Finally, preaching

Having recently published the fifth book in my School series, I will refer you to content I made just a month ago in School of Ministry.

But first, a brief tangent. An international best-selling novelist was repeatedly asked by their publisher to write a book on writing. But they repeatedly refused. Their argument was that classes, online courses and ‘How to’ books can’t make someone a creative writer – you’re either creative or not. A little harsh, perhaps. Though after 40 years of church-based pastoral ministry, I’ve never done a teaching session or workshop on Preaching. This is probably because of my ministry emphasis on being Spirit-led and continually anointed in your public ministry. Therefore, I’m concerned that learning the practical mechanics of giving a sermon’s content a valuable structure would lead to increased proficiency in sermon writing, but not necessarily to the right foundations for hungering after God for the sake of equipping His people.  

Of course, the same is true when equipping worship leaders. The danger of focusing too much on musical keys and technology rather than on the integrity of ministering in ‘spirit and in truth.’

Across the whole spectrum of upfront church ministries, our skills can so easily eclipse God’s giftings. And our personal development can often focus on enhancing those natural skills rather than deepening our spiritual formation for lasting and effective ministry.

Back to my recent publication – School of Ministry.

The chapter headings in this book are based on memorable sayings and maxims. Three of which can be applied to preaching.

1.      You can’t give away what you haven’t got. Rooted in Christ’s words that our mouths speak from the overflow of the heart, this principle encourages us to process our spirituality through the heart – metaphorically: emotionally, honestly, with a sense of reflection and growing personal ownership – rather than the mechanics of an often slightly detached brain. Whatever we seek to teach requires us not only to believe it but also to have a sense of personal ownership, or even a testimony to its truth and relevance.     

2.      Be a voice, not an echo. With the right prompts, AI can not only write your sermon but also give it the tone and language of your own personal spiritual bias. Since the explosion of worship CDs in the 1980s and even more so, YouTube in this century, ministry (especially worship leading) can be an exercise in regurgitating and copying others rather than being prophetically relevant to the now. Don’t be an echo! Like the vital trumpeters of old, bring a clear and needed call to prepare God’s people. If anything, echo the prophetically discerned voice of God in His Scriptures, not the antics and opinions of social media content.

3.      Make it count!  Definitely, that’s easier to type than to do! I came to this maxim late in my ministry with much regret. As the world swells with content creators, the unaccountability of social media influencers, podcasts, online resources, and much, much more… if you’re going to enter the fray, then make it count! Do we need another sermon? Really, I’m asking – do we? Why? And why this one? This one you’ve just written? How does this sermon merit a place in Christendom, or at least in the ears of your local congregation? Tough questions – but valid all the same. Many of our churches are drowning in biblical information, whilst failing to be equipped in effective spiritual formation. We tick the box of providing Bible teaching, but has anyone been discipled? Are we genuinely equipping the saints?     

I believe preaching is not only about sound teaching but also about sound Christianity. As agents and ambassadors of God’s Kingdom – are we making a difference?  

Finally, Preaching, the attached handout can help bring shape, structure, and even improved content, as it hopefully challenges us on our spiritual motivation and focus. But please, proceed with caution – methodology can become an idol, and a hidden stronghold that will eventually kill your ministry.