In Preaching Articles: "Second Text"

10 Ways To Half-Bake Your Sermon: Part 1

By Peter Mead on Aug 13, 2024

Many sermons feel flat because the text is only half-used. These common mistakes show how preachers drift from Scripture and how to return to full, faithful exposition.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Acts 17:2-3, 2 Timothy 4:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bible, Preaching, Text, preparation, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways To Half-Bake Your Sermon: Part 2

By Peter Mead on Aug 14, 2024

Preaching suffers when structure is imposed, cross-references take over, application is neglected, or commentary replaces proclamation. Let the text lead.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Nehemiah 8:8, Jeremiah 23:29, Luke 24:32, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bible, Preaching, Text, preparation, Homiletics, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

Where Sermons Hide: 5 Places You Can Find A Topic

By John Mcclure on Oct 22, 2021

"What will I preach on?" Whenever you ask this question, you're looking for inspiration.

Scripture: Matthew 14:1-12

Tags: Preaching, claim, topic, catalyst, behind the text, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Must-Do’s Of A Strong Sermon Opening

By Lane Sebring on Aug 30, 2019

The first 90 seconds of your sermon are some of the most powerful seconds you have. Don’t waste them.

Tags: Preaching

You Become What You Think About The Most

By Josh Reich on Mar 30, 2023

The best companies (churches) have the best leaders. The second-best companies (churches) have the second-best leaders. The third-best companies (churches), in these times of turbulence, are unfortunately on their way out of business.

Tags: Image, Preaching, preaching

Insights From Keller On Contextualizing

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 19, 2022

This article is the second of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Context, insight, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching, culture, context, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

A Year-End Prayer For Weary Waiters

By Jon Bloom on Dec 30, 2024

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4).

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:4, Luke 1:78-79, Galatians 4:4, Revelation 22:20, Psalm 119:105  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Second Coming, God's Promises, God's Fullness, End of the Year, eagerly await, Waiting on God, fullness of time  (view more)  (view less)

The Pastor’s Wife’s Greatest Ministry

By Joe Mckeever on Nov 9, 2022

"A pastor’s wife’s greatest ministry is to her husband first, and her children second."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:5, Luke 14:14

Tags: Support, Godly Women, Godly Wife, admonish one another, Wife's Role, pastor's wife, Encouraging Wife, Speak the Truth  (view more)  (view less)

If Jesus Gave A Ted Talk Principle 2—pique Interest (Attention)

By Charles Stone on Oct 20, 2021

Pique Interest is the second installment of an 8 part series on how neuroscience can improve your preaching.

Scripture: Luke 19:48

Tags: Preaching, sermon, Sermon, preaching

Escape The Sermon Series Trap!

By Calvin Miller on Nov 11, 2020

In this age of drive-thru sermons and two-second sound bites, most people want the milk of the Word condensed.

Tags: Series, Preaching, boring, Appropriate, redundancy, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Gird Your Preaching: 10 Supports

By Peter Mead on Nov 14, 2020

Imagine the Bible as a "superstructure." Which texts gird the grand message of the Scripture?

Scripture: Joshua 4:1-9

Tags: Bible, Preaching, important, entire, prevent, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

Three Possibilities Preaching The Psalms

By Peter Mead on Jun 2, 2025

Instead of simply quoting a Psalm once in a while, when's the last time it was the featured text in your message?

Tags: Psalms, Gift, Preaching, teach, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Build Your Sermon Like A House

By Greg Stier on Oct 16, 2024

Greg Stier learned to exegete a text at the same time he learned to swing a hammer. It paid off.

Scripture: Luke 14:22-33

Tags: Preaching, House, build, preaching

Biblical Preaching: Application Vs. Exegesis

By Tim Keller on Apr 4, 2020

Tim Keller, D. A. Carson, and John Piper discuss the importance of digging into the biblical text before application.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16

Tags: Mount, Preaching, Context, application, exegesis  (view more)  (view less)

Every Sermon Needs A Strategy: What's Yours?

By Peter Mead on May 25, 2024

Peter Mead presents five big questions you should ask after you've studied the text.

Scripture: Zephaniah 1:12-18, Acts 8:26-40

Tags: Preaching, Relevance, God's Heart, main idea, reinforce, preaching  (view more)  (view less)