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If you’re thinking about reading through the Bible in 2008, or if you’re going to encourage your congregation to do so, here is some information which you might find helpful. I ‘did the math’ several years ago, and I’ve used this data to create a variety of plans to read through the Bible in a year.

I offer this information in the spirit of James 1:22-25 which makes it clear that people who are blessed by God are those who listen to the Word (intake) and then do it (output).

My gift to you on this Christmas Day in 2007 consists of some thoughts which will nourish a preacher’s soul. For these thoughts to form in your mind, you’ll need to listen to a haunting Christmas song sung by Bing Crosby, reflect on an essay by C. S. Lewis, and focus on what one New Testament scholar describes as the moment to which the whole Bible points.

The news that singer-songwriter Dan Fogleberg died earlier this week stirred something inside of me. Part of it had to do with some limited contact I had with Dan’s father, the “leader of the band,” during my high school days. Part of it had to do with the cause of his death. The exact same illness which took Dan’s life took my father’s life five years ago. But an even bigger part of the soul-stirring had to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ that you and I have the privilege of proclaiming week after week.

Here are the top ten PT blog posts from 2007. Enjoy—and please feel free to leave a comment or two in spite of being late to the party!

1. When Biblical Illustrations Are a Bad Idea

2. When You Have to Prepare More Than One Sermon per Week (part one and part two)

FaithVisuals is offering a free series of Christmas/Advent videos that deal with consumerism, priorities, and giving. Click here to take advantage of this special offer.

“Where do you find time to read?” I frequently get asked that question by fellow preachers or preacher-in-training. Quite frankly, I never read as much as I’d like to read. A line from a Michael Card song – taken out of context, I’m sure! – is my mantra: “So many books, so little time.” Still, I have found at least a couple disciplines which work for me.

I recently heard the most powerful sermon I've heard in a long time. In just a few minutes, the speaker filled an overly familiar phrase—Merry Christmas—with profound meaning and left me awestruck by the Word of God.

This topic is raging about on the Internet--perhaps due to Willow Creek's recent revelation. Any thoughts you'd like to share from a preacher's standpoint?

For the last month, I’ve been using a helpful new study tool during my sermon preparation. This resource took over ten years to complete, and it amounts to 1161 pages of text, not counting the indexes. Yet, I love it because it’s concise and user-friendly.

My refuge from the musical monotony of the Christmas season has been Sufjan Stevens' five-disc set, Songs for Christmas. I wanted to buy it when it came out last year because I think Sufjan is one of the more exciting artists out there these days. But a certain lack of cash snowed on my parade. This year I finally got my hands on it, and I'm not sure what else to say except that which is cliché: I can't stop listening to it.

Transparency by the preacher makes a powerful impact on listeners. You know that, and I know that, too. Yet, I was still surprised last Sunday at the effect of sharing a brief internal struggle which played out in my mind a few days prior to my sermon.

In case you missed it last week on the Out of Ur blog, Skye Jethani offers some insightful thoughts on ministry in this Advent season.

A challenge I face in my Advent sermon series from the book of Revelation is helping listeners understand how apocalyptic literature works. The same challenge surfaces when preaching from Daniel or parts of Ezekiel. But I’ve discovered an analogy which really connects with people and promotes understanding!

In recent years, I’ve preached Advent sermons on the birth narratives (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2), on Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah (Isaiah 9, Micah 5, etc.), and on biblical themes from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia. I needed to prepare something fresh this year, so I’m doing an Advent series from the book of Revelation.

Some of the richest theology concerning Advent is found in the songs we'll sing together in the weeks ahead. Theologians, professors, and preachers have much to offer, but both head and heart are often most moved by the work of musicians. It's maddening, isn't it? You slave over a sermon for hours on end, but it is only when the little girl with blonde curls stands up to sing "Away in a Manger" that the crowd swoons over the startling majesty of the Incarnation.