Preaching Tips

When you wrap your sermon around a metaphor, your sermon will be fortified.  It’s like putting the meat inside of your sandwich.  Metaphors are the beef of the Hebrew scripture stories.  Or shall we say the Lamb. In any Hebrew scripture story, you will find multiple metaphors in your story. …

Passion is all important in sermon delivery.  Without passion for Jesus, the sermon becomes just another speech. Be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, get excited about the scriptures, be awake yourself in the midst of your congregation, and they will awaken to Jesus.

Props can be wonderful ways for your congregation to experience your sermon with their senses as well as mind and heart. But make sure your prop serves your sermon and does not detract from it. If you have awkward pauses to manipulate your prop, or if you don’t use it…

Metaphors of landscape should not be overlooked. For example, when Ezekiel is led by the Holy Spirit to the Valley of Dry Bones, what is the significance of the valley, as opposed to the significance of the mountain? In your scripture reading, are there rocks? Is there a road, or…

Images, like paintings or sculpture, have much to tell.  As art, they contain a depth of knowledge and metaphor that goes far beyond a simple glance at a beautiful picture. A good artist will intentionally imbue meaning into his or her art.  Our role is to understand what those images…

Look for what is missing. What is the author of the scriptures NOT saying? What is assumed to be known at the time the scriptures were written?  What metaphors are implied but not overtly in print? What metaphors would Jesus’ audience have been familiar?  To whom is Jesus speaking?  That…

Sometimes, we take ourselves so seriously! But it can be healthy for your congregation to laugh!  Laughing at the scriptures, at life, at stories, at themselves, allows people to make changes in a “safe” environment. Laughter can be a change agent. So look for ways to lighten up, not your…

What is a metaphor?  This is a question many pastors ask.  How can you read the Hebrew scriptures and understand them the way Jesus would have without understanding how to find the metaphors. Yet, most people were never trained to even know what a metaphor is, let alone to find…

Often pastors ask: “Where do you find the connections?”  “What sources do you use?”  “Where do you find the information?”  The answer is, “It doesn’t work like that!” First, you need a hypothesis.  For example, in the Story Sermon for this week, a connection is made between Jesus’ call and…

Many times, Easter goes by, and people fall into a kind of “lame time.” But Easter is only the beginning of a year-round celebration of Christ’s resurrection in our lives and hearts. This Easter….you might want to try a longer “Easter.”  Spread out a series on Easter from Easter morning through…