As a pastor, you long to see your congregation dig into all of the treasures in God’s Word. You know that within the pages of the Bible your congregation will find everything it needs to grow spiritually. But how can you help them get more from the Bible?
In his book Bible Study Methods, Rick Warren shares 12 different ways to study the Bible. In each chapter he tells you why that particular method is important and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do it. He also includes a helpful Bible study form to use in applying each method.
Here are the 12 methods Warren uses: Read more…
One of the most helpful habits you can develop as a preacher is to become a collector. I’ve been a “collector” for years, and it has made my preaching much more effective. I’m not talking about a hobby. I’m talking about constantly being on the lookout for items that can be helpful for your messages. Read more…
by, Rick Warren
In terms of seeing radical life changes in individuals, nothing can take the place of Spirit-anointed preaching. The message is still the most important element of a worship service for the unchurched. Saddleback’s growth – in spite of hot gymnasiums, cold tents, and crowded parking – has shown that people will put up with a lot of inconveniences and limitations if the messages are genuinely meeting their needs. Read more…
by, Rick Warren
The Bible says in Colossians 4:6 (RSV), “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.” When you cook a meal, the flavoring is not the meat, but it sure makes the meat taste better. The same is true for your sermons.Chuck Swindoll says: “If you think that the gathering of biblical facts and standing up with a Bible in your hand will automatically equip you to communicate well, you are deeply mistaken. You must work at being interesting. Boredom is a gross violation. Being dull is a grave offense. Irrelevance is a disgrace to the Gospel. Too often these three crimes go unpunished and we preachers are the criminals.”
After I have the basic sermon down, I try to flavor it with three things: Read more…
by, Rick Warren
Here are over one year’s worth of Pastor Rick Warren’s powerful and timely sermon transcripts available in a DOWNLOADABLE FORMAT FREE OF CHARGE. No matter where you serve, we hope these messages will bless and inspire you to be a more effective preacher for life change. Read more…
HT: Pastors.com
The bigger the church gets the more important the pulpit becomes because it is the rudder of the ship. Where else do you get an hour of undivided attention with all these people on a weekly basis? Most pastors do not understand the power of preaching. But even more important than that is they don’t understand the purpose of preaching. I’ve read more than 500 books on preaching, and as I’ve read them, the vast majority does not really understand that preaching is about transformation, not information. Read more…
by, Rick Warren
