Here are some good posts on preaching:
The Preacher at His Best – Kevin DeYoung
The best preacher is the preacher who is at his best when he is closest to the text.
John Stott’s 8 Keys to Preaching with Authority – Nicholas McDonald
5 Types of Sermon Illustrations and How to Use Them – Eric McKiddie (Gospel Coalition)
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Temptation Is Not the Same as Sin – Kevin DeYoung
20 Tips for Devotions in the Digital Age – David Murray
The Practice of Meditation – Tim Challies
Thank You, Lord – Charles Swindoll (via Trevin Wax)
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
Homosexuality is the ethical question of our culture today. Here are some helpful posts on being a Christian and struggling with homosexuality:
Compelling Conversion – Mike Wittmer
Letter to a Struggling Gay Christian – Augustus Nicodemus Gomes Lopes (Gospel Coalition)
A Different Kind of Coming Out – Christianity
How Can the Gospel Be Good News to Gays? – Sam Allberry (Gospel Coalition)
Here are some helpful thoughts on visiting the sick and conducting funerals:
What Are 10 Practical Tools to Hospital Visitation – Practical Shepherding
What Should We Do When We Visit the Sick – Kevin DeYoung
5 Things You Should Never Say or Do at a Funeral – John Pond (Gospel Coalition)
Here are some good posts on missions to ponder:
You Can’t Avoid the Missionary Implications of Our Faith – John Stott via Trevin Wax
How Much Is Left to Do in the Great Commission? – John Piper (Desiring God)
Answering 7 Common Objections to Long-Term Missions – Ben Stevens (Gospel Coalition)
Why Less Is More in Missions – Matt Smethurst (Gospel Coalition)
Here are some helpful posts on preaching:
How to Preach Like D.A. Carson Without Sounding Like Him – Pastoralized
Don’t Pack Too Much in Your Sermons – Erik Raymond (Gospel Coalition)
The Top Mistakes I Make in Preaching – Julian Freeman
This week: a step in the right direction for the home-schooling parental rights story I featured a few weeks ago, abortion as a failure to love, and a religious freedom story that is really more and needs our prayers.
Wunderlich Children Returned on Condition of School Attendance – HSLDA
Abortion and the Negation of Love – Joe Carter (Gospel Coalition)
Free Saeed: A Wife’s plea to Iran’s President – Nahgmeh Abedini (Desiring God)
An Open Letter from Billy Graham – Samaritan’s Purse
As Graham’s letter notes, Saeed is a U.S. citizen, which raises not only religious freedom issues, but also international relations issues, and the ethical question of why our government isn’t doing more to bring Saeed home.
Prayer is supposed to be a big part of our role as pastors (see Acts 6:4). So here are some good posts related to prayer:
9 Reasons Why Church Leaders Struggle With Prayer – Thom Rainer
13 Thoughts about Pastoral Prayers – pastors.com
Some Practical Help for Leading a Prayer Meeting – Erik Raymond
Pastors, Ask for Prayer – Kevin DeYoung
Here are some must-read posts about the church:
Church as an Oasis of Grace – Trevin Wax
Cultivating a Gracious Climate in Your Church – Jared Wilson
Is Your Church a Learning Community? – David Wells via Kevin DeYoung
Create a Contrast Culture in Your Church – Jonathan Leeman (Gospel Coalition)
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day applying some of these great ideas!
Here are some helpful posts related to sexual ethics:
Is It Good News That Cohabitation Rates Are Stalling? – Russell Moore
The Millennial Generation’s Acceptable Sin – Barton Gingerich (Gospel Coalition)
Why Online Pornography is Being Blocked in the UK – and Why It Should Be in the U.S. Too – Joe Carter (Gospel Coalition)
Brian J. Mikul 