Ask a Professor is a blog in which questions about ministry, theology, and especially preaching are submitted by readers and answered by Alyce McKenzie, Wes Allen, or a guest writer invited from the Perkins faculty or staff. If you would like to submit a question, please email .

Meatball Exegesis!

What is a method of sermon preparation that is realistic in terms of time commitment but yields a quality sermon?

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Getting Things Done – Sermon Preparation

As much as I deeply love to preach, my sermon preparation takes so long that I am fearful of the day when I have to start preaching consistently every week. How does one write consistently good sermons without devoting so much time to research and writing that nothing else gets done?

Friday, August 31, 2018

Overcoming Inhibitions

A student preacher writes, “I recently received feedback to ‘let the passion out’ when preaching. Based on this feedback, could you give guidance on removing inhibitions when preaching?”

Thursday, June 15, 2017

What can preachers learn from actors?

When I was asked to write about what preachers learn from actors, I had just finished a cameo appearance in a musical on my college campus.  My brief moment on the stage reminded me of a few things that preachers can learn from actors.  They include the use of body language, motivation, and practice, practice, practice.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

How to Deal With Performance Anxiety?

Performance anxiety affects or has affected everyone, from novice spoken word artists to seasoned orators. The question is, how to feel what you’re going to feel but still perform what you intend to perform – how can one not be derailed by such paralyzing anxiety?

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Lectionary or Series?

Whenever I lead a preaching workshop, during the Q and A, the question almost always comes up: Which is better, lectionary preaching or series preaching? My answer is that both have advantages and potential pitfalls. 

Thursday, November 10, 2016

How Do I Find Time to Prepare to Preach?

I have always thought that I would be a better preacher if I had more time. Maybe an hour to read more deeply. Or even just 20 additional minutes to go over it one more time so my delivery is a little smoother...

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Is Preaching Without Notes the Gold Standard in Preaching?

Is preaching without notes the gold standard in preaching? The simple answer to this question is, No, there is no single gold standard for sermon delivery. But the question raises bigger issues that deserve a more complex answer.

Monday, August 8, 2016