The Proposition is the sermon reduced to one sentence. If one of your members were asked by a friend at work on Monday, “What did your pastor preach about yesterday?” Your church member ought to be able to reply, without hardly thinking, what your proposition was or your sermon reduced to one sentence. “Our pastor [...]
Archive for August, 2009
Seven Steps to Preparing a Sermon, Step 3 (The Proposition, Part First)
Posted: August 28, 2009 in How To Prepare A SermonTags: Bruce Mawhinney, F. B. Meyer, Henry Ward Beecher, J. H. Jowett's The Preacher: His Life and Work, James Braga, Maze Jackson, preaching, Proposition, Robert Delnay
Contrast between Mark Driscoll’s and Mark Dever’s Preaching notes
Posted: August 27, 2009 in Homiletics/PreachingTags: C. J. Mahaney, Josh Harris, Jr., Mark Dever, Mark Driscoll, Mike Bullimore, Ray Ortlund, Tim Keller
Josh Harris has done a series on the preaching notes of some very well known preachers today. He provides a brief bio on each preacher and then an actual sample of the notes each preacher carries into the pulpit. The preachers in the series are Mark Dever, Mike Bullimore, C. J. Mahaney, Ray Ortlund, Jr., [...]
Review of Basic Bible Interpretation: Chapter 12 “Applying God’s Word Today”
Posted: August 21, 2009 in Book Reviews, Hermeneutics/InterpretationTags: Basic Bible Interpretaton, Roy Zuck
Roy Zuck mentions two errors in applying the Bible. 1. The error of believing that interpretation is enough. This view sees the Bible as only an academic source of information rather than a spiritual source of transformation. While information is necessary for spiritual growth, we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the [...]
Review of This Momentary Marriage, Chapter 5: “Pursuing Conformity To Christ in The Covenant”
Posted: August 19, 2009 in Book Reviews, MarriageTags: John Piper, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
In chapter four, Piper stressed the need for mates to forgive and endure the “sinful traits or annoying idiosyncrasies” of each other. In this chapter, Piper is saying the grace of God should so change us “so that less forgiving and forbearing is needed.” Each mate should focus on letting the grace of God change [...]
Review of This Momentary Marriage, Chapter 4: “Forgiving and Forbearing”
Posted: August 17, 2009 in Book Reviews, MarriageTags: John Piper, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
John Piper has emphasized “that marriage is a model of Christ and the church.” Even the temporariness of marriage points to the eternal relationship of Christ and the church. Jesus said, “In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). Piper gives a family [...]
Review of This Momentary Marriage, Chapter Two: “Naked and Not Ashamed”
Posted: August 13, 2009 in Book Reviews, MarriageTags: John Piper, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
Piper contends that “Marriage between a man and a woman was designed from the beginning to be a reflection and display of that blood-bought covenant relationship” because Paul states that the husband/wife relationship “is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32). Therefore “staying married is not mainly about staying [...]
Review of This Momentary Marriage, Chapter One: “Staying Married is Not Mainly about Staying in Love”
Posted: August 7, 2009 in Book Reviews, MarriageTags: John Piper, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
I will be counseling a couple soon to be married. They wanted to read John Piper’s This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence. So I will review each chapter as I read and prepare for our counseling sessions. In chapter one, “Staying Married is Not Mainly about Staying in Love” Piper begins by contrasting the [...]
Review of Vintage Church: Chapter 4 “Why is Preaching Important?” Part 3
Posted: August 5, 2009 in Book Reviews, Homiletics/PreachingTags: Doug Pagitt, Mark Driscoll, Preaching Re-Imagined, Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods
What can church members and other leaders do to help a preacher? 1) Pray often for their preacher and family 2) Show practical love for the pastor’s wife and children especially on Sundays 3) Give the preacher a book and Bible software allowance so he can prepare better sermons 4) Provide for the preacher a [...]
Review of Humility: True Greatness, Chapter 6 “As Each Day Ends”
Posted: August 4, 2009 in Book ReviewsTags: C. J. Mahaney, Humility: True Greatness, Thomas Watson
How can we end the day in a way that cultivates humility and weakens pride? “By reviewing our day and carefully assigning all glory to God for the grace we’ve experienced that day.” C. J. Mahaney quotes Puritan Thomas Watson, “When we have done anything praiseworthy, we must hide ourselves under the veil of humility, [...]
Seven Steps to Preparing a Sermon, Step 3 (The Proposition, Part Last )
Posted: August 29, 2009 in How To Prepare A SermonTags: Dr. Wayne McDill's 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, Haddon Robinson, Harold W. Hoehner's Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, John R. W. Stott, Josh Harris, preaching, Sermon preparation
Here are some of the thoughts John R. W. Stott shared on How to Prepare a Sermon with Josh Harris in an interview. The point, I want to highlight is his insight on the importance of the proposition or step 4. 1. Choose your text and mediate on it 2. Ask questions of the text [...]