Applied Theology
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) is affectionately and appropriately known as “The Prince of Preachers.” I recently revisited a sermon from him concerning the reality that any of us might be called upon to suffer for Christ. In this sermon, Spurgeon uses the friendship of David and Jonathan to show how quickly and unexpectedly persecution may occur.... Continue Reading →
The middle of the 20th century saw preaching take an inductive turn. Tired of "top-down," authoritative proclamation, Fred Craddock and others envisioned a new day for preaching. Preaching the new way would be more collaborative, more engaging, and less authoritative. In his book As One Without Authority, Craddock proposes that the sermon is a journey... Continue Reading →
I am not a fan of preaching that calls for people to chant or clap or do certain things to prove that they are listening. However, I understand that such interactive responses can be helpful to make a message stick and to keep the audience engaged. Maybe it’s a personal preference issue, or maybe there... Continue Reading →
There is a sense in which godliness grows. The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians that he planted the seeds of faith among them, Apollos watered those seeds, but, ultimately, God caused their faith to grow (1 Corinthians 3). The basic concept of a sticky sermon is to plant biblical ideas in the minds of your... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 