Topic Archives: Preaching & Teaching

PowerPoint and the Death of Preaching I have nothing against PowerPoint presentations when it comes to missionary spots, illustrated talks or lectures, etc. But I take issue with the use of PowerPoint in the pulpit. A preacher told me recently that a church he was due to visit asked him not only for his hymns […]

For 16 years David Feddes has preached each week on the Back to God Hour, the radio ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. He followed Peter Eldersveld and Joel Nederhood, two splendid preachers. We heard them both with great profit, and also David. This is the opening of his final Back to God Hour message. […]

Alexander Somerville (1813-1889) was a close friend of Robert Murray M’Cheyne. They went to school and university together. As divinity students, they met for the study of the Bible using both the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) and the Hebrew original. More often still they met to pray and share their Christian […]

Most church denominations today ordain women as pastors, elders, and deacons. The Presbyterian Church in America, the denomination to which I belong, is not one of them, and for this reason we, and a few other like minded ones, are increasingly held in disdain by people both within and without the professing church. Those denominations […]

Send in the clowns! Trinity Episcopalian church on Wall Street, New York, had a ‘clowning’ good time at a Sunday worship service. The congregation was encouraged to come as clowns, red noses and all, while the choir and clergy all wore clown outfits with oversized shoes and painted faces. The whole service was done in […]

Today there is a widespread cry for relevance in preaching. But, generally, relevance is measured by the subjective feelings of those who sit, or might sit, in the pews of a particular church. Latching on to such feelings, a community church in Arizona advertised: “Stronger family relationships … greater satisfaction at work … and you […]

THE REFORMED CONFERENCE IN MANILA Over the years the conference has proved a tremendous catalyst for change, introducing men who would otherwise never have heard them to the doctrines of grace I am only now beginning to feel human again, having left Manila at 11p.m. local time on Sunday. I was already tired after preaching […]

ENCOURAGING YOUNG MEN FOR MINISTRY Can we speak a word to a young man who is walking with Christ and has enough of an overflow to give to others? Probably each of our churches has at least one young man who has shown some interest in the gospel ministry. How can we encourage them? How […]

DON’T STOP PREACHING Where are the preachers of the gospel in our land today? There are plenty of performers, but where are the proclaimers? From two different sources this week we received exhortations about continuing to believe in preaching. I was struck with these words of Phil Eveson, the Principal of the London Theological Seminary, […]

ARE YOU SURE YOU LIKE SPURGEON? “The doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works…” , C.H. Spurgeon Praised by many evangelicals as a great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon is considered a successful and “safe” example of a “non-theological” ministry. His works are recommended as […]

GOD’S THE TRUTH IS A LOVELY SONG, BECOME SWEET BY LONG AND TENDER ASSOCIATION Charles G. Finney believed that Bible teaching without moral application could be worse than no teaching at all, and could result in positive injury to the hearers. I used to feel that this might be an extreme position, but after years […]

Towards the end of his life the great 18th Century Baptist preacher John Gill became rather weak and unwell. It was suggested to him by his deacons that he might benefit from the help of an assistant pastor. He did not take kindly to the suggestion. ‘I’ve read plenty in the Bible’ he is reported […]

The 23rd American Banner of Truth Conference on the eastern part of the nation took place in Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania, May 29-31. This has been its venue for over ten years having met in such places as Memphis and in Grand Rapids in the past. As the English Swanwick conferences share that centre in […]

When the town-crier comes through the street he opens his mouth and he’s a free man. He’s free in the sense that he’s not biting his nails nervously wondering “Oh, how will this news fall upon the ears of Mrs. So and So in the light of what I happen to know about her through […]

You will appreciate that much of my time is devoted to the endeavor of applying the Word of God to individuals, as well as to the gathered congregation. The public ministry of the Word is accomplished through preaching. The private application of the Word to individuals, or couples, or families is done through counseling. I […]

Dr. John R. de Witt [There is no question that nothing will encourage a change in the condition of any congregation except it be achieved by true preaching. In this article John R. de Witt speaks of the link between revival and preaching.] The word revival sometimes has unfortunate connotations. When it is used, people […]

[The Summary of an Address given by Iain Murray at the Carey Conference 2001 at Swanwick.] During the Second World War a Scot who was in the services and visiting London went to Westminster Chapel but the Chapel was closed,damaged by bombing, but on a piece of paper visitors were directed to a nearby hall. […]

The Proclamation Trust exists to encourage and help preachers to teach the Bible better and more clearly. In addition to the ‘Cornhill Training Scheme’ and ‘Evangelical Ministers Assembly (EMA)’ held each June, the Proclamation Trust also runs a series of residential study conferences for preachers and teachers of the Word. The Conference for younger ministers […]

As I write these lines a series of violent riots have taken place in the south of Spain after a girl was murdered by a North African immigrant who tried to steal her money. Hundreds of people thought it was time to take some revenge. They destroyed the slums where all these workers from the […]

“A QUIET REVOLUTION” “A Quiet Revolution; a Chronicle of Beginnings of Reformation in the Southern Baptist Convention” by Ernest C. Reisinger and D. Matthew Allen, pb., n.p., Published by the Founders Press, editor@founders.org and distributed by Christian Gospel Book Service, DonReis@aol.com 107 pp. This book, written in part by the oldest of the Banner of […]

This year’s annual evangelical ministry assembly organised by the Proclamation Trust at St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, London, at the end of June was well attended with nearly a thousand present. Visiting speakers included Tim Keller and Don Carson from the USA and Phillip Jensen from Australia. The main theme was church planting. One always appreciates the […]

By Iain Murray An edited extract from Mr Murray’s new book Evangelicalism Divided (Banner of Truth) In his book on Evangelicalism, James Davison Hunter wrote: ‘A dynamic would appear to be operating [in Evangelicalism] that strikes at the very heart of Evangelical self-identity’. What is this ‘dynamic’? I believe that all the evidence points in […]

The Reformed churches in Liverpool have a monthly officers meeting on Fridays in the winter, and I was invited in February, at the last minute withdrawal of Peter Masters of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, to speak to them on the subject of worship for 35 minutes to be followed by discussion. There were about 25-30 […]

[The local pastor often wonders what is happening in the other churches of his community. David Marshall is the pastor of Hamilton Reformed Baptist Church in New Zealand. Recently he needed to take a break from the rigours of pastoral ministry and so was granted a month’s leave. It was not convenient to go away […]

Pastoral Challenges For Our Ministry In The New Millennium, By Brian Edwards [February 15, 2000] Brynygroes Conference Centre, Bala, at the annual Day Conference of the evangelical ministers of North Wales. We are living in unique days. Could it ever have been so hard to be in the ministry of the gospel as today? Consider […]