Preach Better

Charles Spurgeon considered earnestness one of the most essential elements of effective preaching. In this episode, I look at what Spurgeon means by "earnestness" in his book titled Lectures to My Students.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Preaching on the street, or open air preaching, is good for the preacher, the church, and the city. This episode shares a summary of Spurgeon's advice on the benefits of street preaching and a few pointers on how to do it well.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

This chapter in Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students" is titled "The Need for Decision for Truth." It is about why preachers need to make up their minds about what is true, and then to stick to it; how preachers need to stop giving in to the spirit of the age and forsaking doctrines that the Bible declares as true, and instead should be bold in their declarations of truth.Spurgeon lived in an age when theological liberalism was beginning to invade the church. Ministers of all denominational varieties were beginning to chip away at the doctrinal pillars of the gospel of Christ. That trend continues today, and Spurgeon's words in this chapter are still relevant for modern Christians.I'm going to divide the chapter along three lines, which are questions which Spurgeon answers:• “In what ought we to be positive?”,• “How are we to show this decision?”, and finally,• “Why should we at this particular age be decided and bold?”The last episode dealt with the first question. In this episode I'll address the other two questions.You can buy "Lectures to My Students" here: https://amzn.to/3qaAYQlHave a blessed day!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

At first glance, this chapter may sound like a lesson on how to lead people to make a decision for Christ, but that is not what this chapter is about. This chapter is about why preachers need to make up their minds about what is true, and then to stick to it; how preachers need to stop giving in to the spirit of the age and forsaking doctrines that the Bible declares as true. Spurgeon lived in an age when theological liberalism was beginning to invade the church. Ministers of all denominational varieties were beginning to chip away at the doctrinal pillars of the gospel of Christ. That trend continues today, and Spurgeon's words in this chapter are still relevant for modern Christians.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

This is part 2 of a 2 part series. Spurgeon discusses the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the chapter titled “The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry” in his classic book, Lectures to My Students. In this chapter, Spurgeon approaches the subject along the lines of two questions, “In what way do we need the help of the Holy Spirit?” and “How can we lose this help of the Spirit of God?”Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

The ultimate goal of gospel ministry is not to fill a building but to impact eternity. It is very possible to be numerically successful in ministry – to have large buildings crammed with people, to garner large amounts of donations, to become a household name in contemporary Christianity – and to have zero eternal impact.This is why preacher's need the Holy Spirit. As believers we have the indwelling Spirit, but as preachers we need the influencing Spirit as well.Spurgeon discusses the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the chapter titled “The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry” in his classic book, Lectures to My Students. In this chapter Spurgeon approaches the subject along the lines of two questions, “In what way do we need the help of the Holy Spirit?” and “How can we lose this help of the Spirit of God?”Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

This episode is about the chapter titled “To Workers with Slender Apparatus” – which is a very strange chapter title. What Spurgeon means by “workers with slender apparatus” is preachers with few books and little or no means by which to purchase more. When reading "Lectures to My Students" there is a temptation to skip this chapter because books are cheaper today, and ebooks are free. But I think you'll be glad you read this chapter because in it Spurgeon does not give advice so much on how to get books for less money, rather he reveals his own philosophy of reading, which I have found very helpful.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Today's episode is about the chapter titled “The Minister's Ordinary Conversation” in Spurgeon's timeless classic Lectures to My Students. And by “the minister's ordinary conversation” Spurgeon means the preacher's demeanor and behavior around others in his everyday life. Listen to my 6 takeaways from this chapter.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Preacher's can struggle with spiritual depression as much (or even more) than others. Spurgeon shows us the What's, Why's, and How's of dealing with spiritual depression from his own experience.I am not (and neither was Spurgeon) a medical or mental health professional. The content of this video is for general information purposes only and should not be misconstrued as professional medical or mental health advice.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Have you ever seen one of Spurgeon's sermon outlines? They are very minimal – almost bare-boned.  Have you ever read one of Spurgeon's sermons? They are as full of meat as an egg. How can a man take such a skeletal outline and turn it into such weighty sermons? The answer to the question is the faculty of impromptu speech. And by this, Spurgeon means “speaking without special preparation, without notes or immediate forethought.” It's a vital skill every preacher needs – and Spurgeon was a master at it. In today's episode, I arrange Spurgeon's chapter titled "The Faculty of Impromptu Speech" around 4 imperatives.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

When you preach, do people fall asleep? Do they look around the sanctuary or constantly look at their phones? Let's start fixing that problem today.I've taken Spurgeon's chapter titled Attention! and organized his words around four headings. If you address these four areas of concern, you will go far in your ability to obtain and retain the attention of your hearers.Recommended Reading:• Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students" here: https://amzn.to/2XCaAS7(affiliate links)Have a blessed day!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Do you struggle with a weak-sounding voice? Here are Spurgeon's 3 Rules for better Public Speaking along with his 7 tips for caring for your voice. Recommended Reading: • Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students: https://amzn.to/2XCaAS7 (affiliate links)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Spiritualizing is a method of sermon writing that can produce either good sermons or really, really bad sermons. The difference is found in how careful a preacher is when he attempts to spiritualize a Bible text.Follow Spurgeon's 4 Guidelines to avoid making yourself look like a fool in the pulpit.RECOMMENDED READING:• "Lectures to My Students": https://amzn.to/2XCaAS7• Spurgeon's book of devotions, "Morning and Evening": https://amzn.to/2ZULkHTSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Every craftsman must keep his tools sharp, and every swordsman must whet his blade. The preacher must likewise guard his heart to keep it from the dulling effect of sin, and polish it from the grime of corruption. In today's episode, I discuss how Charles Spurgeon described the importance of a preacher's holiness in the chapter titled "The Minister's Self-Watch."RECOMMENDED READING:Charles Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students: https://amzn.to/2XCaAS7Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor: https://amzn.to/3khO8bD Andrew Bonar's biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne: https://amzn.to/3qP9nUgJohn Bunyan's A Few Sighs from Hell: https://amzn.to/3sgeMEtJohn Owen's The Mortification of Sin: https://amzn.to/37xlUUR(links are affiliate)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

How do you pick a verse from the Bible to preach on? Where do you start? Charles Spurgeon shows us how in the chapter titled "On the Choice of a Text" in his book Lectures to My Students.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

I share five lessons I learned from the chapter titled "Sermons - Their Matter" in Charles Spurgeon's book called Lecture to My Students. These lesson have helped prepare better sermons.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

In the book titled Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon gives us 4 lessons regarding the preacher's private prayer life.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

What are some of the most common mistakes preachers make when they pray publicly? Charles Spurgeon discusses them (along with other helpful tips) in the chapter titled "Our Public Prayer" from his book Lectures to My Students.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations

Gleaning lessons from his book Lectures to My Students, I share how Charles Spurgeon answers the very important question about whether a man is called to preach or not. I summarize it by suggesting we ask ourselves three questions: 1. Do I want to preach? 2. Can I preach? 3. Are people helped by my preaching?Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preachbetter/donations