Preaching Through Podcast

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Application in preaching goes beyond just explaining what a biblical passage means - it explores why it matters for people's lives today. While some argue the Holy Spirit alone should apply God's Word, Scripture shows God often uses preachers as a means of grace to help people understand how to obey and live out biblical truth.

Effective application avoids common pitfalls like legalism, moralism, or shaming. Instead, it invites people to see how the gospel empowers obedience. Practical tips include:

• Sprinkling application throughout the sermon, not just at the end
• Matching your tone to the tone of the text
• Bringing in other voices to broaden perspective
• Offering specific challenges or next steps occasionally
• Writing small group questions that progress from general to specific

Ultimately, people are looking for bold, courageous leadership. Preach confidently, trusting God will use your words to change lives. Don't shrink back from calling people to action and offering practical guidance on how to apply God's Word.

The aim is helping listeners see how Scripture should reshape their thinking and living. With the Holy Spirit's power, your preaching can be a catalyst for real transformation.

Find the complete show notes at:
https://faithfulandfruitful.com/401

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A sabbatical can be a game-changer for high capacity, high vision lead pastors, offering an opportunity for deep rest and renewal. Those who have the chance to take one often find it to be an invaluable investment in their short-term ministry, long-term ministry, and overall spiritual well-being.

But do lead pastors deserve a sabbatical? The answer might surprise you.

In this episode of Preaching Through Podcast we dive deep into the most pressing and frequently asked questions about sabbaticals for pastors:

What, exactly, is a sabbatical?
Who should get a sabbatical?
How long should a sabbatical be?
What is a pastor supposed to do during sabbatical?
Who carries the weight while the pastor is gone?
How does the pastors assimilate back into ministry upon return?

We also explore practical tips on planning a sabbatical, from setting the right expectations to ensuring the time away is truly rejuvenating. Learn how to make a compelling case for this invaluable time away and navigate potential obstacles, even in environments where sabbaticals are not the norm.

The aim of a sabbatical is to provide a period of refreshment that can help pastors return to their congregations with renewed energy and perspective. We touch on the challenges and misconceptions surrounding sabbaticals and how to address them.

The topic of pastoral sabbaticals doesn't have to be a taboo discussion. If you can learn how to properly frame up the idea of a sabbatical to your governing board, even churches that have had poor experiences with the concept of sabbaticals can find they are incredible investments in the life of the church and the church leader.

Pastor Sabbatical Recommendations
https://faithfulandfruitful.com/pastor-sabbatical-recommendations/

CrossPoint Ministries
https://www.crosspointministry.com/coaching-counseling

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Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Mars Hill planted a location in Phoenix, Arizona. Six months later the church collapsed. Instead of shutting down the church and returning home, Tim Birdwell launched a new church the very next Sunday. Not only did Tim transition from preaching occasionally to every week, he was following in the footsteps of a leader who built a large movement on the back of his communication skills.

Several years after Phoenix Bible Church established itself as its own unique congregation, the church was then faced with the possibility of merging with an older, historic church in decline.

In this episode we explore the initial challenges of founding a new congregation amidst controversy, developing your own authentic preaching voice when taking over for a dynamic communicator, and establishing a unique church identity.

Whether leading through crisis or leading through opportunity, transparent leadership, acknowledging and addressing congregational concerns, and maintaining a clear vision throughout it all are all critical components the ministry leader must navigate. And while doing all the heavy lifting, the leader is also faced with the challenge of nurturing relationships and cultivating community.

If you're interested in hearing one way to navigate crisis in your church and capitalize on the opportunities that arise, you'll love this episode with guest speaker, Pastor Tim Birdwell. Connect with Tim on X, https://x.com/timbirdwell.

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Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Are you struggling to keep your sermons concise yet powerful? Preaching is an art form that you can improve in over time and the practice of shaving down your sermon lengths while striving to maintain impact is a discipline that will help you continue to preach with a punch over the long-haul.

Maintaining audience engagement, effortless transition into response time, and integrating the sermon better with the overall flow of the service is often an overflow of a sermon that is the perfect length for the message. 

It may appear that we want 'shorter sermons' but truthfully what we want to be able to do is make every minute count. Whether it's a 25, 30, 35, or even 50 minute sermon, if you've been intentional in your preparation, challenged yourself to make the most of every minute, and only use the words that are necessary, you'll find that all the benefits you want will follow.

In this episode of Preaching Through Podcast we explore practical tips like illustrating every point, rehearsing your sermon, rediscovering teh love of preaching, and ultimately using the moments before Sunday to maximize every moment on Sunday.

Whether you're a seasoned preacher or just starting out, this episode will inspire you to approach your sermon preparation with renewed intentionality and passion. Be challenged to say more with less and ultimately lead your congregation to a deeper encounter with Jesus. 

If you're up for discovering the sweet spot of time preached and interesting content, you'll love this episode with guest speaker, Pastor Chad Francis. Connect with Chad on Twitter, https://x.com/chadafrancis.

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Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Sermon illustrations are vital for making biblical truths come alive in a way that will stick with listeners over the long-haul. Yet, illustration ideas is an ongoing struggle for many preachers. Uncovering an illustration that effectively shines a light on the text and seasons the message is not just a key discipline of message prep, but it is an art form.

If all an illustration was good for was to help make key truths real, tangible, and applicable to modern life, it would be enough. But illustrations actually play a huge role in the overall delivery in the message by way of pacing and dynamic. A great illustration will serve double duty by connecting God's Word to real life and provide a 'commercial break' in the sermon for the brain to reset, regroup, and ready itself for the next section of the message. 

The Bible itself is full of illustrations, from Genesis to Revelation, and packed right in the middle of it all is Jesus, the master illustrator. If the Holy Spirit inspired the biblical authors to capture the illustrative messages of their day we ought to be ready to step into the same practices for our day. 

But illustrations are tough and they don't just 'happen' by chance. In this episode of Preaching Through Podcast we'll dive into sources for illustrations, how to catalog illustrations, and insights for making the most of the illustrations that show up on your sermons. 

Captivating illustrations flow from a preacher who is passionate about connecting God's timeless truths to the listener. If that's something you believe is worth doing well you will love this episode with guest speaker, Pastor Dan Keaton. Connect with Dan on Twitter, https://x.com/dankeaton. 

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Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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A killer introduction is critical for getting people to not just listen to your sermon... but actually care about the message you're about to share. A rookie preacher can captivate attention with a strong introduction as easily as a veteran preacher can lose people without a thoughtful and thought provoking introduction.

In this episode, we listen to and analyze examples of five different types of introductions, from incorporating humor to asking engaging questions. We'll also analyze what it is about these introductions that make them work so you can steal each approach and improve this crucial element of your messages.

The goal of an introduction is to immediately grip the hearts and minds of the listeners amid many distractions (i.e., cell phones) vying for their attention. Creativity, variety, and relying on the Holy Spirit’s leading is key.

While introductions are important, equally crucial is making the rest of the sermon pay off through strong argumentation and connecting it back to the main idea. Keep leveling up preaching skills by checking out the resources at faithfulandfruitful.com.

The Preaching Lab - https://faithfulandfruitful.com/preaching-curriculum/

Preaching Through the 4Gs - https://ptpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2016775/14621611

Preaching Through Camps and Conferences - https://ptpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2016775/13578103

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Additional questions about this topic? Email us at [email protected].

Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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We all tend to shrink God down to size in our minds, crafting Him into a more comfortable and understandable being. 

But in today's episode, the focus is on expanding the vision of who God truly is in all His greatness, glory, goodness, and grace. We will unpack the profound implications wrapped up in what we call “the 4 Gs.” Even if you don’t preach an entire series on them, these God-centered truths can revolutionize how you communicate the gospel.

The main points of the 4 Gs are: 

1. God is great, so we don't have to be in control. Understanding God's power allows us to trust Him instead of trying to control everything. 
2. God is glorious, so we don't have to fear others. Recognizing God's majesty makes other people seem less intimidating. 
3. God is good, so we don't need to look elsewhere for satisfaction. God is the ultimate source of joy and fulfillment. 
4. God is gracious, so we don't have to prove ourselves. We can rest in God's grace rather than striving to earn worth.

These good news truths should show up in our sermons again and again and feel familiar to your audience and core to your teaching. Repeating these aspects of God’s character reminds people of who God really is, and each one addresses a common struggle that comes from failing to see God properly. 

When we fail to regularly remind people of who God really is, it is human nature to fill that gap with our own thoughts and ideas, building a version in our minds that is often a lot like ourselves. It takes consistent reminders for our congregation not to lose sight of the true character of God.

Hearing about the 4 Gs should stir the soul and shape the way the gospel is preached. We must continually proclaim His greatness, glory, goodness, and grace until they saturate every fiber of our being. 

"You Can Change" by Tim Chester
https://amzn.to/3wBS9l7

"When People are Big and God is Small" by Ed Welch
https://amzn.to/3wGgBC4

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Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Whether you're a seasoned preacher or just starting out, a clear sermon structure is crucial for effectively communicating biblical truth. 

In today's episode, we'll be breaking down the essential architecture of an impactful sermon point. You'll discover the key elements that must be included to captivate your listeners' attention, convince them of the truth, inspire life change, and pave a smooth path from start to finish. 

We all know the difference between a disjointed, meandering sermon and one that feels focused and purposeful and the goal of this episode is to equip you with a clear blueprint to preach compelling, persuasive sermons that transform hearts and lives each week.

The main components of a sermon point are: 
- a clear one-sentence statement
- an explanation of what that statement means
- argumentation making the case for why the point is true using Scripture
- an illustration through a story or example to make it concrete
- application to bring the point home to real life
- and a transition to shift smoothly to the next part of the sermon. 

For new preachers, follow this structure until you master it. Then you can adapt it as needed. Seasoned preachers may need a refresher on using all these elements.

Having a reliable sermon structure allows the preacher a stronger sense of empowerment in the delivery because of a guiding framework during preparation. Just like following a well-designed floor plan when building a house, implementing these sermon architecture fundamentals will lead to solid, enduring communication. 

While creativity and personal style still have plenty of room to shine through, your underlying structure needs to facilitate clarity and persuasion. Whether your next sermon has one point or five, test out these sermon architecture basics and see what a difference they make. When people can easily follow where you're taking them, you have a captivated audience eager to apply God's truth.

Sermon Architecture Tool
https://faithfruit.link/architecture

"You Can Change" by Tim Chester
https://amzn.to/3STfoyD

BONUS EPISODE: How to Prepare A Sermon
https://faithfruit.link/prepare-a-sermon

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Additional questions about this topic? Email us at [email protected].

Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Do you sometimes feel like an imposter when you step into the pulpit? Like you're trying to imitate other preachers rather than preaching as your authentic self? Finding your unique preaching voice can free you up to genuinely pastor your flock. 

Yes, the sound of your voice has something to do with it... but it's really much more than that! It is your personality, passions, delivery style, and other nuances about you that come together to form the authentic you in the pulpit. It's not just about the sound of your voice, but encompasses personality, passion areas, and delivery style. 

Imitation is a great place to start when discovering your voice (or discovering new parts of your preaching voice) but it's a terrible place to end. It's like learning to speak - kids naturally imitate sounds around them as part of the process. 

In this episode of Preaching Through Podcast get insights for integrating who you naturally are with the preaching tasks God has called you to. Try new things, employ different methods, get feedback, and land on what fits.

Whether you're funny or serious, subdued or animated, you'll pick up practical guidance on how to preach as the unique preacher God made you to be.

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Additional questions about this topic? Email us at [email protected].

Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

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Preaching through an entire book of the Bible can seem daunting. How do you keep people engaged week after week? What if you hit confusing passages or genealogies? And how slow should you take it - verse by verse or breezing through larger sections?

In this episode of Preaching Through Podcast we tackle all of the key decisions preachers face when planning a sermon series for preaching through books of the Bible:

• Why teach sequentially and what benefits does it offer congregations?
• Determining pace and chunk size based on the book's content
• Breaking up longer series over time to add diversity
• Providing context in early sermons without needing an overview
• Summarizing stories well while pulling out key themes
• Stocking up on commentaries and resources in advance

The goal is to move past any intimidation factor while gaining confidence to handle longer blocks of Scripture faithfully. While the content if this episode represents just one way you could approach preaching through books of the Bible, you should be able to capture some practical tips for preaching the content in manageable, compelling, and understandable ways.

Whether you naturally preach verse by verse or prefer shorter topical series, this episode will equip you to better explore and teach the riches found in God's Word from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Move: What 1000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth
by Greg L. Hawkins and Cally Parkinson
https://amzn.to/48a4URa

Preaching Through A Sermon Calendar
https://faithfruit.link/ocy06xs

How to Prepare A Sermon
https://faithfruit.link/4gx6ou8

Bestcommentaries.com
A website that provides reviews and rankings of Bible commentaries for various books of the Bible.

The Bible Project
A nonprofit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. 
https://faithfruit.link/uats01

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Discover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-links

Additional questions about this topic? Email us at [email protected].

Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.