Sermonsmith

Mandy Smith is our conversation partner this week as she discusses her unexpected journey to being a lead pastor, the shortage of good examples to learn from for women who preach, and how her own work as an artist has helped shape her sermon preparation. Resources and links mentioned: Barbara Brown Taylor Jo Saxton Dan Kimball The Week Leadership Journal … Read More →

Matt Tebbe settles in front of the mic in the shadow of the Fighting Irish. He tells us how his primary role as a spiritual formation pastor shapes his preaching, how sermon preparation is as much about paying attention as it is about time, and how he’s learned the hard way that his preaching is effective if he doesn’t direct … Read More →

We remain in the friendly confines of Austin, TX for this interview with Gideon Tsang, the pastor of Vox Veniae. Gideon shares how mornings are more valuable than afternoons, how preaching should be considered as performance art, and how he finds great creative freedom in his self-imposed structures. (I did my best to track down the links Gideon mentioned, so … Read More →

Jonathan Dodson played the role of both host and interviewee as we held our first live interview in his soothing home office. He describes his weekly rhythms for sermon prep alongside the relational work of a pastor, talks about the value of reading fiction, and even parses some Greek on the fly. Resources and links mentioned: City Life Church Gospel-Centered … Read More →

Cyd Holsclaw found an hour to escape from the rigors of her bivocational life as a home schooling mother to talk with us about preaching at Life on the Vine Christian Community in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Cyd talks about her own rhythms for sermon preparation, the particular structure for sermons they use at Life on the Vine, and … Read More →

Mike Goldsworthy joins us from sunny Long Beach, California where he pastors Parkcrest Christian Church. Hear how Mike’s sermons develop from staff wide reviews of previous series to quick ideas tapped into an iPhone to the most daunting outline you’ve ever seen. Looks good on you, though, Mike! Resources and links mentioned: Mike’s Sample Outline Sample Series Summary Message Prep … Read More →

It was a pleasure to interview Steve Carter. Hear how thoughtful mentors like Rob Bell and Mike Erre invited him into the world of preaching, how simple index cards help him structure his thoughts, and how neighborhood prayer walks help prepare his own heart. As mentioned in the interview, here’s a link to Steve’s, or maybe we should say Rob’s, … Read More →

It was a pleasure to interview my good friend J.R. Briggs for the first show. I expected he would make my job easy with thoughtful answers, and that proved to be the case. About J.R. J.R. Briggs has served in ministry for over a decade in mega-churches, house churches and church plants. He is the founder and Cultural Cultivator of The … Read More →