One of the exceptional books I read this past year was What We Believe and Why by George Koch. In this sweeping and careful account of the essentials and non-essentials of the faith, Dr. Koch lays out the foundation of what Christians believe, why they believe it, and how the Bible calls them to live with each other and the world.

The profound Jewish roots of the faith are also revealed and explained, along with the deep meaning of the Hebrew and Greek behind the words of the Old and New Testaments.

I am making this recommendation because you can now download this 300+ page book for free as an Adobe Acrobat file. To get a copy, go to…

www.WhatWeBelieveAndWhy.com.

Next, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, click on “DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF” and then enter your name and email address and other requested information (your info will not be shared). From there, click “Go to Download Page” and then “Download Your PDF.”

Dr. Koch (pronounced “coke”) is Pastor and teacher at Resurrection Anglican Church in West Chicago, IL. He is also a former Senior Vice President of Oracle Corporation, and author of a best-selling book on database design (Oracle: The Complete Reference). His articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Christianity Today. His first degree is in Physics, and science is an ongoing field of interest for him. His doctoral studies focused on healing and reconciliation, and he continues to teach on these subjects.

 

 

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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.

 

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As I grow older, my sermon expectations have dropped. Resaid, I have less confidence than I used to regarding the effectiveness of what I preach. The problem isn’t that my sermons aren’t as good as they used to be. The truth be known, I’m probably a better preacher now than I was in the past. What I’ve come to realize is that my early expectations regarding the effect my sermons would have were way too high.

Like a lot of young pastors, I thought my sermons were real life-changers. At least half of those who heard me, if not more, should be markedly different for having listened to what I had to say. Now my expectations are more in the 5% range of those who are truly affected. In all honesty, I believe that’s a fair estimate.

In baseball, if a player bats in the 300s or better he’s truly a star. Far more of the big-leaguers hover around the 250 mark. And let’s face it, there are way more minor-league players than there are those in the American or National Leagues. They’re top-notch athletes; they’re just not the elite.

Yes… the church world also has its superstars. But that number is limited. The vast majority of us are talented but not headliners. We don’t bat in the middle 300s… never will, either. But God called us to play on His team, and we bust our gut for Him.

When I preach nowadays, I’m wanting to see that 5% change. Sometimes great feedback may allow me to think we were up around the 7 or 8% mark. That would be most gratifying. If my average drops to 2 or 3% and no one is even talking about what they heard preached—well, I’m going to look for help.

In the meantime, I’m glad for the spiritual superstars. God bless them. And I’m grateful that sometimes I still get to suit up and play, especially if I get to first at least once.

 

 

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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.

 

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In your preparation of last Sunday’s sermon, did you ask for help from anyone? Was a phone call made to run an idea past a friend to get his or her thoughts? How about making it part of a lunch conversation to see if the response you were planning to ask for was on target? Did you discuss what you were preparing with your spouse? What about emailing a fellow minister for insights?

My belief is that most messages are crafted with little if any outside input. It’s still pretty much “the preacher and God team” that’s involved in the sermon-preparation process.

The Little Red Hen, of children’s-book fame, asked for help from others, but she was always turned down. So she not only did all the work on her own, she also ate the meal she made by herself. But it’s not as though she didn’t ask!

My belief is that the vast number of sermons created for last Sunday were put together, humanly speaking, exclusively by the person who preached them. And that same truth will probably be true for Sundays long into the future.

Will you be the exception? Will you know the stimulation of another’s ideas who not only is open to helping, but would enjoy doing so?

I believe my listeners always have a lot to bring to the table. Truth be told, congregation members know more than their pastor does about what their needs are and what kind of sermon subjects will be most helpful to them. So why not invite their involvement?

 

 

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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.

 

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It’s become almost commonplace for ministers to begin their time in the pulpit with a string of introductory remarks. Then there’s usually a transition statement something like, “Anyway, my topic (or text) for today is…”

These opening comments can continue for quite some time and make for a casual relationship between speaker and listener. Most of the time, what’s said could be covered during the announcements, the pastoral prayer, or even by a projected slide during the offering.

My feeling is that such remarks take away from the seriousness of the message at hand. Resaid, a mood is set that’s different from the one that implies, “I have a word from the Lord that’s important for you to hear, so listen closely.”

My preference would be for the speaker to capture my attention from his or her opening sentence. I want to feel that the person preaching, as Jesus’ representative, has worked on what’s to be said and feels keenly about me not missing a single thought.

I know I can’t support my feelings from a given “proof text.” Maybe this is just the way I like things done—thoughtfully and seriously. That’s in contrast to what seems to be the present church style. Loose and casual is apparently now where it’s at! In some ways that’s good. But then again, in my opinion, in some ways it’s not.

 

 

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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.

 

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