpected . . . This sudden reversal in preaching comes as the clue to resolution reverses the train of diagnostic thought. The resultant shock does not come in the form of …
Song of Hannah
INTRODUCTION:God heard the prayer of Hannah, and He gave her a son. She understood what was at stake, and utters a glorious psalm of triumph, a prayer that served as a model for our Lord’s mother, Mary, when she triumphed in much the same way. The horn of Hannah was exalted—and this is a striking …
Because Motives Are Only Two-Dimensional in Bad Fiction
“The preacher who does not dirty his homiletical hands with the fact of the deeper and quite fluid complexity of the motive world will not be trusted in the sermon, in a counseling chamber, or in the church board meeting” (Lowry, The Homiletical Plot, p. 46).
Which Hinders the Cure of Souls
“The greatest single weakness of the average sermon is the weakness of diagnosis” (Lowry, The Homiletical Plot, p. 41).
Not Lost, Just Not There Yet
“While one should not give away the plot resolution, one must give direction to the ambiguity. The congregation nees to know the specific direction of the plot and some of what is involved, but without having the clue to resolution disclosed” (Lowry, The Homiletical Plot, p. 38).
But Only As Long as You Are Facing Christ
“If you preach from your weakness, you’ll never run out of material” (Andy Stanley).
Better Listen to Pilate
Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the leaders of the Jews delivered Jesus up (Mat 27:18). We know that Pilate was not a godly or a courageous man — he failed to deliver Jesus even though he knew He was being railroaded, and even though his wife had sent him a message …
Why All Other Titles Should be Interesting
“It should be noted in passing that this is an important purpose in an announced or printed sermon title — to help upset the equilibrium. Most titles tend to do the reverse. They appear to be drawn from the sermon’s conclusion (the scratch rather than the itch). As a result, the preacher has to move …
Birth and Dedication of Samuel
INTRODUCTION:We begin this story with the birth and dedication of Samuel. As with many of God’s great men, Samuel’s birth was remarkable. God loves the pattern of death and resurrection, and He also loves the pattern of barrenness followed by fruitfulness. We can see the same truth in how He makes the wilderness become a …