Plagiarism and the Pulpit

Plagiarism in preaching isn’t a new issue. Jeremiah 23:30 speaks of false prophets who, as the Lord says, “steal my words from one another.” These prophets lied, delivering messages from others or their imaginations, devoid of God’s truth. Such words were mere straws compared to wheat, worthless to God’s people. Does this mean plagiarizing preachers…

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Getting Unstuck as a Teacher of God’s Word

I love to teach and preach. I am confident of my call to do it. I feel gifted to do it. I am certainly convinced of the importance of the work. But at different points, it feels like I have plateaued in effectiveness as a teacher of God’s Word. I am guessing many of you…

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Expository Preaching and Anchoring To The Rock

Picture yourself rock climbing. The sun shines and sweat drips from your forehead. You’re fifty feet above the ground on the side of a rockface. Your arms burn. You keep dipping your sweaty hands in the bag of chalk that hangs from your belt as though that will make climbing easier. Of course, you expect…

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4 Benefits of Collaborative Sermon Prep

In most churches, the preaching pastor spends a significant amount of time studying alone and crafting the sermon each week in preparation for Sunday. It’s hard work and a great labor of love. At Redemption Hill Church we have taken a slightly different approach. We study together every week. Before RHC I had never experienced this…

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7 Reasons To Bring Back The Invitation

I believe an invitation for people to respond to the preacher’s message should be given every time the Word is preached in a corporate gathering. From personal observation and from what I’m reading lately, it seems to me that a growing number of pastors disagree with me. Here’s a recent blog that exemplifies this ongoing conversation. I…

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5 Preaching Sins

For those who have a high view of scripture and take seriously the call to preach and teach the Word, we are standing on a sure foundation.  However, there are still some of what I call “preacher sins” that are way too common and MUST be avoided: 1. LAZINESS “Those of us who are preachers…

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