In Depth:  church leader

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Struggling with application in your sermons?
the pastor's toolkit

Struggling with application in your sermons?
Martin Salter
Martin Salter

A number of years ago I had the privilege of hearing American pastor and author Gordon MacDonald speak about application in preaching.

At the time Gordon would have been in his eighties, and had been a pastor for many decades. He encouraged preachers to think about the different seasons of life and their accompanying challenges, and what this means for the application of their sermons. Here are some of the things he drew out related to the different seasons of life:

Ministry burnout? Rest is part of the work

Ministry burnout? Rest is part of the work
John-Edward Funnell
John-Edward Funnell

By God’s grace I have a busy life. I pastor a large church in a deprived area. I am a husband and a father of four wonderful children and have many other ministries and responsibilities that cause much worry to dear Christian friends.

Many have gifted me books filled with advice on how to prevent “ministry burnout.” Not only do these books add to my burden, they are often embarrassingly out of date, reminding me of the same Human Resources (HR) rhetoric I heard in business 20 years ago.

My secret weapon for preparing a sermon
the pastor's toolkit

My secret weapon for preparing a sermon
Martin Salter
Martin Salter

I wonder what your favourite resources are in preparing a talk? Perhaps it’s a particular commentary series; or maybe a favourite preacher you like to listen to? Perhaps you have a piece of software which helps you dig deeply into the Biblical text.

Over the years I have discovered a resource that consistently helps me in preparing messages that really connect. You won’t find it on a bookshelf, and it can’t be found on the web. The good news is the resource is free and easily accessible, if you can spare a little time.

Is your sermon really done? Four final questions to ask.
the pastor's toolkit

Is your sermon really done? Four final questions to ask.
Phil Moon
Phil Moon

Finished! Or is it….?

We’ve all been there, and most of us still are. Writing a sermon or talk, and then the moment you click 'save' - if you’re anything like me - it’s downstairs for a coffee and the sermon doesn’t get another look-in before that final read through.

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