We hear so often today in diverse ways and places, that preaching needs to be ‘seeker sensitive’, that the language and the concepts used in our sermons have to be accessible to the unchurched in such a way that they will immediately comprehend the content and be gripped by the message. If we don’t do [...]
tim harris – preaching and a counter-cultural worldview
‘Worldview’ seems to be the buzzword of our times, but it brings a helpful focus to the task of preaching. The notion of worldview orientates around perceptions of our world, both as we experience it and as we identify order within it. It is hard to identify our own worldview because we absorb so much [...]
paul davison – the encouragement of old sermons
Back in May, John Tucker talked about sub-Christian Sermons. This was his opening shot: Do you ever go to your sermon file looking for an old message to rework and preach again? My experience is that it can be a little depressing. Invariably, I come across some old manuscript and think to myself, ‘Did I [...]
not future perfect – andrew butcher
It’s 2051 and you’re standing up to preach to your congregation. What might they look like? They will be old. Over 25 percent of New Zealanders will be over the age of 65. They will have life experience, but also be facing issues of ill-health and mortality. They will be ethnically diverse. Statistics New Zealand [...]
jonathan robinson – preaching under fire
I am a cynic. I am naturally prone to doubt everything, not because I have an especially strong bent to rationalism but because I don’t trust other people to be rational, or even myself for that matter. For example as a young associate pastor in London I remember a visiting team of young missionaries getting very [...]
sean du toit – serving your community
Through a series of circumstances, my wife and I have had the privilege of joining a newly established community of faith. Throughout this process, a key question is: “How much does the community itself affect the content, style and type of preaching in that community?” This is the question that has plagued me over the [...]
geoff new – the rising cost of electricity
I wonder how many sermons could still be preached this week if the national power grid failed early Sunday morning. I wonder how many preachers would be wailing and gnashing their teeth because their sermon depended upon PowerPoint, YouTube or that must-see-movie-clip? But now there is no data-projector which means there is no multi-media which [...]
lynne baab – preaching about friendship
Alert! Blatant, unashamed (but brief) self-promotion coming… My book, Friending: Real Relationships in a Virtual World, was recently released and is available in bookstores and from online book sellers. It focuses on friendship as a Christian spiritual practice in this Facebook age, and I hope and pray it will help people grow in showing love [...]
