Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. discusses how to overcome sermon writer's block. Writer's block typically affects authors, composers, or artists, but it can also happen to preachers, with the accompanying spiritual implications.   You can struggle to understand the text, craft the message, or prepare yourself to preach. How do you overcome sermon writer's block?  Guard Your Heart. The heart is the primary instrument of Christian ministry. Whenever there is something that is not right in our lives or ministries, the heart of the...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. interviews a new friend, Grant R. Castleberry. Grant Castleberry became the senior pastor of Capital Community Church in August 2019. As senior pastor of Capital, Grant is responsible for preaching the Word of God, shepherding, caring for, discipling, and equipping the saints for the work of ministry, and working with the elders to cast the overall vision for Capital. Grant completed his undergraduate work at Texas A&M University while also serving in the student body elected positions of junior...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, H.B. gives several tips for stating the points, headings, or movements of the main body of your sermon. Effective sermons have clear structure. The structure of the sermon does not have to be explicit. But a good sermon outline benefits both the preacher and the hearer.  How should you state your sermon outline?  Use simple statements. Use clear statements.  Use biblical statements.  Use provable statements.  Use complete statements.  Use distinct statements.  Use parallel statements.  Use present-tense statements.  Use action statements. ...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, H.B. discusses impactful sermons he has personally heard over the years. The sermons affirm the power of hearing the word of God preached. They remind us that the Holy Spirit is at work through our preaching. They also show us that the Lord uses people with different backgrounds to preach effectively.  Sermons discussed in this episode... "Will Your House Stand?" by H.B. Charles Sr. "Will You Give Jesus Your Lunch? by Richard D. Sanders  "What Can that Boy Tell Me?"...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast, dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better? In this episode, H.B. discusses how to ask the right questions to properly interpret your sermon text. Proper interpretation is the foundation of biblical preaching. It should be preceded by careful observations of the sermon text. As you seek to understand the meaning of the text, it is important to ask the right questions. You must ask the right questions to get the right answers. What are the key questions for proper interpretation? What is the book about?  What is the literary genre? ...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. talks about practical ways to learn to preach or to preach better. Because we are called to preach the holy word of the living God, we should strive to give it our best. The good news is that you can learn to preach, following practical rules with divine help. And you can learn to preach better. How can I learn to preach better?  By studying the Bible. Through prayer to God.  By listening to good preaching.  By preaching.  By...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.  In this episode, H.B. discusses the importance of getting the vital statistics of a book of the Bible before you study individual texts in that book.  Here's the principle: A proper introduction to the book leads to a proper interpretation of the text.  What vital statistics should you discover?  The Author The Audience or Recipients  Date of Writing  Place of Writing  Key Terms Key Verses  Key Persons  Key Places  The Occasion  The Point or Purpose  The Doctrinal Themes  The Structure  View of Christ ...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. What is a sermon? A sermon is the declaration of a biblical message. Declared - spoken rather than written Biblical - based on a biblical text, theme, or topic Message - a singular unit of thought with purpose, unity, and movement. What are the elements of a sermon? Introduction Proposition Transition Explanation Argumentation Application Illustration Conclusion Invitation In the church, preaching is that holy half hour each week when the assembly of the redeemed closes her collective mouth, opens her ear and heart,...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. gives 25 tips for using sermon illustrations effectively... Purposeful Illustrations  Strategic Illustrations  Personal Illustrations  Transparent Illustrations  Discreet Illustrations  Historical Illustrations  Biblical Illustrations Contemporary Illustrations  Pastoral Illustrations  Relatable Illustrations  Visual Illustrations  Real-world  Factual Illustrations   Credited Illustrations  Interesting Illustrations  Diverse Illustrations Detailed Illustrations  Brief Illustrations  Simple Illustrations  Creative Illustrations  Humorous Illustrations  Appropriate Illustrations  Practical Illustrations  Authorized illustrations  Prepared Illustrations  You may build up laborious definitions and explanations and yet leave your hearers in the dark as to your meaning;...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. shares several of his new year preaching resolutions to grow in his pulpit ministry in 2024. To be more prayerful in my sermon preparation. I recognize the vital role prayer plays in sermon preparation. For this reason, I desire to be even more prayerful in my word-work for pulpit ministry. To finish my sermon preparation earlier in the week. I have been committed to starting my sermon preparation as early as possible. I now want to be more diligent...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, H.B. issues a challenge to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Preach divine truth. The preacher is called to be a message for God. This is a wonderful privilege and an awesome responsibility. Preach as one who will give account to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Preach biblical truth. God has spoken through his word. Scripture is breathed out by God. It is our responsibility to preach scripture as the divine revelation from God...

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. Good preaching is hard work. That hard work includes the life you live, the text you select, and the message you craft. In this episode, H.B. discusses the hard work of biblical interpretation. What does the word work of biblical preaching involve? Book Introduction  Observational Reading  Word Studies   English Translation  Literary Context Structural Argument  Historical Background Cross References  Bible Commentary  Systematic Theology  Practical Application  The work of preaching is the highest and greatest and most glorious calling to which anyone can ever...