Thoughts On Podcasts And Preaching

 I do not listen to podcasts. I find them boring and off the cuff and seat of the pants and they do nothing for me. I also have a hard time listening to some preachers. I find them to also be boring, or too emotional; speaking loud but saying nothing. And today I realized that what is wrong with podcasts is what is wrong with this generation of young pastors. It is the age that we live in. So here is some unasked for advice for anyone who wants to preach to a thriving and growing church.

First let me say that no local church will grow beyond the ability of it's pastor to feed and care for it. And that involves good preaching. Your emotional rants might work in an outreach in the neighborhood but it does not work on Sunday morning. You need to learn how to put together a real sermon and how to preach in a way that ministers to everyone in the place, from the least to the greatest.

1. If your message is aimless and wondering don't be surprised if no one is paying attention to you. Get a word and focus on that specific word. Do not wander all over the Bible. Stay focused.

2. This is no place for improv. You may be able to wing it and be good with words. But flying by the seat of your pants won't gain you the impact that you desire. Be prepared.

3. Preparation is the work of crafting a sermon that works. Do the study. Understand what it says. Do the hard work of study and prayer. And then organize your thoughts in a logical form.

4. Reading the Bible is death to the hearers. The word that could help is dead when just read. Make the Word become flesh. Tell a story in real life. Make me want to know how the story ends. 

5. A poorly organized thought is just lazy. Having your notes so mixed up that you can't find your place is lazy. Time spent in preparation will produce fruit in your hearers.

6. Editing is the tool to pare down your studies into a compact form. Just because you read it doesn't mean you need to say it. Everything must move to a conclusion. TMI puts us to sleep.

7. A boring sermon will do nothing. You can be loud and be boring. Enthusiasm is no substitute for compelling content. A house without windows is a cave where only rats and bats live.

8. The Holy Spirit will anoint the Word. Not your words, but the Word. The Word explained and the Word applied is rhema. God will help you as you pay the price to know the truth.