In the circles I run in, no one complains sermons are too short. Most pastors are typically quite gifted at–and enjoy–explaining the biblical passage each week. As pastors, the danger we must fight, though, is delivering a dry lecture instead of a compelling sermon. One way to do so is through illustrations.  Illustrations can be a helpful tool to redirect the aim of your sermon from the head to the heart. The trouble is, it can be difficult to know exactly how to do this well. I admit my own...

December is here again.  You’ve already preached the Luke narrative. You taught from Matthew’s Gospel last year.  Not to mention that whole series you did in the Isaiah prophecies once, too. And yet, Christmas is approaching and you’re not quite sure which passages to teach from or themes to cover this Advent season.  Well, I have good news for you. The Bible is one big book of Advent. How do I mean? The word Advent has its roots in Latin and carries with it the meaning of “coming.”  The story...

How could anyone have guessed what this year was going to look like? I’ve made the joke several times that I must have missed the class in seminary called “World Pandemics” or “Ministry During a Deadly Virus.” Still, in almost an instant, my church moved online for 23 straight weeks. When we emerged from our quarantined homes and began to gather safely again, I was comforted by the small hint of normality. Of course, not everything was the same. For one, I noticed that attendance had declined....