Getting Started Without Getting Stuck
Maybe your pastor, for a reason clear to him but a mystery to you, has asked you to preach. Or you are going on a mission trip, and every member of the team must be prepared to speak. Or you are the designated preacher for your family reunion. Or perhaps you are a new pastor, suddenly overwhelmed with the responsibility of preaching at least once each week.
Whatever the reason, you are faced with the daunting task of bringing a word from God to the people of God. Where do you begin?
Living in Serentiy: Philippians 3:1-11
When we see this passage in light of its context in Philippians, we can see that Paul is doing two things. First, he is taking an opportunity to reaffirm the Gospel, that salvation does not come by works. Second, he is advancing the cause of community through humility in the church.
Why Story?
Let me tell you the story of my journey with story…
It began with a practical need. I was teaching preaching in Portugal, and asking myself, “How can I equip my students to preach effectively to their generation?” The traditional method I knew best was fine as long as they were preaching to congregations filled with believers. But I became convinced that, when it came to skeptical, post-modern, anti-authoritarian Europeans, a deductive frontal assault was usually ineffective. So I began to look around for a different method, a more post-Christian-friendly rhetoric.