May 17, 2020
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Not Lacking in Anything
Have you considered the challenges face masks pose to people who are hard of hearing? Have you considered the struggles someone with social anxiety may feel when no one will go near them?
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November 14, 2018
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A Sermon Prep Resource You Won't Want to Live Without
PreachingandWorship.org offers a wealth of resources for pastors, including brief but brilliant topical studies that will jump-start your sermon preparation.
October 3, 2018
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"Yes I Can" Sermon for October 21, 2018
We hope your congregations are gearing up for Disability Awareness Sunday on October 21. Rev. Miriam Spies has offered a reflection based on the gospel lesson from Mark. We pray that your congregations are places where everybody belongs and everybody serves!
May 9, 2018
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Show, Don’t Tell
As I have been grading sermons these past days (about 25 of them since middle of last week with about 10 to go) I often find myself writing “Show, Don’t Tell.”
November 22, 2017
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Preaching in Public
We preach in our churches but in the larger sense we are always preaching in public. We cannot bracket out the larger world when we preach.
November 15, 2017
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Answering the 'So What' and 'Now What' Questions When Preaching
There’s an old saying that “some folks are so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good.” Is it possible that preaching can be “so heavenly minded” that its “earthly good” is limited?
June 2, 2017
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Creation Care Preaching Challenge
Calling all pastors! Have you ever talked about creation care or climate change from the pulpit? We encourage you to participate in the Creation Care Preaching Challenge.
March 8, 2017
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Preaching to the Unconvinced
The best preparation for preaching to the unconvinced is to build relationships with the unconvinced. If you don’t know any unchurched people, you won’t preach well to them.
November 22, 2016
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Truth in Media
During our last U.S. presidential campaign and election I was frustrated by the lies and contradictions that surfaced that were neither challenged, investigated, or held accountable for.
September 7, 2016
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Differently Abled
Even when people who have disabilities get to church, we sometimes struggle to minister to them. If Mephibosheth were here today, we’d have to carry him to the platform as we often can't accommodate wheelchairs.
April 27, 2016
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The Most Memorable Sermon You've Ever Heard?
Is there a sermon that completely opened your eyes to see things in a new way? Or, is there a sermon that spoke deeply into a struggle you've faced most of your life? I'd love to hear about it!
March 17, 2016
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Must Seminaries Change?
Talk to anyone from the world of seminary admissions/recruitment today and you will hear the same story: enrollment numbers for seminaries are down across the board.
February 27, 2016
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A New Resource for Preaching and Teaching on Jesus' Miracles
Vern Poythress, professor of New Testament Interpretation at Westminster Seminary recently published his book The Miracles of Jesus: How the Savior's Mighty Acts Serve as Signs of Redemption.
February 18, 2016
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Think Globally, Push Back Locally
Back in the late 1990s shortly after I published a little book called Remember Creation, I was invited to give five morning lectures on creation stewardship at a Christian Bible camp north of Seattle.
November 23, 2015
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Finding Faith In Others in the Midst of Tragedy
This text was rather difficult to preach in the wake of a week of violence. Yet as it turns out, this very text was precisely what a broken, hurting world and church just might need to hear.
November 12, 2015
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Immigration Preaching Challenge Finalists
The CRC is blessed with immigrant pastors and members who stand strong and speak up for more welcoming attitudes. Read sermons from the finalists of the Immigration Preaching Challenge!
August 31, 2015
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Please Stop It with the Older Brother
I’m a huge fan of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Lately I've seen a trend where sermons focus on the older brother instead of on the grace and forgiveness shown to the younger brother.
July 8, 2015
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What's in a [Sermon] Name?
There are many different scenarios in which the name or title is important. We might base decisions on which books to read or movies to see based upon a name. But what about sermons, how important is the name?
June 4, 2015
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Proclaiming with Humility
Few, if any, students arrive at Calvin Seminary thinking they already know theology very well. But some do arrive at seminary convinced they already know how to preach...
May 12, 2015
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Preaching Challenge: Immigration
Have you ever talked about immigration from the pulpit? The Office of Social Justice invites you to participate in the Immigration Preaching Challenge as a way to respond to God's call to be truth tellers.
March 18, 2015
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Sermon Series as Church Growth Tool?
“...the use of themes and sermon series is the new wave in 21st century congregational worship." But then I wondered. Are all series or themes equal? What makes for a good series?
March 18, 2015
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More on Those R-Rated Texts
As a pastor, one of the greatest joys I’ve had in the pulpit has been precisely in uncovering the real stories of Scripture, especially the ones that got sanitized in Sunday School or Christian dayschools.
January 13, 2015
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Are There Books That Compare/Contrast Greco-Roman Gods With the Ministry of Jesus?
In Scripture, we see YHWH triumphing over pagan gods. Are there any books or articles that compare/contrast the various Greco-Roman gods with the ministry of Jesus?
November 25, 2014
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Non-CRC Pastor Raising Hands for Blessing and Benediction
We have had a non-CRC pastor (fully ordained with masters of divinity, cleared by classis, and submitting to our classically appointed councilor) helping us out. A member suggested that it is improper for this pastor to raise his hands during blessings or benedictions...
November 11, 2014
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Humiliation in Bethlehem
As you visualize in your mind the scene in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth, what picture comes immediately to mind?