YOUR
SERMON-COACH PREACHING TIP
There were so many December activities listed
in the church bulletin this past Sunday that I decided to take it home
to see if I could match some of the dates with our family calendar. We
will choose one or two dates to attend, but I'm aware that there is an
expectation that the paid church staff should be at most of them.
The truth is, you ministers are entering an
incredibly busy season when you will probably be up to your ears in
extra responsibilities. If being "on the go" were equivalent to walking
with the Lord, December would be your month to shine! Unfortunately,
the Thanksgiving / Advent / Christmas / New Year's sequence is all too
often a blur to pastors and their families.
There's an interesting six-letter word you might
consider getting a handle on as these days quickly come into focus ...
ponder.
It means to weigh in the mind, to think deeply about, to reflect on
quietly, soberly and deeply. The implication is that pondering is not
something you do when you're in a big hurry. To ponder you need to
somehow get rid of distractions. You also should probably make quiet a
priority.
I don't know how young Mary did it, but even in the
midst of the confusion of childbirth, the Scriptures report that she
"treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).
If Mary could pull this off in her rough setting
that was certainly more complicated and traumatic than ours, maybe in
the next week we can copy her example.
"When?" you ask.
Early in the morning maybe --
During your workweek getting alone in the sanctuary --
After supper instead of watching television --
In the middle of the night with a cup of coffee or tea --
Like Mary, finding the time to ponder for a
half-hour or so the miracle of the Incarnation, what it all means.
It could change your approach the next four weeks
from "I've got so much to do!" to "What a joy to be given the
opportunity to preach during these remarkable days!"
New Sermon Starter from Psalm 42
Title: Picturing a Revived Individual
Sermon
in a Sentence: Picturing what is desired enhances one's prayer for revival.
Text: Psalm 42
Excerpt:
A party game we’ve used a time or two that’s always been
fun is to give each participant a sheet of paper with the following
brief instructions:
“Webster defines an aardvark as ‘a
burrowing African mammal that feeds on ants and termites. It has a long
snout, rabbitlike ears, short legs, and toes armed with large,
flattened claws.’ Aided by this definition and your memory, you
now have five minutes to draw a picture of an aardvark. The best
resemblance will merit a prize.”
Well, the results are always funny. Some people
couldn’t draw an aardvark if one was sitting in front of them.
Others, though not bad with pencil and paper, struggle with the more
common problem of great uncertainty as to just how this creature should
be represented. You see, everyone knows what an aardvark is—until
he is actually put to the test!
I have a feeling this game is not too different
from what sometimes happens when we listen to sermons. A preacher uses
a word we’ve all heard, such as
revival,
and everyone recognizes it. But unfortunately, most would be
hard-pressed to put on paper what true revival actually is.
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Sermon Starter from Psalm 42
Title: Picturing a Revived Church
Sermon
in a Sentence: Picturing what is desired enhances one's prayer for revival.
Text: Psalm 42
Excerpt: Words are not hard to understand if the stand for objects our mind can easily visualize. For example,
elephant poses no problem because you know what one looks like.
Watermelon
is kind of a long word, but no one finds it confusing. Why? Because
people have a visual picture of it. It is something concrete.
Small, abstract words like
faith, however, can pose real problems. Very few of us have a good handle on what faith is.
Trust
is similar but not quite as bad because in your imagination trust can
be portrayed. Perhaps you’ll picture a child jumping from a table
into his daddy’s arms, or a parent entrusting the keys of the
family car to a teenager. Being able to picture a word helps us know
its meaning.
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Sermon Starter from Mark 1
Title: The Christlike Touch
Sermon
in a Sentence: Openness to a holy touch allows for special ministry.
Text: Mark 1:40-42 and others
Excerpt:
I’m kind of a funny person. Often I feel uncomfortable around
touchers. You know, people who apparently feel natural touching someone
while ministering to them. On the other hand, I also find myself
impatient with those incapable of ever touching another person, even
when offering comfort, affirmation, or expressing joy and friendship.
Some of this ambivalence on my part stems from the
fact that during my lifetime, great changes have taken place. It used
to be kind of an unwritten rule that “a hands-off policy avoids
complications.”
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Sermon Starter from Psalm 119
Title: Procrastination
Sermon
in a Sentence: Blessed are those who pursue God's desires today!
Text: Psalm 119:59-60
Excerpt: I
might try to be funny and say, “I’ve been wanting to speak
on procrastination for some time now, but I’ve just kept putting
it off.”
That really wouldn’t be true (and probably
wouldn’t be too humorous, either). I do know that with the many
things occupying people’s time, procrastination continues to be a
big problem in our society.
The word
procrastination comes from the Latin
pro-, meaning “forward,” plus
cras,
which is “tomorrow.” Hence it means “to put forward
to tomorrow.” The problem doubtless relates to any area you might
name, but my concern is its effect on spiritual matters.
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Sermon Starter from Galatians 6
Title: Restoring a Brother
Sermon
in a Sentence: Spiritual people, in a spirit of gentleness, should restore believers who have fallen prey to temptation.
Text: Galatians 6:1
Excerpt:
What would you have done in my position? Twice in a week I was asked to
help people who had yielded to temptation. In both situations those
making the request were close friends and fine Christians. But each had
somehow been caught in one of Satan’s many traps. The violations
were both so serious I couldn’t just nonchalantly ignore the
matter.
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Sermon Starter from Psalm 145
Title: From Generation to Generation: Psalm 145
Sermon
in a Sentence: Each generation must continue the lauding of God's great works.
Text: Psalm 145
Excerpt:
How difficult it is to imagine living in a society where people who can
read are in the minority and whatever reading material is available is
not printed but copied by hand. But if you’ll go in imagination
back into the setting of the author whose writings we’ll look at,
you’ll need to eliminate radio, TV, the Internet, postal
services, and phones. Learning is communicated through oral tradition.
This will be the chief means of knowledge about both past and present
as opposed to our modern utilization of newspapers, magazines, books
and such.
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Sermon Starter from Psalm 118
Title: Rejoicing in Each Day: Psalm 118
Sermon
in a Sentence: God intends that His people rejoice in the privilege of each new day.
Text: Psalm 118:24
Excerpt: Which of the following two characterizations best describes the kind of person you are?
One: Normally you don’t particularly notice
things like sunsets or birds singing or the stars coming out at night.
When you travel the scenery just passes by.
Two: You relish the arrival of flowers in the
spring; you see beauty in a fresh blanket of snow. You even enjoy
walking in a light drizzle.
Did you identify with one of these descriptions?
Let me attempt several other contrasts. How do you wake up in the
morning? Grudgingly, reluctantly, not really sure you want to rejoin
the human race for another go at things? Or do you awaken with a glad
heart, happy to be alive, and grateful for another day and the
opportunities it affords?
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