Communication and Preaching
Looking For An Easy Sermon? 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Preach Other People’s Sermons
These are interesting times for communicators and preachers. Never have we had access to so many other people’s messages that would be easy sermons for us to preach. And never have we felt more pressure in delivering our own. About…
Why Bishop Michael Curry’s Sermon Brought Down the House at the Royal Wedding
Even if you missed the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, by now you’ve likely heard that American Bishop Michael Curry brought down the house with his incredible sermon. It was, by many accounts—including mine—just a fantastic message on…
7 Reasons You’re Losing Your Audience When You Speak
If there’s one thing you never set out to be as a leader or communicator, it’s to lose the audience. And yet everyone who communicates, preaches, or even tries to persuade someone of an idea has discovered that sinking sense that you’ve…
5 Mistakes Most Preachers Make
So maybe you’re a preacher, or you listen to preachers (or stopped listening to preachers). Almost everyone has a perspective on what makes or doesn’t make for a great sermon. I’ve been preaching regularly for over 25 years, so I…
5 Tips That Will Definitely Make You a Better Communicator
So, you want to be a better communicator. You’re just not sure how to do that. Sometimes the art and science of becoming better seems so complex that you’re not sure where to start. After all, most people who hear…
7 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block and Eliminate Boring Sermons
Ever write a message or talk that even you suspected was boring? That’s exactly where I find myself from time to time. Here’s how that played out recently… I love to work ahead, so I had outlined my message for…
Why You Should Stop Ripping Off Other Preachers (The Led Zeppelin Scenario)
Ever get jealous of a line or idea that another preacher or communicator came up with you wish you had thought of? Me too. It’s tempting to think of stealing it and to hope no one notices you didn’t think of it.…
3 Words You Should Drop From Your Leadership Vocabulary Starting Now
Words matter when you’re a leader, and not all words are equally useful. In fact, you should banish at least three from your leadership vocabulary. Nobody wins when you use these words regularly, and they might be damaging your leadership without…
7 Reasons You Should Speak Without Using Notes
One of the questions I get asked all the time is “how do you speak for 40 minutes without using notes?” It’s a great question. Personally, I actually prepare notes, but I rarely if ever use them when I speak to…
3 Common Reasons People Aren’t Responding To Your Awesome Vision
Frustrated that you feel like you’re casting an incredible vision…but nobody seems to be following? It’s happened to all of us. Usually, when a leader casts vision and it doesn’t ignite people’s imagination, there’s a good reason. Sure, it could be…
6 Things Christians Say That Sound Like Faithfulness…But Aren’t
I’ve heard it so many times. Well, we’re just being faithful. Sometimes I just want to look them in the eye and say, No, you’re not being faithful. You’re being ________(fill in the blank with whatever is a more accurate description…
How Weekend Church Services Will Change In the Future
If you’re breathing, you know our culture is changing and that the church is undergoing a massive transition. The question is, what do you do about that? How do you lead in the midst of it? And if you’re leading a church,…