Monday Morning Preacher

You’re called to be a faithful and effective communicator of God’s Word. But what exactly are the core principles of a “biblical sermon”? In this episode, Matt Woodley talks to Jeremy McKeen, author of "The Model Sermon: Principles of Preaching from the Book of Hebrews." It turns out that God did include a blueprint to guide us within the canon of Scripture—the Book of Hebrews. The Model Sermon will not only help you master the major preaching principles found in Hebrews—itself a sermon—but also offers practical steps to immediately apply each to your preaching. BUY THE BOOK:   “The Model Sermon,” website, created by Preachingtoday.com, Christianity Today, updated 2020: http://themodelsermon.com/ “The Model Sermon” book, Preaching Today Books, created by Preachingtoday.com, Christianity Today, updated 2020: https://bit.ly/3dYxAR2

How do you address racial issues at the pulpit? Maybe this question is weighing on you heavily, in light of current events. In this episode, Matt Woodley interviews Lawrence Aker III, Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York and George E. Hurtt, Pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. Based on their own life experience, George and Lawrence assess what change might look like on a practical level. They talk about the Civil Rights movement, the Great Migration, and the emergence of soul food. Check out what was referenced on the podcast: A lecture entitled "Racism and Corporate Evil: A White Guy’s Perspective – Tim Keller" given on August, 2017. https://youtu.be/EhJJcTKTVGo Genesis 1:27 (ESV) "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Galatians 6:10 (ESV) "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Luke 10:29-31 (ESV) "But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side."

Spiritual warfare is no stranger to preachers. In this episode, Matt Woodley and Kevin Miller explore how spiritual attack manifests itself, and how you can overcome it. They share stories of spiritual attacks in their own pastoral ministry, and how God overpowered the darkness with light. One tell tale sign of an attack is feeling crippling anxiety, or self-doubt. Kevin said "spiritual warfare is the battle between what Satan wants for my life, and what God wants." Check out what was referenced on the podcast: James 3:14 (ESV) “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” I Peter 5:8 (ESV) "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Have you ever felt like you said too much, or too little in your sermon? In this episode, Matt Woodley and Kevin Miller will help you “say what you need to say,” nothing more and nothing less. Every part of your sermon counts, especially introductions and conclusions. Matt shares the challenge of balancing humor, while pointing people to Christ. For a sermon to be a home run, you need to trust your hearers – that they are really listening to you.

Is big idea preaching a good idea? Maybe this question is plaguing you, or your colleagues in ministry. In this episode, Matt Woodley asks Russell St. John, senior pastor at Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church in Missouri to weigh in. Haddon Robinson popularized the big idea, as he aided in the revival of expository preaching in the late twentieth century. Russell emphasized the importance of knowing your own inadequacy as a preacher, and relying on the Holy Spirit. He defined the big idea as “a succinct statement of the teaching and the application of the text together.” You can achieve this by asking two questions in sermon prep: What is the author talking about? What is the author saying about what’s he’s talking about? The big idea should be biblical and faithful to the text, but catchy enough to grab people’s attention. Listen to this episode to find out if big idea preaching is right for you.

In this episode, Matt Woodley is joined by Jon Tyson, Lead Pastor at Church of the City in New York. Jon said he's dealing with “trauma at a personal and regional scale,” as a result of COVD-19. Part of the pastoring challenge is helping people navigate disorientation with Biblical hope. He’s shifted to a more pastoral tone in his preaching. “It’s basically the art of rejoicing with those who are rejoicing, and weeping with those are weeping, sometimes not even in the same sermon, but in the same point of the sermon.” Jon talks about his passion for revival in this episode, which he describes as a desire for more of God. Check out what was referenced on the podcast: • Leonard Ravenhill’s book Why Revival Tarries. Bethany House Publishers, 1959. • Louis Berkhof’s book Systematic Theology. Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1932. • 1 Thess. 4:13: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

Matt Woodley talks to Lawrence Aker, III, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. He talks about preaching and caring for his congregation during the COVID-19 storm that has hit New York City hard with around 4,000 deaths as of April 8, according to the (CSSE)at Johns Hopkins University. Lawrence talks about Brookdale Hospital which has been a spotlight in the news, due to the high volume of COVID-19 patients. He said that employees have to go to Home Depot before work, to get supplies they need for their shifts. He has changed the tone, content and style of his preaching, as a result of current events. Lawrence explained this is not a time for the three point sermon. He said "the church doors are closed but the church is open." Lawrence points out this crisis as an opportunity to get into God's word. Here are a few ways you can help people in New York: Donate to World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org/news/ny-nj Pray for people at Cornerstone Baptist Church, or make a donation: http://testcornerstonebrooklyn.weebly.com/give.html

Matt Woodley talks to Josh Moody, senior pastor at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Josh pointed out how his church had to rethink how they do church in three days. He speaks honestly about how secularism has no answer for the fear and anxiety produced by the coronavirus crisis. Last Sunday he preached a sermon "How Faith Can Free Us From Fear" which streamed on YouTube. Part of that message emphasized how fear of death is what drives all of our fears. He said this crisis is an opportunity to: 1)Reset our lives around the gospel 2)Surface what our idols are 3)For the church to be a witness You'll also learn about Josh's appreciation for Jonathan Edwards. Check out his book "Jonathan Edwards and Justification" on the subject. You can learn more about Josh's work on his website God Centered Life: https://godcenteredlife.org/

Have you ever felt afraid of preaching on Easter? Find out how Bryan Wilkerson, Senior Pastor at Grace Chapel in Boston confronts this fear, after preaching for 35 years. He says Easter preaching is scary, because "it's about sin and death." It's not a sentimental story, like Christmas. The stakes are high, because many church goers are bringing first time visitors. Get the full story from Matt Woodley and Bryan, as they discuss how to deliver the good news of Easter. Here are a few Easter resources from the podcast: A sermon entitled "The Breakfast club" preached by Bryan Wilkerson at Grace Chapel in Amherst, NH in 2016. http://www.ccnh.org/sermons/the-breakfast-club/ Walter Wengren Jr.'s book "Reliving the Passion" Zondervan, 1992. https://www.amazon.com/Reliving-Passion-Walter-Wangerin-Jr/dp/0310755301 John 21: 12-14 "Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead."

Preaching On The Resurrection by Preaching Today

Matt Woodley and Kevin Miller discuss their own experience with “Preaching Through Personal Pain.” Consequences often include physical exhaustion, and a false belief that personal pain disqualifies you from preaching. In this episode, you’ll find that it’s not uncommon for pastors to wrestle with pain, and there are ways to sort through it. Matt reflects on preaching the most difficult sermon of his life, at his dad’s funeral. Kevin talks about his experience pastoring, while wrestling with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Check out the show notes: St. John of the Cross' poem “The Dark Night of the Soul” http://makeheaven.com/st-john-of-the-cross.html Kevin Miller’s sermon “Learning from Job” https://friendsofthesavior.org/sermons/learning-from-job-kevin-miller 2 Corinthians 11:28-29 (ESV) “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” Colossians 1:24-25 (ESV) “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known."

Matt Woodley and co-host Kevin Miller will walk you through how to "stick the landing" of your sermon. After hearing your sermon conclusion, listeners should walk away knowing: what the sermon was about, what to do next, with a sense of finality — that the sermon is really over. Check out the show notes here: Daryl Johnson, the Glory of Preaching: https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Preaching-Participating-Transformation-World/dp/0830838538 Sticking the Landing: “The McKayla Maroney Vault London 2012,” London 2012 Summer Olympics, streamed on Sept 25, 2012, YouTube video, 1:48, https://youtu.be/wNG0QJw7-4A Missed Landing: "Rebecca Bross injures her knee at Nationals - From Universal Sports" US Women's National Gymnastics Championship, streamed on Aug 20, 2011, YouTube video, 1:45, https://youtu.be/jfF8ORHXB8g

How do we give a theological framework for thinking about specific sexual issues? Matt Woodley talks to Matt Erickson, Senior Pastor at Eastbrook Church about his experience with preaching on sexuality. His church took the concept of the four chapter gospel: creation (the original goodness of sexuality), fall (how sin, evil and brokenness impact our love), redemption (Jesus redeeming work is significant for love, and our life in our bodies) and restoration (points to the new heaven and the new earth). He challenged people to think about how their love, conception of the body, and sexuality fit together in that big story of God. As a result, the church can then engage with issues like adultery, pornography, homosexuality, gender dysphoria etc... A sermon series entitled "Love-Sex-Body" preached by Matt Erickson at Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee, WI in 2019. http://eastbrook.org/sermon_series/love-%c2%b7-sex-%c2%b7-body/ Pope John Paul II’s teachings "Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body." Pauline Books and Media, 2006. https://www.amazon.com/Man-Woman-He-Created-Them/dp/0819874213/ Christopher West’s CD set "An Introduction to the Theology of the Body: Discovering the Master Plan for Your Life." https://ascensionpress.com/products/an-introduction-to-the-theology-of-the-body-8-part-study-cd-set Glynn Harrison’s book "A Better Story: God, Sex and Human Flourishing. Inter-Varsity Press," 2016. https://www.amazon.com/Better-Story-God-Human-Flourishing/dp/1783594462 Tara M. Owens’ book "Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone." Intervarsity Press , 2015. https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Body-Finding-Flesh-Bone/dp/0830835938/

Sermon illustrations are a point of tension for some pastors. In this episode Matthew Woodley and Kevin Miller discuss a new angle for sermon illustrations, to help cast a vision for your church and how Christians should live. Kevin also talks about the importance of using positive illustrations, examples of people getting it right. You'll find that illustrations are opportunity to include people on the margins in your sermon, not in a political way -- to display the beauty of the gospel, that it's truly for everyone.

Season Three has officially begun. In episode one, Matthew Woodley and Kevin Miller talk about four "Bad Pressures" that preachers often face and how to deal with them. They’ll discuss how pressure manifests itself in preaching, and practical ways to address it, through personal prayer and confession. Part of that means being aware, of sensitive topics, of our own weakness and need for God’s annointing. Good pressure gives you a sense of "gravitas" to the message you're about to share. Bad pressure comes with sweaty palms, or fear and anxiety to preach the Word of God. Here’s the prayer from Martin Luther that Kevin references.  “[Lord,] you know how unworthy I am to fill so great and important an office.  Were it not for your counsel, I would have utterly failed long ago.  Therefore I call upon you for guidance.  Gladly will I give my heart and voice to this work.  I want to teach the people.  I want always to seek and study in your Word, and eagerly to meditate upon it.  Use me as your instrument.  Lord, do not forsake me.  If I were alone, I would ruin everything. Amen (Luther’s Prayers).”