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Here are the notes from today's webinar by Steve Mathewson. Just below the notes are links to many of the helpful resources he mentioned in his presentation. Stay tuned for more webinars in the future!

On November 3, at 10:00 am (CST), PreachingToday.com is going to host a special webinar on how to preach the Mosaic Law in a way that leads to completeness in Christ. Steve Mathewson will be the main presenter, while I'll play the role of host. Steve is pastor of the Evangelical Free Church of Libertyville, Illinois, and has taught preaching for the doctoral programs at Denver Seminary and Western Seminary, and the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a regular contributor to PreachingToday.com, and the author of The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative.

The webinar is less than two weeks away, so be sure to sign up as soon as possible by clicking here. The cost is $9.95.

Hello, faithful readers. I'm not going to be posting for a little while. Stay tuned. I should resume the Intersections, Roundups, and other assorted entries in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience!

For those who attended today's webinar, here are the PowerPoint notes from Skye Jethani's webinar on "Preaching That Deconstructs Culture and Constructs Disciples." Just below the notes are a few suggested resources from Skye and a a few websites that might be helpful. If you weren't able to attend the webinar, I hope this offers a helpful taste of what you missed. It was a great morning. Be on the lookout for more webinars in the future.

Sadly, there will be no Weekly Intersections tomorrow. However, let me tell you why: I'm playing host to a special preaching webinar with Skye Jethani. Remember Skye? He was a guest blogger on this very site a few weeks ago. Skye is the managing editor of Leadership journal, a frequent contributor to Out of Ur, and author of a great book entitled The Divine Commodity, a look at consumerism's influence on American culture and the church itself.

It's possible that a lot of you have heard about this webinar already. If you haven't, no need to worry. Now you know about it, and you can still be a part of it. The one-hour webinar is tomorrow (Wednesday, June 24) at 10am CST. Skye will be talking about the role of preaching in spiritual formation and how sermons can deconstruct culture while constructing disciples. He'll also talk about a sermon series he preached on circumcision as an example. The webinar costs $9.95 and you can sign up to attend by clicking here.

I truly believe this webinar will fill the hole in your heart left by the absence of the Weekly Intersections. Well, it will come close to filling that hole.

I was out all of last week on vacation. Sorry about the lack of posts. I'm going to try and post a few Intersections on Wednesday, but no promises. I've got a lot going on that day. However, the Pop Culture Roundup will be there on Friday. You have my word. Once we get on the other side of July 4th, things should settle down again.

Do you subscribe to the Preaching Connection newsletter? If you do, we're looking for a little feedback to help us know how we can better help you through this corner of our ministry. To show our appreciation for completing the survey, you'll receive a $10 coupon good for anything at ChristianBibleStudies.com. 'Cuz we're nice like that. To take the brief survey, click here.

But let's say you don't subscribe to the Preaching Connection newsletter, and this post makes that glaringly apparent - to the point of profound sadness in your life. Well, let me offer hope. You can sign up for this free weekly newsletter by clicking here.

Over on the Books & Culture site, Tyler Charles, assistant editor of Preaching Today's Faith Visuals, has written a great little piece about LOST - you know, that ABC series on Wednesday nights that everyone in your church is watching. Check it out. It's spoiler-free. I promise!

I have to say I was pretty sad to see the conference come to an end today. In fact, when the Gettys finished the closing song and Alistair Begg offered a final prayer of blessing, it felt like no one really wanted to leave. It's been a wonderfully challening, encouraging few days. Let me offer a few random thoughts, and then I'm off to bed to wake up and catch a flight home.

I just realized that I never posted the entry I wrote yesterday morning about Alistair Begg's session on persuasive preaching. I believe I had just finished it right before my computer died. Sorry about that! I've since posted it for your reading pleasure. It's important that I point that out, because Alistair's session from this morning was an extension of what he shared with us yesterday.

Well, my computer died sometime late this morning. I thought my battery had a little more life left in it, but I was obviously quite wrong. I was in the middle of responding to some questions in the comments section of a previous entry when I got the warning note from my laptop. I finished what I could and shut her down for the day. Now I'm back at the hotel and wish to offer a few closing remarks on the second day here at the Basics conference.

At one point in his session this morning, Alistair Begg shared an aside: "If I go to preach somewhere one more time, and I'm standing in the green room and someone comes up, slaps me on the back, and says, 'Go get 'em!' I don't know what I'm going to do! What do they think I'm doing out there? What do they think we as preachers are doing?" His point was that there is an incredible weight to preaching, a burden. We are, after all, working toward a "Spirit-filled, BIble-based, Christ-exalting message that God would consecrate to his service" (Begg's definition). We are yielding to the Spirit's work to offer persuasive words to stubborn wills. Not easy. Not something to be taken lightly. A responsibility that ought to make us tremble.

Good evening, all. I'm at the Basics conference this week in Cleveland, and I'm going to do my best to pop in from time to time with a few thoughts on what's being shared. We heard from Dr. John Lennox this afternoon. Dr. Lennox has famoiusly debated some of the new atheists (Dawkins, Hitchens, and so forth). I hope to sahre some thoughts on what he had to say. Good stuff; challenging stuff. Stay tuned. John Piper is about to take the stage in a fwe minutes...

My friend and colleague, Skye Jethani (managing editor of Leadership journal and frequent contributor to Out of Ur), has written a great book entitled The Divine Commodity. You should buy yourself a copy. (Really, you should have bought it the day it came out - it's that good, that timely.) In the book, Skye examines consumerism's influence on American culture and the church itself, all while - get this - punctuating his thoughts with a little artwork from Vincent van Gogh.

Though it's always a little dangerous to do so, take a glance at the magazine covers the next time you're standing in the check-out lane at the grocery store. I'm willing to bet the farm that you're going to see something about singer Rihanna on every single cover. The Barbadian singer burst onto the music scene with her so-popular-it-was-actually-covered-by-Keith-Urban-yes-Keith-Urban single "Umbrella." But that's not why she's on the cover of People and US Weekly and who knows what else these days. She's in the news because rapper-boyfriend Chris Brown brutally assaulted her in early February. The details of the attack are horrifying.

I assume all of you have heard the horrifying news: Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, was shot to death during a Sunday morning service. My only thought this morning is this: Let's pray.

Pray for the wife and two children of Fred Winters, for a peace that passes understanding.

Pray for the people of First Baptist Church, for the Body to rise up in love and encouragement and healing.

Pray for the other ministers on staff at First Baptist who will play significant roles in the lives of many hurting congregants, for pastoral strength and wisdom.

Pray for the churchgoers who quickly responded to the event as it was unfolding and were injured in the process, for their continued healing.

Pray for the assailant who is in critical condition from self-inflicted wounds, for his own healing, both physical and spiritual. Though we do not know much about his story right now, we do know that hurting people hurt people.

For some, new technologies are toys you just can't wait to play with. For others, new "gadgets" and "doohickeys" are confounding and, you might say, unnecessary. Others adamantly oppose technological advances (and you luddites know who you are). But for all of us, new inventions are intriguing.

Top Five Movies
1. Friday the 13th (R)
2. He's Just Not That Into You (PG-13)
3. Taken (PG-13)
4. Coraline (PG)
5. Confessions of a Shopaholic (PG)

This last weekend was All-Star Weekend for the NBA. The best of the best in the world of professional basketball took part in skills challenges, a dunk contest, and a game that minored on defense while majoring on electrifying offense (though I must say the defense was a little more intense than in year's past). The festivities put writer Bob Greene in a reflective mood: Why are we giddy when Lebron James takes the court? Why are our eyes glued to the television set when Albert Pujols steps to the plate in the ninth inning (or even the first inning)? Why cheer for a kid named Sidney Crosby? Why did we all average spending close to $200 for a Super Bowl party a few weekends ago? Why do we watch these silly games? Greene asks.

My husband and I recently saw the movie Wendy and Lucy at the Music Box Theater on the north side of Chicago. If you live in the Chicago area and you've never been to the Music Box, definitely go and experience it. It's simple, old-fashioned, and generally shows films of high caliber - films that won't likely ever get to the AMC.

Another trip through cyberspace, another set of links to material that has some real potential for illustrative purposes?

Facebook, the social networking site that's popular among toddlers and grandmas and everyone in between, turned five last week. But despite its millions of fans, here's one guy who kicked it to the curb.

What do sci-fi films, television shows, and novels have to do with the Gospel? Well, our friends at Christianity Today magazine tackle that very question in "Sci-Fi's Brave New World." Here's a slice:

Top Five Movies
1. Taken (PG-13)
2. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)
3. The Uninvited (PG-13)
4. Hotel for Dogs (PG)
5. Gran Torino (R)

After a trip through cyberspace, here are a few stories that might - might - have some real potential for illustrative purposes. As usual, my commentary will be minimal. If you have any ideas as to how to use some of these stories - or how not to use some of these stories - please share them in the comments section.. In the meantime, happy hunting?

Top Five Movies
1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (R)
3. Gran Torino (R)
4. Hotel for Dogs (PG)
5. Slumdog Millionaire (R)

Today we're kicking off a new feature on the blog: Weekly Intersections. We've given you a heads up that the focus of the Preaching Today blog has shifted. We want to create a space for exploring the many places where Gospel and culture meet. Some entries will be fully-fleshed out (see the recent pieces on Tim Tebow and top-ten lists), while other entries will be an open-ended grab bag of possibilities for you to sort through and flesh out as you see fit (see our weekly pop culture roundups and the new feature I'm introducing right this very minute).

Editor's Note: Gordon MacDonald, regular contributor to Leadership journal and current interim president at Denver Seminary, just e-mailed us the following thoughts on the "Miracle on the Hudson River" - thoughts he shared just today with the faculty and students at Denver.

This morning I took a few minutes to watch video of the remarkable rescue effort in the Hudson River yesterday. For a long, long time, this will remain in the minds of people as a highpoint in the American experience. It appears to have brought out the best in just about everybody. And it provides a dramatic contrast to those who, in recent months, have ripped off people for billions of dollars and cared only for themselves.

These themes come to mind from the so-called "Miracle on the Hudson River."

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Gran Torino (R)
2. Bride Wars (PG)
3. The Unborn (PG-13)
4. Marley & Me (PG)
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13)

I'm still reflecting on the implications of one particular item from last Friday's pop culture roundup. I pointed out that on Friday morning, January 19, 2009, the top search item on Google was "John 3:16." (By day's end, it ended up being the sixth highest searched-for item of the day.) Why all the attention for one of the most beloved verses of the Bible? Because of the BCS Championship football game that took place Thursday night between the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners. Florida's quarterback, Tim Tebow, a Christian, came out to play the game with "John 3:16" written on his eye black. People saw it. People wondered what it meant. People Googled it. In my commentary for the roundup, I noted that, stretching beyond the typical issues of "does this sort of thing actually work/should we do this sort of thing," this event exposes a deeper concern about biblical literacy. In short, perhaps this shows that we've reached a new low. I want to talk a little more about that - and one other thought I'd like to hear from you about.

But first.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Marley & Me (PG)
2. Bedtime Stories (PG-13)
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13)
4. Valkyrie (PG-13)
5. Yes Man (PG-13)

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about. But this week we're looking at the year that was - what people watched, read, listened to, and learned about the most in 2008.

Top Ten Movies of 2008 (according to IMDB.com)
1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Hancock
5. WALL?E
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
8. Horton Hears a Who!
9. Sex and the City
10. Quantum of Solace

Most Valuable Preacher (MVP): Tim Keller

Preacher to watch: Matt Chandler

Here are the top ten most-read sermon series of 2008 on PreachingToday.com:

Here are the top ten most-read sermons of 2008 on PreachingToday.com:

Here are the top ten most-read articles of 2008 on PreachingToday.com:

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Four Christmases (PG-13)
2. Twilight (PG-13)
3. Bolt (PG)
4. Australia (PG-13)
5. Quantum of Solace (PG-13)

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
4. Four Christmases (PG-13)
2. Bolt (PG)
3. Twilight (PG-13)
4. Quantum of Solace (PG-13)
5. Australia (PG-13)

What are you preaching this Advent season? Click on the comments section and share your series title with a brief description of the series as a whole.

I'll keep this thread wide open for the rest of the week. This is a great opportunity to stir ideas for each other - so don't be shy!

Eight years ago I bought a Toyota Camry that has served me well in my daily commute to work. But I have discovered one downside: after several close calls, I've learned when changing lanes that I can check all my mirrors carefully and still miss a car that's right beside me. My car has a large blind spot.

I have had a similar experience with a movement I much appreciate: the spiritual formation movement.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Quantum of Solace (PG-13)
2. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG)
3. Role Models (R)
4. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G)
5. The Changeling (R)

Like many of you, I keep an eye on the news throughout the day. Like many of you, I have a few favorite websites I frequent to do so. One of them is CNN.com. Last Friday, while doing a little work for the Friday Pop Culture Roundup, I saw that there was a link to a video interview with Ed Young, Jr (pastor of Fellowship Church, which draws about 20,000 people each Sunday with campuses in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Plano, Texas).

One of the more enjoyable parts of going to the Catalyst Conference in October was getting a chance to meet Kary Oberbrunner. Speaking from a more personal level, Kary's just a great guy. In between two main sessions, we escaped the conference center (and all its noise - man, Catalyst is loud), sat down on a curb, and had a meaningful conversation about life and ministry and everything in between. Which leads me to an observation from a more professional-theological-ministerial level: Kary is a thoughtful guy with a lot of good things to say to the church as a whole - and to us as preachers.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG)
2. Role Models (R)
3. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G)
4. The Changeling (R)
5. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (R)

In this episode of PT Talk, the editors of PreachingToday.com two new articles on the site.

And now for the latest round of Yea or Nay?. Andy Stanley does it. So does Mark Driscoll. Ever heard of Craig Groeschel? Yep - he does it. Ed Young, Jr. Check! Countless others are doing it, too. But should they be doing it? That's the question.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G)
2. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (R)
3. Saw V (R)
4. The Changeling (R)
5. The Haunting of Molly Hartley (PG-13)

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G)
2. Saw V (R)
3. Max Payne (PG-13)
4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
5. Pride and Glory (R)

While talking last week with Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer about the importance of cultural exegesis, he sat up straight at one point, eyes bulging, and said, "Have you happened to notice our culture's obsession with vampires?"

Why yes - yes we have.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Max Payne (PG-13)
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
3. The Secret Life of Bees (PG-13)
4. W. (PG-13)
5. Eagle Eye (PG-13)

In part two of a two-part PT Talk session, Brian Larson, chief editor of PreachingToday.com, chats with pastor and author Steve Mathewson about the challenge of preaching the gospel from the Old Testament. To listen to part one, click here.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
2. Quarantine (R)
3. Body of Lies (R)
4. Eagle Eye (PG-13)
5. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (PG-13)

According to the traditional Catholic calendar, the Feast of St. Luke is held on October 18. I wouldn't have known that little fact if I hadn't been observing the Daily Office with help from Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours. Earlier this week, she urged me to make note of the special date, Luke has been on my mind.

In the latest episode of PT Talk, Brian Larson, chief editor of PreachingToday.com, chats with pastor and author Steve Mathewson about the challenge of preaching the gospel from the Old Testament.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
2. Eagle Eye (PG-13)
3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
4. Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
5. Appaloosa (R)

Due to my being at the Catalyst Conference this week, Friday's Pop Culture Roundup will come a little late (Monday). I'll see you then...

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Eagle Eye (PG-13)
2. Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
3. Lakeview Terrace (PG-13)
4. Fireproof (PG)
5. Burn After Reading (R)

Let's jump back into our new blog series Yea or Nay? We've already covered preaching with notes and preaching politics. Let's take aim at something else.

When I was a kid, every church building I ever visited had at least one thing in common: a pulpit. Some were made of wood, some were made of marble, some were made of a thick plastic that seemed like glass. But the essential fact remained: there was a pulpit.

Well, my discussion of finding preaching opportunities in the current elevation of the antihero in television sure hasn't taken off. Such is life at times. It appears we're getting some really great traffic on my introductory article, so I'll trust we're all thinking about it - albeit quietly.

The good news is that some other entries on the blog have stirred some really great conversation. A lot of you had a lot to say about the dilemma of notes. And more and more of you are starting to open up about the role of preaching in a season of politics. Keep your thoughts coming. I think these are important issues.

With this in mind, I've decided to kick start a new blog series that's sure to be provocative. I'm calling it, "Yea or Nay?"

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Lakeview Terrace (PG-13)
2. Burn After Reading (R)
3. My Best Friend's Girl (R)
4. Igor (PG)
5. Righteous Kill (R)

Once more, let's continue our conversation about finding preaching opportunities in the current elevation of the antihero in the world of television?

If you ever catch my Dad in a particularly nostalgic mood, you can bet he'll talk about two childhood heroes that cleaned up the streets and kept the world safe: Superman and Roy Rogers. You might even get him to quote the stirring introduction of the former ("Faster than a speeding bullet?") and sing the sign-off of the latter ("Happy Trails, to you?"). After that you'll inevitably have to endure a running commentary on all the collectibles in his study. And when the hero worship comes to an end, he'll offer a sigh that says, "Those were the days."

Let's continue our conversation about finding preaching opportunities in the current elevation of the antihero in the world of television?

Two friends are sitting on a couch, watching the latest episode of The Shield. Vic Mackey has just finished beating a little "intel" out of an Armenian mobster. One friend turns to the other friend and asks, "Did Vic really need to beat the guy to a bloody pulp to get the information? I mean, that was a little extreme, don't you think?" The other viewer replies, "Well, you might not like how he did it, but at least he did something!"

One of the goals of Preaching Today - and one of the ever-increasing goals of this very blog - is to help the preacher engage in cultural exegesis. We agree with the likes of Tim Keller, Kevin Vanhoozer, and countless others: some pretty spectacular moments occur when the preacher allows some space for the biblical text at hand to interact appropriately with a cultural text (a movie, a television show, a song, or something that's become so normal that we've missed that fact that it's actually quite abnormal). such interaction should, at times, be contentious, while other times, playful or even supportive.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Burn After Reading (R)
2. Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys (PG-13)
3. Righteous Kill (R)
5. The Women (PG-13)
5. The House Bunny (PG-13)

*Update: The Leadership journal article I reference in this post ("Does Your Preaching Touch Politics?") has gone live. Click here to give it a read.

The last time I checked - which was just this morning - 70 of you had responded to our recent poll. The question: Will you address politics from the pulpit in this election year? The possible answers: Yes, No, Not Sure Yet. Of the 70 who replied: 37 percent said yes; 40 percent said no; 23 percent said not sure yet.

With my bringing attention once again to the poll, perhaps those numbers will change. But for now, let's move forward into some conversation about the matter. I would love to know why you answered how you answered.

Since most who visit the site are a bit quiet, maybe this will help guide the conversation?

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Bangkok Dangerous (R)
2. Tropic Thunder (R)
3. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
4. The House Bunny (PG-13)
5. Traitor (PG-13)

To use or not to use notes? That is the (homiletical) question! My preaching profs taught me to avoid using too many notes, so I don't. In fact, I don't even take an outline to the pulpit with me, save a few lines or phrases sketched here or there in the margins of my Bible. I've tried to preach from a manuscript or a detailed outline or even a general outline, but I feel I personally lose much more than I gain.

What has me talking about notes so early this morning?

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Tropic Thunder (R)
2. Babylon A.D. (PG-13)
3. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
4. The House Bunny (PG-13)
5. Traitor (PG-13)

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Tropic Thunder (R)
2. The House Bunny (PG-13)
5. Death Race (R)
4. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG)

In the latest episode of PT Talk, Brian Larson, chief editor of PreachingToday.com, discusses his preaching journey through the Book of Joel.

Every Friday, the Preaching Today Blog takes a look at the week that was - what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about?

Top Five Movies
1. Tropic Thunder (R)
2. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG)
4. Mirrors (R)
5. Pineapple Express (R)

In the latest episode of PT Talk, the editors of PreachingToday.com discuss the importance of finding the intersection between gospel and culture. We admit the sound on this episode is a bit on the not-so-great side. We were trying something new, and the "something new" turned out to be "something we ought not do." But hang with us - given that our chat was so fun, we feel it's worth a listen despite a few popping "p's" and some volume control issues. We'll get it right next time!

At the start of every new school year, The Beloit College Mindset List is published, offering a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the next generation. As expected, the list finds that this fall's freshman class is unique in how they see the world, hear the world, speak in the world, and experience the world.

Ron Nief, the communications director for Beloit, says faculty members, military officers, and ministers eagerly await the list, hoping to find effective ways to communicate with younger generations.

Click here to read "The Mindset List of the Class of 2012."

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

Top Five Movies
1. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
4. Pineapple Express (R)
3. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PG-13)
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (PG)
5. Step Brothers (PG-13)

In the latest episode of PT Talk, the editors of PreachingToday.com discuss two items worthy of your attention and reflection: a recent conference and a new column on the site.

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

Top Five Movies
1. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
2. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PG-13)
3. Step Brothers (PG-13)
4. Mama Mia! (PG-13)
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG)

Earlier this week, I posted an entry about a few stories to keep your eye on during the Olympics. My post was a wider look at the socio-political-personal human interest stories. Over at the Christianity Today liveblog, Susan Wunderink has posted her own entry on the faith of a few athletes involved in the Games. Check it out when you get a chance. Though we hear a lot of sports figures give a shout out to God, they rarely have such an international stage to do so.

Every week, Preaching Today offers a batch of new sermon illustrations. It's a nice little mix of stories, quotes, statistics, humor, and scenes from movies or television shows. From time to time, the editors of Preaching Today want to take a moment to talk about how they might use a particular illustration in their own preaching.

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

Top Five Movies
1. The Dark Knight (PG-13)
2. Step Brothers (PG-13)
3. Mama Mia! (PG-13)
4. The X-Files: I Want to Believe (PG-13)
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG)

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...

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)

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.

The July 7, 2008, issue of Time magazine features an article by David Van Biema, entitled "And God Said, 'Just Do It.'"

It's not about Nike.

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

Top Five Movies
1. Get Smart (PG-13)
2. The Incredible Hulk (PG-13)
3. Kung Fu Panda (PG)
4. The Love Guru (PG-13)
5. The Happening (R)

In The Writing Life, Annie Dillard compares a writer to an inchworm perched atop a long blade of grass:

Few sights are so absurd as that of an inchworm leading its dimwit life? I often see an inchworm: it is a skinny bright green thing, pale and thin as vein, an inch long, and apparently totally unfit for life in this world. It wears out its days in constant panic.

Our sister site, Outreach and Evangelism Today, has posted an article on Preaching Evangelistically.

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. The Incredible Hulk (PG-13)
2. Kung Fu Panda (PG)
3. The Happening (R)
4. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (PG-13)
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13)

As a part of our current theme of Getting the Gospel Right, we asked a few preachers to share their personal journey in preaching the gospel. Pastor and author Mark Buchanan is up to bat first with The Gospel & Me & You. Mark shares how his "sense of what the gospel is has deepened, enlarged, and in places, changed." Here's an excerpt from his work for you to reflect on in the comments section:

It's a little late - but better late than never, right? I was on vacation last week. Sorry about that. I won't let it happen again. Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about (or at least they were last week)...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)

1. Kung Fu Panda (PG)
2. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (PG-13)
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13)
4. Sex and the City: The Movie (R)
5. The Strangers (Rated PG-13)

In a recent interview with PreachingToday.com, Haddon Robinson had this to say about preaching the gospel.

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Sex and the City: The Movie (R)
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13)
3. The Strangers (Rated PG-13)
4. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Rated PG)

As part of our ongoing theme of "Getting the Gospel Right," Preaching Today has posted the transcript of an interview with Haddon Robinson. In this episode of PT Talk, chief editor Brian Larson points out sections of the interview that have helped him the most in his preaching. Brian and I then take the opportunity to talk about some ways to use a story that's included in this week's fresh batch of illustrations. Click "Play" on the audio player to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player. The illustration that Brian Larson and I reference throughout can be found here. If you're not a member of PreachingToday.com, the illustration is not free. However, we go over it in the recording so you can follow along.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13)
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Rated PG)
3. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
4. What Happens in Vegas (Rated PG-13)
5. Speed Racer (Rated PG)

Just below is an excerpt from a recent interview we did with Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership journal. Take a moment to give it a read and then answer this question: Concerning preaching the gospel, to which school of thought do you associate yourself and why? If neither is a good fit, how would you describe your particular school thought?

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Prince Caspian (Rated PG)
2. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
3. What Happens in Vegas (Rated PG-13)
4. Speed Racer (Rated PG)
5. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)

Perhaps you noticed this week that Preaching Today has officially launched a new theme for preaching skills articles: "Getting the Gospel Right." For the rest of 2008, we're going to wrestle with some important questions: Is our gospel too small? Is it too big? What does it really mean to preach the gospel? To learn more about this theme - and the all-star lineup of preachers, authors, and professors that will be featured in the months ahead - you'll want to give a listen to the newest episode of PT Talk. Click "Play" on the audio player to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player. The article Brian Larson and I reference throughout is Skye Jethani's "Preaching the Gospel: Past, Present, and Future."

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

Our sister site, BuildingSmallGroups.com, recently posted a new download about the power of sermon-based small groups (available for $14.95). Here's a brief overview of the resource:

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
2. What Happens in Vegas (Rated PG-13)
3. Speed Racer (Rated PG)
4. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)
5. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)

Because of the horrifying tragedy in Myanmar (rescue officials think the death toll may climb as high as 100,000), many of us will probably want to lead our congregations through difficult issues like pain and suffering. We've gathered a few illustrations and tagged them as "Free" for the next 30 days to help you in your preaching. Most of these stories come from past tragedies - the tsunami that killed over 400,000 people, Hurricane Katrina, the attacks at Virginia Tech - and obviously speak to the heart of what we're watching unfold in Myanmar.

Every week, Preaching Today posts new illustrations - a mixture of stories, statistics, quotes, humor, and scenes from popular movies or TV shows. As a regular part of our PT Talk sessions, Brian Larson and I would like to take a moment to talk about how we might use some of our illustrations in a sermon. We decided to try this out on a classic: Master Violinist Goes Unrecognized. We felt it was the best illustration of 2007.

To hear us talk about specific and more abstract ways to use this illustration, click "Play" on the audio player below to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

In late 2005, the long-anticipated movie version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released. It went on to earn $745 million at the box office worldwide (and over $1 billion in DVD sales). On May 16, its sequel - Prince Caspian - arrives in theatres. The world is abuzz. It's safe to assume it will be a hit. It's also safe to assume it will open the door to conversations over its Christological content. You might be planning to weave themes from Prince Caspian into your preaching. Here are a few links to helpful resources from our sister sites:

*Update: For some reason our audio player was streaming an older episode of PT Talk. The problem has now been fixed. Sorry about the inconvenience!

Sarah Baldwin, Preaching Today's editorial coordinator, recently ran an annotated bibliography on the theme of Relationships. For this episode of PT Talk, we talk about why you'll want to check this resource out (along with other bibliographies on Emotions, Money, and Spiritual Formation).

Click "Play" on the audio player below, and you can listen to PT Talk via an audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Rated R)
2. The Forbidden Kingdom (Rated PG-13)
3. 88 Minutes (Rated R)
4. 21 (Rated PG-13)
5. Prom Night (Rated PG-13)

We thought that in light of the current news about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you might need some materials to work with in your church. Below are some book reviews and related stories that may help you find a way forward in addressing particular issues concerning Mormonism from the pulpit or in related pastoral settings. Please exercise caution, however, in relating all Mormon practice to the more fundamentalist branch that is being highlighted in Texas. Most of these resources speak to the Mormon faith in general with a few hints of insight into the FLDS.

PreachingToday.com recently ran an illustration that was the unfortunate victim of embellishment. We've posted the corrected version for your records. These retractions don't happen often for us, but when they do, they often happen because of the very issue just mentioned: embellishment. For this episode of PT Talk, we discuss what happened, why it happened, and how to make sure it doesn't happen.

Click "Play" on the audio player below, and you can listen to PT Talk via an audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

Though I can't say I've read everything out there on the subject, I can say that Thomas Long's "Stolen Goods: Tempted to Plagiarize" is the best thing I've read so far about issues pertaining to preaching and plagiarism. Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com, offered the same sentiments when he first received permission for us to run the article. If you haven't read it, take a moment to check it out. Also, we'd love for you to give a listen to the most recent episode of PT Talk to hear us discuss this controversial topic. This entry builds off of thoughts I briefly shared in that audio cast.

PreachingToday.com is currently running "Stolen Goods: Tempted to Plagiarize", an article by Thomas G. Long about the necessity of citation and the damage of deceit in preaching. The editors of Preaching Today wanted to use our new weekly audio feature - PT Talk - to chime in with a few thoughts on this controversial topic. Please use the comments section to share your own reflections.

Click "Play" on the audio player below, and you can listen to PT Talk via an audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Street Kings (Rated R)
2. 21 (Rated PG-13)
3. Prom Night (Rated PG-13)
4. Nim's Island (Rated PG)
5. Leatherheads (Rated PG-13)

PreachingToday.com is currently running "Stolen Goods: Tempted to Plagiarize", an article by Thomas G. Long about the necessity of citation and the damage of deceit in preaching. If you're a member of Preaching Today, you can read it at any time by clicking on the link. Brian Larson (chief editor) and I will be discussing the article and its implications in the next episode of PT Talk (to be posted very soon). In the meantime, here are a few juicy quotes from Long's work:

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. 21 (Rated PG-13)
2. Leatherheads (Rated PG-13)
3. Nim's Island (Rated PG)
4. Horton Hears a Who (Rated G)
5. The Ruins (Rated R)

A section from Gary Thomas's The Beautiful Fight struck a deep chord with me this morning:

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. 21 (Rated PG-13)
2. Horton Hears a Who (Rated G)
3. Superhero Movie (Rated PG-13)
4. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Rated PG-13)
5. Drillbit Taylor (Rated PG-13)

Scot McKnight recently reviewed Anthony Thiselton's The Hermeneutics of Doctrine for the folks at Christianity Today. McKnight offers this synopsis of Thiselton's thoughts on doctrine and belief:

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

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Horton Hears a Who (Rated G)
2. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Rated PG-13)
3. Shutter (Rated PG-13)
4. Drillbit Taylor (Rated PG-13)
5. 10,000 B.C. (Rated R)

PreachingToday.com has posted part three of a three-part article on dialogical preaching. In part three, Bob Hyatt, paints a picture of what a dialogical approach to the sermon event looks like at The Evergreen Community and offers a few ideas for any who would like to introduce dialogue into their preaching

At the National Pastors Conference in San Diego, PreachingToday.com's Brian Lowery got to interview N. T. Wright about his latest book - Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church - and how it relates to preaching. Since we are all in the midst of the Easter journey, his words are timely, challenging, and above all else, hopeful.

Preaching Today: In your book Surprised by Hope, you talk about a deeper understanding of hope "that provides a coherent and energizing basis for work in today's world." How has that deeper understanding influenced your preaching through the years?

Bishop N. T. Wright: [Studying] the Resurrection for an earlier book, Resurrection of the Son of God ? ended up rubbing my nose in the New Testament theology of new creation, and the fact that the new creation has begun with Easter. I discovered that when we do new creation - when we encourage one another in the church to be active in projects of new creation, of healing, of hope for communities - we are standing on the ground that Jesus has won in his resurrection.

PreachingToday.com has posted part two of a three-part article on dialogical preaching. In part two, Bob Hyatt addresses some of the concerns people have with dialogical preaching. In part three - to be posted next Monday, March 24 - Hyatt will paint a picture of what a dialogical approach to the sermon event looks like at The Evergreen Community and offers a few ideas for any who would like to introduce dialogue into their preaching

Every Friday, the PreachingToday blog is going to offer a pop culture roundup so you can see some of the things that are catching the eyes, ears, and hearts of your listeners...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. 10,000 B.C. (Rated R)
2. College Road Trip (Rated G)
3. The Bank Job (Rated R)
4. Vantage Point (Rated PG-13)
5. Semi-Pro (Rated R)

Because we're well aware you're knee-deep in preparing sermons and meaningful worship gatherings for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday, we've combed through all the materials in our database and put together a special Hot Topic on Easter. Click here and you'll find plenty of illustrations, images, and videos that deal with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

PreachingToday.com has posted part one of a three-part article on dialogical preaching. For the first quarter of 2008, Preaching Today has focused on the idea of group sermon preparation. More and more preachers are putting together their messages in community, allowing for insightful, idea-producing dialogue with others. For more about this process, check out our interview with Dave Ferguson on "Group Sermon Preparation" (part one and part two) and an observational piece entitled "Loosening My Grip." For the final stretch of our quarter's theme, we decided to add a twist to the concept: What happens when a preacher engages in a similar type of dialogue - but during the Sunday sermon itself?

Scot McKnight, professor of religious studies at North Park University, Chicago, IL, and author of The Jesus Creed, recently designed a hermeneutics quiz to help us raise questions about how we both read our Bible and don't read our Bible. As Scot is careful to point out in his introduction to the quiz: "No single test can reveal all the nuances needed, but broad answers are enough to raise the key issues." In other words, this quiz will at least help you get a big picture of where you land on a hermeneutical scale. Are you a conservative when it comes to hermeneutics? A moderate? Are there any progressives among us? Take the quiz and find out. Though you'll probably have a few quibbles here and there with the questions and the answers from which you get to choose, I think you'll find it incredibly helpful as a student and preacher of the Word.

You really ought to take a look at Tim Keel's "An Efficient Gospel?" He challenges the reader/preacher with a number of provocative thoughts, including this:

In a modern world, we tend to reduce the complexity and diversity of the Scriptures to simple systems, even when our systems flatten the diversity and integrity of the biblical witness. We reduce our sermons to consumer messages that reduce God to a resource that helps the individual secure a reduced version of the "abundant life" Jesus promised (John 10:10).

How do we contend with the common reductions of the gospel that have come with modernism? In that contention, the over/under factor in championing the gospel's complexity and diversity runs awfully high - you can overwhelm your audience and just as quickly underwhelm them. How have you navigated that tension in your preaching? When was the last time you challenged the gospel presuppositions of your audience, and how did you do it? Any series ideas you'd like to share? Textual ideas? Thematic ideas? Illustrations? Helpful resources?

Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California, has written a short editorial for Leadership journal about preaching on hell. Check it out and swing on back over to the PT Blog to share your thoughts...

John Piper, author and pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota), preached a sermon at the Passion '07 conference on "Gutsy Guilt," insisting that we mustn't let shame over sexual sin destroy us. The folks at Leadership journal adapted the sermon for an article. To read Piper's powerful article/sermon for free, go ahead and click here.

At $57 billion per year, pornography generates more revenue in America than the combined income generated by pro football, baseball, and basketball (according to xxxchurch.com). This is a call for greater resolve among followers of Christ to shed light on the problem, to stop feeding it, and to be honest about where it will take us. Our sister site, ChristianBibleStudies.com, has put together a special Bible study dealing with the ever-difficult issue of sexual addiction. The study is based on selected Bible passages and three moving, insightful articles from the archives of the Christianity Today Library (including the Leadership article based on Piper's sermon). To see an overview of this special study, please click here.

The folks at ChristianityTodayMovies.com have posted a list of the Top Ten Most Redeeming Films of 2007. I think you'll find that it's a pretty eclectic bunch, and there may very well be some fascinating illustrations for you to use as a preacher (with caution, of course).

Our sister site, FaithVisuals, has posted a list of what it feels represents the top media of 2007. You'll surely find some helpful videos, worship loops, and video curriculum to enhance your preaching and teaching.

PreachingToday.com is pleased to announce our 2007 Book of the Year for Preaching Skills. Our two judges and Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com, selected Donald Sunukjian's Invitation to Biblical Preaching. Sidney Greidanus's Preaching Christ from Genesis and Jeffrey Arthurs' Preaching with Variety have received honorable mention.

If you'd like to know more about Invitation to Biblical Preaching and the works by Greidanus and Arthurs, please take a moment to read this article.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Invitation to Biblical Preaching, please click here.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Preaching Christ from Genesis, please click here.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Preaching with Variety, please click here.

Leadership journal recently ran an interesting article about ministering in the age of Zoloft. In a study conducted in 2006, researchers found that over 190 million prescriptions were given for antidepressants. Another worldwide study found that America ranks at the top of a list of countries that suffer from immense depression. That means we preachers are preaching to a congregation whose faces are stained with tears.

Please take a moment to read through the Leadership article. Take a moment to think through your own pastoral situation and your congregational context. How does the current state of things affect our preaching?

If you've recently visited PreachingToday.com, you know that we have announced the first of two 2007 Book of the Year Awards. Our two judges and Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com, selected Greg Heisler's Spirit-led Preaching as the recipient of the 2007 Book of the Year for the Preacher's Soul. John Koessler's Stranger in the House of God was the runner-up.

If you'd like to know more about Spirit-led Preaching and Stranger in the House of God, please take a moment to read this article.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Spirit-led Preaching, please click here.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Stranger in the House of God, please click here.

Next week we will announce the 2007 Book of the Year for Preaching Skills…

Out of Ur recently posted an entry about addressing the issue of politics from the pulpit. Check it out and head back here for some conversation on the matter...

Now that you've read the article, a question begs to be answered: regardless of what the preacher is allowed legally to do, should he/she address politics from the pulpit? Why or why not? If you feel preachers should, to what extent should they address it - should he/she offer something along the lines of a more general, theological overview or something much more specific, like a personal endorsement?

Our sister site, Out of Ur, recently initiated a conversation about the potential dangers of pursuing excellence in ministry. The conversation is built upon an article that was written by Daniel Schantz for Christian Standard magazine. You can find the full article by Schantz here.

The conversation on Ur mostly focuses on big picture issues (i.e. excellence in overall programming). I'd like to hear from you all about something specific: excellence in preaching. What do you perceive are the dangers in pursuing excellence in preaching?

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)

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.

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 clich?: I can't stop listening to it.

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.

The Associated Press has just released the results of a pre-Halloween poll that asked people about their supernatural/spiritual/superstitious beliefs. You can find the results here.

Take a look at this article from copyblogger.com. The idea of confident feet is obviously couched in terms of blogging in this particular article, but I'm curious about your thoughts on the importance and necessity of confident feet in preaching. The author of the article writes:

What I would like to talk about is healthy motion. Like many things, motion when speaking in front of people is a case of balancing extremes. No motion is boring, and too much movement gives off a nervous vibe. Check out this quote from Lin Sexton in a recent column for Worship Leader Magazine:

In case you missed the article in the print edition of Leadership journal, Skye Jethani's "Glimpses of Glory" is now an abbreviated post on Out of Ur. I'd love for you to take a look at what he has to say and then make your way back to the PT Blog to leave a comment or two in reflection. Does Skye have a point about the difference between preaching and teaching? How does this challenge the dichotomy we've often created between visionary preaching and "regular" expository preaching? Is this something you've been wrestling with as a preacher? If not, how would you contest Skye's thoughts? If you have been, how has this challenged and even changed you as a preacher?

Stephen Langton, a professor who later served as Archbishop of Canterbury, added chapter-verse divisions to the Bible in 1205. The widely accepted divisions were then added to the actual Hebrew text (1330) and Greek text (1516). As you well know, the church has never looked back. These are our cherished coordinates in large and small worship settings. Reading plans and preaching plans bend to the traditional framing, telling us when to stop and when to begin again. Would a Bible be a Bible without the little numbers scattered across its pages?

Hopefully you've been able to check out the Preaching Today interview with Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken on preaching for spiritual formation. Mark your calendars: the second part comes out this Friday. In the meantime here's something from the cutting room floor...

How did the topic of spiritual formation in preaching become important to you?

Kent: Our interest in preaching for spiritual formation is directly related to the story of our church. We were a seeker-targeted church that had experienced rather rapid growth in our area. We were having great fun and, in terms of attendance and decisions for Christ, were experiencing great success. By 2000, we were finally in our first permanent, large building, so we no longer had facility demands. This gave us flexibility to evaluate where we were and listen more carefully to what God was saying.

If I could direct you one place today, it would be here.

Read it slowly. Read it carefully. Read it humbly. Oh - and make sure you read Part Two (coming out this Friday afternoon).

Ortberg has some deep, meaningful thoughts to offer you as a preacher and, most importantly, as a simple follower of Christ.

Clark Cothern, a regular contributor to our weekly batch of illustrations, shared this short, but intriguing story. Take a moment to read it, and I'd like to offer just a few words on the other side:

Would you consider yourself successful if you had written a novel a year for 52 straight years? Would you feel successful if you had written shelves of books on mythology, biography, folklore, theology, and travel? One man did all of the above - and in only one lifetime. I kid you not! This one man wrote 85 books in his 89 years on Earth. And get this: the same man even once rescued a young girl from drowning!

But I doubt seriously that you know his name.

In his workshop "The Three Questions of Preaching," Colin Smith examines three questions that guide the preacher toward Christian expository preaching. One of the key questions he lists is, "Does the sermon say what the text says?" Smith argues that if the preacher's answer is an honest "yes," the sermon is more than likely an expository one. He then offers a personal illustration about his coming close to abusing a text from the Book of Micah. In the original recording, he goes a step further to offer another personal illustration that includes a fascinating word about the dangers of topical preaching. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the concern he raises in the quote below:

Our cart was filled with red ink pens, file folders, scotch tape, and blocks of putty for hanging posters. That can only mean one thing for my wife the teacher: back to school. While I walked the aisles beside her, I spotted a family of four. The boy held his dad's hand while he stared back longingly at the bikes. The girl hung her head and walked slowly behind her mother, peeking up every now and then when asked what folder she liked best. I felt like I was watching a funeral. In a way, I was: summer, may she rest in peace.

The same scene is probably being played out right this very moment at your local Target or Wal-Mart. Shopping carts are banging into one another, and they're all filled to the brim with the usual array of school supplies. If two Boston fathers have it their way, there among the High School Musical folders and colored pencils you'll find a backpack - a bulletproof backpack. The long shadow cast by Columbine, Virginia Tech, and other assorted school shootings inspired the two men to design a $175 knapsack that is lined with a lightweight, bulletproof plate. Should a shooting occur, the student need only curl up behind the bag or wear it across their chest for protection ("Back-to-School Armor," TIME [8-27-07], p. 17).

The first book on preaching I ever read was Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching. I was a sophomore at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Illinois. As best I can recall, the syllabus called for us to read it over the course of a month. I read the whole thing in a day, pent-up in my dorm room, trying to ignore blasting stereos and the two guys who always seemed to want to wrestle just outside my door. My roommate was speechless when I explained, "I couldn't put it down." By uttering that line usually reserved for the literary likes of Harry Potter books, Stephen King novels, and other assorted thrillers, I sealed my fate as a nerd; but I was only being honest. That book left my heart racing as a young preaching major, and it still has its hand on my shoulder when I'm preparing a message, urging me to always make my way toward Christ when I ride that ball of fire we call preaching.

Between the preacher and his goal of strengthening Christ's church stands a gauntlet of formidable obstacles. For example, life in a media-driven society pressures ministers to knead into their sermons equal parts content and entertainment, while short attention spans mean they have less than half an hour to strike the perfect balance. If the sermon's dull, the preacher will be called a bore; if it's too exciting, he'll be called a showman. No one should envy the preacher's vocation.

The good news is, you're in good company. I was encouraged by a little book published many years ago that confirmed for me that preachers have faced the same challenges since the very beginning. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood, completed sometime before 386 AD, is the author's attempt to talk his superiors out of ordaining him for the ministry - John has read the job description, and he doesn't want anything to do with it. His reasons may sound familiar.

In Preaching to a Postmodern World, Graham Johnston writes (p. 79):

It's no longer enough just to know one's Bible. Preaching must demonstrate a working understanding of the issues, concerns, and the interaction of people's daily lives, helping listeners to interpret their world from a biblical standpoint.

Look at the apostle Paul's approach on Mars Hill in Acts 17. The apostle evidences some prior inquiry into the nature of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophies, which disregarded any belief in an afterlife.

The preacher in the twenty-first century will be one-part theologian, one-part sociologist, one-part evangelist, and one-part mystic.

From October 2006 through March 2007, Preaching Today surveyed listeners and readers about preaching on family topics. I thought I would put together some highlights from the feedback we received (349 respondents, +/- 5.25 percentage points). Enjoy!

We asked preachers what family-oriented topics should be addressed from the pulpit. As a follow-up question, we asked how many of them had actually addressed those topics from his or her pulpit. Here's what we discovered:

In one of our recent brainstorming meetings for PT.com, Brandon O'Brien (our new editorial assistant) mentioned how the American public is being overrun with remakes, do-overs, and variations of older themes. We all agreed with his assessment of culture. How could we not? All you have to do is go to the movies this summer, and you're going to feel a bit of de ja  vu. The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, sees its theatrical release tomorrow. It's the third part of a trilogy of films that started with The Bourne Identity. The Bourne Identity is a remake of a television miniseries of the same name, starring Richard Chamberlain. All the films are based on a series of books that Robert Ludlum wrote back in the 1980s. Or ponder Ocean's Thirteen. There would be no Thirteen if there hadn't been an Ocean's Eleven two movies prior. And Eleven was a remake of a Rat Pack classic from many years ago. All this and one of the biggest moneymakers of the summer is Transformers - a variation on a cartoon from my youth.

As Pottermania rages at a fevered pitch (with the release of both a new movie and the final book in J.K. Rowling's series), perhaps you are wrestling with what to do as a preacher – if anything at all! The choice is yours, of course, but we thought we would offer a few helpful resources to help you navigate the world of Harry Potter and how it intersects with our own:

An upcoming issue of Preaching Today Audio (Issue #289) features a workshop by John Ortberg on preparing your soul for preaching. Because of limited space on the disc, I had to cut quite a bit of great material. Wonderfully enough, the folks at Leadership have put together an article of some of the material we weren't able to use! Here's something ripe for reflection that Ortberg shared early in the workshop:

The theologian Abraham Kuyper likened the human soul to the tabernacle in the Old Testament. You have an outer court, which is the public domain. That's where you work, where you shop, and where you go to school. Preaching is often done as an outer court activity. I prepare the words ahead of time. I think through what I want to say. I'm very aware of the fact that I'm doing this as a public activity.

You also have an inner court. This is the place where you invite family, friends, and people that you love deeply. You share a deeper level of your life in the inner court. Not everybody gets to the inner court, certainly not your whole church.

FaithVisuals has just posted a provocative interview with Shane Hipps (author of The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church). The conversation is guided by this centering question: "Is video technology in church manipulative?" At the midway point, Hipps ? who has a history in the world of marketing and advertising ? makes this observation about the use of media:

Visual multimedia are probably the favorite medium of the greatest manipulators in world history: advertisers. And I know because I was one! One of the things we discovered was that the absolute best way to move people against their better judgment was through emotion, not reason. Everything we did was to try and give emotional experiences, evoke emotional impressions, and basically ignore the nuts and bolts of the superiority of our product.

In our two-part interview with Wayne Shaw, "The Dire Need for Doctrine" (Part 1 and Part 2), Shaw shared his concern over today's preaching being void of doctrine. Near the end of part one, Shaw offered this interesting insight:

If we're going to form a Christian community into what the Bible calls the church, we're going to have to deal with the major tenets biblically - what we're to believe and what we're to do. In other words, "What marks us as Christians? What marks us as a community of faith?" If we don't know that faith, then we're just joining another organization. That's how serious it is to me.

I returned to my comfort zone last Sunday as I did a final sermon on the full section in Ephesians 4:1–6. (I really do love preaching by sections. I feel there is more balance to my sermons and more rich content to break open.) And this message brought the extra excitement of a doctrinal riff in verses 4 to 6 that offers the life-giving knowledge of God and his kingdom. Nothing gives a sermon greater power and weight than talking about God.