Pastoral Preaching

More and more pulpits are occupied by motivational speakers rather than preachers. Church congregations are not being given a comprehensive, biblical understanding of the faith. Drawing on his own experience as a pastor in Zambia, Conrad Mbewe tackles issues such as the content of pastoral preaching, how pastoral preaching relates to church life, finding the time to prepare pastoral sermons, and dealing with discouragement. Throughout the book, it is clear that the author’s conviction is to see preachers grow strong churches, to build a people for God.

Where have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness? Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale's work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake.

"I am a pastor. I preach. Doesn't that make me a pastoral preacher?" Not necessarily. Many preach missional rather than pastoral sermons designed to appeal to the unchurched, not the churched. The popularity of regional churches and the global reach of the internet allow preachers to focus their sermons on people they do not know and market a message to an audience they never see. Evangelical leaders produce many resources on attractional preaching, but who is developing a vision for pastoral preaching? David Christensen draws on years of experience to develop a philosophy of pastoral preaching. He writes, "Social media changes the way we preach. More and more pastors are preaching clickbait sermons. These are sermons designed to get clicks or attract interest rather than teach truth. We want catchy titles and clever analogies that will grab people's attention because the digital world is built on attention, whatever will get likes or drive outrage." However, pastoral preaching builds community. It is rooted in local soil to the people we know in the place we live. We need a philosophy of preaching that shepherds a community of disciples who worship together in one place.

Preaching as Pastoral Caring is the thirteenth in a series of books devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellence from parishes throughout the Episcopal Church. This volume addresses the difficult and essential area of pastoral preaching as a kind of spiritual leadership in which compassionate healing and courageous confrontation are experienced not as polar opposites, but as inseparable.

Preaching Magazine's 2015 Book of the Year If you are a pastor, you know the importance of preaching. You have spent time learning and refining the art of preaching because it is vital to the life of God's people—including the preacher. But you probably also find it challenging. On Preaching is a masterful resource that will refresh your soul and revitalize your preaching ministry. Drawing upon Scripture and years of preaching experience, H. B. Charles offers a practical resource for pastors, seminarians, church planters, and Bible teachers that is full of energy and wonderfully enjoyable. He gives tips like, "Avoid indecent exposure—get your wife's permission before using your family in the message" and "Illustrate! A good illustration is like a window on a house. It helps your listeners see in or out." Written in a very clear and concise manner, this resource is formatted into 30 short chapters that can easily be read as a devotional. On Preaching will encourage seasoned preachers to dig deeper into the basics as they pause and reflect on the effectiveness of their ministry. It will also serve as a spring board for those who are just beginning a preaching ministry.

Where have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness? Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale's work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake.

Dr. Joe H. Cothen, who first taught how to be a pastor in Equipped for Good Work: A Guide for Pastors, now teaches how to preach- a task which lies at the very core of a pastor's work. In each chapter, Dr. Cothen outlines several sample sermons and provides numerous Biblical references. He also draws on his more than forty years of experience as a pastor and instructor. For example, he relates the findings of a past student's homework assignment to look for any interesting sights or sounds in the everyday goings-on of the city. What the student saw was a blind man walking with his seeing eye dog. When they stopped at the corner, he noticed that the dog was, in fact, blind in one eye! What the student saw would make a wonderful sermon: "If that blind man can trust his life to a one-eyed dog, surely I ought to be able to trust my life to a God who can see everything in my path throughout life." Such strategies capture the congregation's attention, and only by maintaining the interest of the congregation is the pastor able to convey his message-and His message.

This thorough revision of this classic text is even clearer and more helpful than the first edition. Long has updated the language, expanded the key chapter on biblical exegesis, and has included more examples of sermon forms, illustrations, and conclusions.