![What Will I Preach? (part 1)]()
by Bret Capranica | Mar 23, 2010 | Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
In a recent conversation with a group of pastors, we were listening to each other discuss how we determine what we will preach. Here’s a few of the ideas that govern my sermon selection: 1. Annual Planning. In late fall each year, Kelly, the kids and I get away for about a half week. We each take turns watching the kids for half of a day to allow the other to spend some time alone to pray, think, and plan. This is the time that I normally plan out my preaching schedule for the following year. The details of this would comprise another blog post. Suffice it to say that after listing each week of the year, I think through how I plan to preach the major book I am expositing. I then plan out a number of topical messages, and think through calendar items such as vacation, holidays, and major church events that would effect my preaching schedule. Obviously, this annual calendar is interrupted by the unplanned issues like sickness, or events in church and family life that necessitate a change. But it is a helpful tool throughout the year that helps me provide some guidance to the Scriptural diet I provide the flock. 2. Every Genre. I heard from another pastor how he made it his aim to try and preach through each major genre of Scripture each year. I love the idea and have tried to follow it for a few years. So, I will plan a short series or one message here and there through the year from which I will cover an Old Testament...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 22, 2010 | Charismatics, Preaching, The Gospel
What can I say – this is fascinating, disturbing, and confusing to...
by Bret Capranica | Aug 13, 2009 | Expositions, Preaching
Here are a few salient quotes from my commentary reading for last week’s sermon on Zephaniah 1:14-18: Contrary to the assumption that God is transcendent but not imminent in history, there is a God to whom the human race will one day have to give an account, however marginal they may seek to make him in the present. The day of the Lord is not arbitrary; it is the logical outgrowth of what humankind is (1:17b), it will bring what humankind deserves (1:17a, c), and it will expose the uselessness of what humans trust (1:16b, 18a). Humans may categorize their sins into the serious, the mediocre, and the insignificant. To Zephaniah (see James 2:10-11) the mere fact of sin excited and merited the whole weight of divine rage. J. Alec Motyer,”Zephaniah,” The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical & Expository Commentary, Thomas Edward MComiskey, ed., 912,...
by Bret Capranica | Aug 9, 2009 | Biblical Studies, Preaching
Here’s a few salient quotes from last week’s study of Zephaniah 1:2-13: On verse 4: Zephaniah 1:4 “So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. Baal was the god of productivity: his function in Canaanite religion was to make land, animals, and humans fertile. Baal was another name for the gross national product, and wherever people see bank balances, prosperity, a sound economy, productivity, and mounting exports as the essence of their security, Baal is still worshiped. Baal was also the god of religious excitement and sexual free-for-all. Human sexual acts were publicly offered to h im to prompt him to perform his work of fertilization. No wonder his officiants were called the “frenzied ones.” Wherever excitement in religion becomes an end in itself and wherever the cult of “what helps” replaces joy in “what”™s true,” Baal is worshiped. On verse 12: Zephaniah 1:12 “It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, “˜The Lord will not do good or evil!”™ This is not atheism as a dogma but practical atheism; it does not say, “God is not there,” but, “God is not here” ““ not that God does not exist but that he does not matter. In relation to this philosophy of life, the prophet reveals both the mind of God and the mind of humans:...
by Bret Capranica | Aug 4, 2009 | Biblical Studies, Expositions, Featured Articles, Preaching
It was a sad day last week when I said good-bye to some very close friends who had helped me out in ministry over the past three years. They were by my side through some rough waters. I didn’t always agree with their conclusions on matters, but I valued everything they had to say. Many in my congregation will never know the impact these friends have had not only on me but all who sat under my preaching over the last three years. Amazingly, these close friends are some I have conversed with on a weekly basis, but have never personally met (well, I have met two of them personally, but they would not remember me). Anyhow,it was a sad, but gratifying day last week as I packed away and shelved all of my commentaries on the book of Romans. What a pleasure to preach through the book and have such good friends to help me think through critical issues. Here’s a list of the commentaries I have used and consulted. Top 5 – I never missed a page of reading these each week as I studied. This is the order I would read each of them. I found Cranfield and Schreiner to be the absolute best of the lot 1. C.E.B. Cranfied, International Critical Commentary, Romans 1-8; Romans 9-16. The best on the details of the Greek Text. 2. James D. G. Dunn, Word Biblical Commentary, Romans ““ Volume 1 Volume 2 (if you want to see the New Perspective on Paul, Dunn is essential). 3. Douglas Moo, New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Epistle to...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 31, 2009 | Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Presidential History
Josh Harris posts some good food for thought for preachers in light of Michael Gerson’s recent article on President’s, teleprompters, and well-crafted words. Gerson argues that teleprompters have increased a President’s disciplined thought and communication. Josh Harris says preachers should learn from this and pursue a more disciplined approach to communicating Scripture. I don’t think we’ll see teleprompter preachers any time soon (nor should we), but we should be thinking and crafting our gospel communication more carefully. Gerson’s article is a good read. What the Teleprompter Teaches Preachers (Josh...
