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.
Living With Perspective - Philippians 1:12-30
These verses highlight both the difficulty of Paul’s circumstances and his joy in the midst of them. The perspective he displays towards is sufferings, the spiteful efforts of his enemies, and his questionable prospects towards the future, points to some core understandings about his life that flow from the Gospel. We can’t have confidence in the face of difficult days without the same foundation from which to see all of life.
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.
Story-Shaped Preaching, Part I
I believe that preaching in a post-Christian context will require, as a rule, a story shape. I have some good reasons for this, which I will share, but I recognize that I am swimming upstream in our Evangelical sub-culture. The weakness of some narrative preaching is no reason to discard the Bible’s most prominent form
Perhaps the best starting point for this series of posts on Story-Shaped Preaching is to define what it is, and what it isn’t. I’ll do this by answering three myths that I sometimes hear about narrative preaching.
Living Towards maturity: Philippians 2:12-18
Following the great christological hymn in verses 6-11, Paul returns to the initial concern that he voiced in the beginning of the chapter. He wants the church in Philippi to be unified. Now, however, in stead of looking to Christ as the example of the humility they will need, he looks to Christ as the source of the maturity they should cultivate, which will yield the attitudes necessary for unity.
Gospel-Driven: How?
Is it realistic to say that every sermon should be gospel-driven? What do we do when the text doesn’t seem to be about the gospel at all? Do we just bend it and squeeze it until a gospel presentation oozes out? Does this mean that every message should be evangelistic? Shouldn’t some sermons just teach, exhort, encourage, or comfort?
Living With Humility: Philippians 2:1-11
This text may well be the heart of the epistle to the Philippians. Many scholars see “Christian Unity” as the unifying theme of the book, and this is where the theme finds its most profound development. Careful study of the text yields exegetical details that enrich our understanding.
Gospel-Driven: Why?
The term “text-driven” has emerged in the past few years to describe truly faithful preaching. I understand the intent, but I disagree with the terminology. If our ultimate purpose in preaching a sermon is the thing that drives it, our preaching should be driven by something other than the text. Our preaching should be “gospel-driven.”
Cultivating Sermon “Seeds”
I’m on record as being strongly opposed to preaching someone else’s sermons. So why would I have a “Sermon Seeds” category in this blog, where I give you preaching ideas?
Living in Partnership: Philippians 1:1-11
The opening verses of Philippians weave together the language of deeply affectionate relationship, and Christian maturity. Paul writes of the Philippians partnership with him in the Gospel, of their being partakers of grace with him in suffering, and of the deep affection he has for them. In the same sequence he writes about their anticipated completion in Christ, and prays through the steps by which they will move on to maturity. A study of the intertwining of these ideas will highlight the close relationship between Christian community and spiritual growth.
This Is Living!
Here is a plan for a sermon series on Philippians developed by the preaching team at Tapestry Church. These general thoughts, or “seeds,” for each sermon were developed as a team, then each preacher had freedom to structure and present the sermon in a way that fit his own style and the Spirit’s leading.
Bible-Based
No evangelical preacher I know would think of making a list of “qualities of a good sermon” without including “Biblical” at or near the top of the list. But what do we mean when we say the sermon should be biblical? We may not have such a ready answer for that one!
Review: Keller on Preaching
When a preacher who has communicated the Gospel faithfully and effectively for over three decades to secular New Yorkers writes a book on preaching, we should all sit up and take note. I’ve never known Tim Keller to disappoint, and his new book on preaching is no exception.
Why Every Sermon You Preach Should Be Your Own
You’re overwhelmed with the unreasonably heavy demands of ministry, and you also need to spend time with your wife and kids. What pastor really has the time to prepare an original sermon every week? Why should every sermon be your own?
I want to suggest three important reasons!
Qualities of a Good Sermon
What would make your list of qualities of a good sermon? For some, the priority is on the substance of the message. Others recognize that it doesn’t matter what you intend to say if you can’t say it clearly enough for the message to be understood. For others, interest is paramount — whatever the sermon is, it should not be boring!
Which perspective is correct? Like many either-or questions, the answer is “yes!” All of the above! So, here is my current list …