Subscribe!

As for what to expect in this newest episode…

In "Preaching to a Tempting Choir"—an article for GetReligion.org—Terry Mattingly reflects on a controversial sermon that Father Michael Pfleger preached at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, in late May 2008. Pfleger pretended to be a tearful Hillary Clinton, angry over Obama stealing what she felt was "entitled" her: the U.S. presidency. If you've seen the video of the sermon, you know that his words were met with wild applause, much laughter, and hearty amen's, pushing him to keep the shtick up just a few moments more (which he was more than happy to do).

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies
1. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
5. Mama Mia! (PG-13)
3. Hancock (PG-13)
4. Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG)
5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (PG-13)

McCain stands on the right, Obama stands on the left, and they are perfectly willing to play tug-of-war over us for our allegiance. So here's the question: are you going to address politics from the pulpit in this election year? We would love to hear from you. If you haven't yet done so, take part in our poll. Right now we've only heard from a handful of you. We know there are thousands more out there who read this blog, and we're pretty sure you've been wrestling with this very issue...

Share this:

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies
1. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (PG-13)
2. Hancock (PG-13)
3. Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG)
4. Wall-E (G)
5. Wanted (R)

In parts two, three, and four, Leighton Ford shared how the gospel can be shared in fresh, visible, and credible ways. In this final entry in our blog series, Ford shares how the gospel can be made most accessible.

In parts two and three of this blog series, Leighton Ford shared how the gospel can be shared in fresh and visible ways. In this entry, he shares how the gospel can be made credible, winsome, and strong.

In part two of this blog series, Leighton Ford shared how the gospel can be shared in fresh ways. In this entry, he shares how the gospel can be made visible in every sermon.

Are you going to address politics from the pulpit in this election year? Take our new poll that's located in the blog's left sidebar.

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies
1. Hancock (PG-13)
2. Wall-E (PG-13)
3. Wanted (R)
4. Get Smart (PG-13)
5. Kung Fu Panda (PG)

Are you looking for a preaching workshop to attend this year? I recommend the 2nd annual Workshop on Transformational Expository Preaching hosted by Colin Smith, voice of Unlocking the Bible and pastor of the Arlington Heights, Illinois, Evangelical Free Church, and featuring Michael Easley, president of Moody Bible Institute. See UnlockingTheBible.org or call 866-865-6253.

In part one in this series of blog entries, Leighton Ford shared how every sermon should have the gospel at its core and an invitational edge. This invitational edge means the gospel must be presented in a manner that is clear and fresh, visible, winsome and strong, and urgent and compelling. But what does that look like? In this entry, Ford begins to unpack his convictions with a look at how we can preach the gospel in clear and fresh ways.

The late Henri Nouwen in Preaching and Ministry wrote that practically no one comes to church expecting to hear something they did not already know. "The last thing they expect to come from a pulpit is any news."

Every sermon should have the gospel at its core and an invitational edge. This is not to say that every sermon should aim at not-yet-believers. Most sermons will be heard by people who already have some knowledge of Jesus. But every sermon needs a spirit that invites people to follow Jesus.

How could George Buttrick have known one Advent Sunday morning at Madison Avenue Presbyterian in New York that a struggling young novelist would be present, or that a single question ("Are you going home for Christmas?") would be the spiritual pivot point for Frederick Buechner?

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies
1. Wall-E (PG-13)
2. Wanted (R)
3. Get Smart (PG-13)
4. Kung Fu Panda (PG)
5. The Incredible Hulk (PG-13)

By now many of you have probably witnessed the media storm surrounding Gloucester High School. Seventeen girls who attend the Massachusetts school are pregnant—more than four times the number of pregnancies of the previous year. Teenage pregnancy is nothing new. Seeing lots of pregnant teenagers is nothing new. But the possibility of some sort of pact that found the girls wanting to all get pregnant at the same time? That's new. Gloucester principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine that after a little investigation, he had learned that the girls were getting pregnant on purpose—even reacting to the news of positive pregnancy test with "high fives and plans for baby showers."

My, how the times have changed.

But just before I put together an illustration about the whole mess for Preaching Today, I learned that there might be more to the story.