Summary: Familiar biblical texts, especially those that appear each year in a lectionary, often pose challenges for preachers. How might our sermons encourage people to explore new dimensions of these well known passages?
This video was prepared for those who preach or teach. Watch it at Working Preacher.
Summary: In this video, Peter Wallace, host of Day1, interviews me about the Bible, preaching, and the creativity involved in bringing people into a meaningful engagement with scripture.
Watch this video at Day 1.
Summary: Everyone knows what the preacher is going to talk about on Easter morning. How can a sermon take people into a gospel text in creative and engaging ways on this important day?
This video was prepared for those who preach or teach. Watch it at Working Preacher.
Summary: In this video I offer reflections on the distinctive opportunities the season of Advent presents to preachers. My focus in the video is especially on the first chapters of Luke’s Gospel.
This video was prepared for those who preach or teach. Watch it at Working Preacher.
Summary: This biblical passage concludes the Pentecost story in the book of Acts. Once Peter’s sermon ends, the gift of the Holy Spirit creates a community of believers engaged in mutual care and worship.
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Summary: This biblical passage continues the Pentecost story in the book of Acts. Peter’s audience responds positively to his sermon. Peter instructs them to “repent and be baptized.”
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Summary: This biblical passage continues the Pentecost story in the book of Acts. Peter’s sermon tells about Jesus, tying together his death, resurrection, ascension, and gift of the Holy Spirit.
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Summary: I wrote this piece soon after the launch of the website Working Preacher; it aims to help preachers think about how they craft sermons. The Revised Common Lectionary assigns four different texts to be read in church each Sunday. That’s nice, but I worry about sermons that try to cover too much ground and lead their congregations into more than one text on any given Sunday. I encourage preachers to dwell deeply in a single biblical passage. This makes for better preaching, and it helps churchgoers gain a better understanding of the Bible and its contents.
Read the full article on Working Preacher.
Commentary on Acts 17:22-31
Summary: In this biblical passage, set in Athens, Paul preaches in front of the city leaders (the Areopagite Council). His sermon draws on understandings he shares with them before turning to an issue many in his audience find incredible: the idea of God raising someone from the dead.
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary
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