Have you ever been told, after preaching about a sensitive topic, that your message wasn’t really necessary because “we should be doing something about this issue rather than just talking about it”?
If so, it’s evidence of two things. First, you touched a nerve and needed to talk about the issue. And second, someone needed to hear about the topic and now they’re deflecting because it poked at the self-protective layer of the human heart where we try to clear ourselves of any need to feel bad.
I wanted to offer a word of encouragement to you who preach, and it is this.
Preaching about it IS doing something about it.
Preaching is a prophetic action that moves others to action, and I wrote a blog post about it and wanted to pass it along.
Read: Preaching About It IS Doing Something About It
Also, for this coming weekend’s Lectionary readings, I’ve got two message ideas to share instead of one. Find those links below.
In the meantime,
Keep on growing!
Brandon
This Week’s Big Sermon Ideas
Thinking Deeper with God’s Holy Spirit
A sermon idea based on 1 Corinthians 2:1-16.
God invites us to see the world from a spiritual, cosmic perspective, but we must be humble enough to listen, open to learning new truths, and willing to adapt to what he shows us. God is inviting you into a depth of understanding you’ve never experienced so you can see him, yourself, and your world in a way that is ever-changing and renewing. But you must be willing to lay down any idea that you have all the answers and begin to hear the scriptures and see God at work in new, fresh, and almost always challenging ways.
Read and/or Share the Full Article »
Real Worship Looks a Lot Like Working Toward Justice
A sermon idea based on Isaiah 58:1-9.
Real worship isn’t about the prayers we say, the songs we sing, the fasts we declare, or the feelings we feel. Real worship is ultimately about being agents of God’s good news and creating a just world where all people are free to flourish. You can’t help everyone or fix every problem, but you can always become love to people around you and invest yourself in some way toward making a more just society around you.
Read and/or Share the Full Article »
Creative Sermon Series Ideas from MinistryPass
My favorite resource for sermon series and message ideas, complete series graphics, and video bumpers (but NOT full notes) to get you started is MinistryPass! Each week, I’ll feature a series I would recommend checking out for the upcoming season of the church year. This week:
From the Description:
Recent years have been full of challenges, and many people have been left feeling burned-out. The prolonged stress of the pandemic, uncertainty, change, and loss has taken a toll on all of us. This four-week series helps us understand burnout and invites us to trust the Bible’s promises, wisdom, and practical insight to help us beat it.
Check Out This Sermon Series »
Upcoming Events
Exiles in Babylon: Theology in the Raw Conference
March 23-25, 2023 (Boise, ID)
To be a Christian is to be an exile. The Bible has a name for the country we’ve been exiled to: Babylon. As exiles living in Babylon, we need to think biblically, Christianly, indeed exilically—not partisanly—through cultural and political issues. This year, our topics include: The Future of the Church, Disability and the Church, Multiethnic Perspectives of American Christianity, a conversational debate on the Problem of Evil, and a pre-conference symposium on Women in Leadership!
Registration and More Information Here »
If you have an upcoming event relevant to pastors and church leaders that you’d like me to add to my calendar of events, feel free to message me!
Miss an Issue?
Read The Reflectionary Archives!
About the Cover Art: Photo by Matthew Ansley on Unsplash.
Give Your Sermon Life Beyond This Sunday with Your Own Website
I work with pastors who 1.) don’t have a staff member dedicated to communications and 2.) don’t have the time to handle it all themselves to do the following:
- Create a website where you can host your sermon content so that it lives beyond Sunday.
- Transcribe your Sunday messages and edit them into articles and ebooks.
- Create short video clips and other social media posts from your sermon videos.
- Create and manage an email list so people can be updated when you’ve added new content.
- Meet monthly to coach you through some creative sermon planning and preparation.
If you believe I can help you, let’s talk!
