Episode 19: Pastors and Preaching Through Revelation (with Dwayne Milioni)
Why are some pastors hesitant to preach through the book of Revelation? How should pastors approach difficult texts found in Revelation?In this episode of Pastor Matters, Ronjour and Brandon discuss preaching through the book of Revelation with Dr. Dwayne Milioni.
Call Your People to Believe
Last year I went skydiving for the first time. It was something I’d wanted to do for years and it did not disappoint. While I don’t consider myself an adrenaline junkie, free-falling at 120 mph was by far one of the greatest experiences of my life. Because skydiving is inherently dangerous, I was asked numerous times how scared I was to jump.
Episode 18: Pastors and Sermon Preparation
In this episode of Pastor Matters, Ronjour and Brandon discuss the process of sermon preparation.What are good sermon prep practices? When should pastors refer to commentaries? How much time should pastors dedicate to preparing sermons each week? Tune in to hear our answers to these questions and many more!
The Need for Expository Preaching in Student Ministry
Teenagers are hungry for the glory of God and they don’t even know it (John 4:10).Often in student ministry, we lower the bar for our teenagers. We assume that they are coming to our gatherings merely to enjoy games and hype instead of Christ and him crucified. In reality, teenagers are searching for a joy that is greater than the cheap pleasure the world is offering them.
Episode 16: Pastors and Preaching: A Conversation with Jim Shaddix
In this episode, Ronjour and Brandon discuss preaching with SEBTS Preaching Professor Dr. Jim Shaddix.
Preaching to Make Disciples
You and your family are going to take a trip…a long trip. So you pull up Google Maps on your computer just to get an idea of how long your trip is going to take and what it might look like. But what you find is not one suggested path, but four. You now have four legitimate ways to get to your final destination.
Episode 15: Pastors and Preaching Calendars
Why should pastors consider planning a preaching calendar? Should pastors plan topical sermon series during strategic days of the year (i.e. holidays). How can pastors make sure they are giving their people a balanced diet of Scripture?
Why Preach Through Exodus?
Exodus can be an intimidating book to preach through exegetically. It contains long narrative passages (the 10 plagues in Egypt cover 5 chapters) as well as discourses on law, ceremonial rites and routines and lengthy instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and its components. Furthermore, the story that begins in Exodus does not conclude until Joshua leads the people of Israel into the Promised Land, which, of course, is described in the book of Joshua.
Episode 8: Pastors and the “Big Idea”
What’s the big idea!!? Should pastors seek a connection in the details of the text, or should they be content to teach the "points" of the text instead? Is there a unity within a text's message?Join Ronjour Locke and Brandon Ward this week as they discuss the benefits (and challenges) to the big idea approach to preaching.
Episode 7: Pastors and Mentoring Future Pastors
Is it the responsibility of the pastor to mentor future pastors? What are some ways pastors can shepherd the guy(s) in their church who feel a desire towards the pastorate?Join Ronjour and Brandon this week as they discuss ways pastors can invest in the next generation of church leaders and why it’s important that they do.
Square Boards from Round Trees: The Challenge of Theological Preaching
When I was a kid my father owned a small lumber mill. As he explained it, the sawyer (i.e., the person who sawed the logs) faced a challenge. The main challenge for the sawyer was deciding the best way to produce square boards out of round logs.
Episode 6: Pastors and Preaching the Whole Counsel of God
In Acts 20:27, Paul said “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” What does he mean when he said “declaring the whole counsel of God” and should this be something pastors should pursue each Sunday?Join Ronjour Locke and Brandon Ward this week as we answer this question and discuss the benefits of preaching the whole counsel of God, as well as the challenges involved.
Preaching Without Notes
“Try it! You’ll like it!” no doubt was one of the most successful and effective advertisements of the 1970s, maybe of all time. It was the creation of some brilliant ad execs for Alka-Seltzer, the well-known effervescent antacid and pain reliever.
Preaching a Suicide Funeral
Pastoral ministry is full of first-time experiences — from the first nursing home visit to one’s first baptism. Since I entered “full-time vocational ministry” over ten years ago, seldom does a month go by where I don’t learn something new or do something for the first time.
Pastor, Remember to Apply
In Chapter 15 of Engaging Exposition, Danny Akin makes this statement, “Exposition that is faithful to Scripture will […]
Preachers of the People: Spurgeon and His Men
In 1857, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–92) officially founded the Pastors’ College, a training center for gospel ministers that revolved largely around the preaching genius of its founder. Between 1857 and 1892, Spurgeon oversaw the training of 863 pastors, the planting of nearly 200 new churches in Britain alone
How to Plan a Preaching Calendar
The primary task of a pastor is to preach the word. This happens in day-to-day conversations of ministry, planned meetings and classes, and the congregational sermons that will be delivered every week.
Preaching by GPS
Like most people, I’m spoiled with the GPS app on my phone. All I have to do is plug in my destination, and I get step-by-step instructions on how to get to where I‘m going. While I regret not memorizing addresses and directions much anymore, I have to admit that the GPS feature is so accessible, off-the-charts convenient, and relatively dependable.
7 Reasons You Should Plan a Preaching Calendar
Pastors are called to do many things. Lead. Feed. Know. Protect. Correct. Counsel. The list goes on and on. But, the primary task of a pastor is to preach. It is through this primary ministry of the word a pastor shepherds his people. So, should a pastor plan what he will preach ahead of time? Should he plan just a few days in advance so he can respond to his Bible in one hand and his newspaper in the other, like Karl Barth encourages us to do? Or, should he plan what he will preach a year in advance by developing a preaching calendar?
5 Reasons to Study Ephesians in Days of Division and Tension
In 2020 I find myself, like many others, bombarded with news reports describing the division and tension ever-present in our country. Many are divided over how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial tension is rearing its ugly head. Moreover, if the American people were not already polarized enough, a presidential election is fast approaching. We are grievously divided.
Sign up for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership newsletter now!
