Meatball Exegesis!
What is a method of sermon preparation that is realistic in terms of time commitment but yields a quality sermon?
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 .
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?
Who Moved My Manuscript?? The Pros and Cons of Preaching Without Notes.
Preaching without notes is not the gold standard in preaching. But it is my choice in this era of short attention spans and visual learning.
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?”
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.
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?
Should the News Influence My Sermons?
Should the news influence my sermons? Should my sermon address the latest event?
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.
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...
Does Every Sermon Need to End With a Call to Respond in a Specific Way?
Every sermon needs to invite a response—how specific and what kind of response is another question.
Is It a Bad Practice to Re-preach a Sermon For a Different Audience?
Fred Craddock used to say, “If a sermon isn’t worth preaching a second time, it probably wasn’t worth preaching the first time.”
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.
