“We ought to preach in such a way that, if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our sermons are utterly incomprehensible” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 83).
Mission, Vocation, and Body Life
Introduction: As you have heard here before, mission is not something the church does on the side. Mission is at the heart of what the church is. And so, outreach, mission, evangelism, church planting all amount to the same thing. In this fallen world, the church should be about two things—birth and growth, and mission …
So Not Just an Indoor Job With No Heavy Lifting
“Preaching is hard work, requiring the cultivation of a host of skills that are difficult to develop” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 72).
A Pitiable Lot
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #180 “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:18–19). If the dead are not raised, then …
Yeah, Imagine That
“Imagine being asked to stand before a grand gathering of the good and the wise and being asked to make a speech about goodness, beauty, the meaning of life, the point of history, the nature of Almighty God, or some such high subject and having no material at your disposal but an account of a …
Veiled Pulpit Arrogance
“False humility in preaching is a kind of veiled arrogance that proudly asserts its own vaunted humanity and refuses to bend one’s life in service to the Word” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 61).
The Difference Between Salad and Garbage is Timing
“Ministers must use great wisdom and discretion in managing their public discourses . . . They must preach necessary and seasonable truths” (Foxcroft, The Gospel Ministry, p. 27).
Surveying the Text: Ecclesiastes
Introduction: Most cheerfulness in the world is superficial and shallow. Much deep thinking is melancholy. This great Hebrew philosopher calls us to joy—but joy which thinks deeply. Our word profound comes from the Latin profundus, which means deep, and so we are invited to profound joy, not joy that skims along the surface of things. …
You Have to Think About This One for a Minute
“Any preacher who does not fail, and fail dramatically and often, to communicate the good news is not communicating the good news that is Jesus Christ” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 53).
Working in a Thick Medium
“To be a biblical preacher is to relish the delight of working so thick, demanding, and resourceful a medium as Holy Scripture” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 49).