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Apparently there have been some advertisements appearing at the bottom of Unashamed Workman blog posts.

A kind brother informed me of this by email, and explained that WordPress have now started adding these adverts to the bottom of every blog post (usually a You Tube video). Annoyingly, I have been unable to see these myself because I am constantly ‘logged in’ to WordPress.

So I apologise if any unhelpful advertisements have appeared at the bottom of posts. This has not been of my own making.

I will have to consider whether to continue using the WordPress platform (and pay up for the privelege of a “no adds” option). Perhaps I may find another host altogether. In either case, I may not be posting for a little while.

Your fellow servant in the gospel,

Colin Adams

 

ps. I apologise if this blogpost also comes with an advertisement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Common Sermon Mistakes

David Murray talks about 10 common preaching mistakes:

1. Cramming

2. Skimming

3. Floating

4. Proof-texting

5. Quoting

6. Lecturing

7. Assuming

8. Confusing

9. Spraying

10. Complicating

If God were mute, then so would the preacher be.

But God has spoken.

Preaching About Preaching

Recently I preached about preaching. The sermon looked at the foundational basis of preaching (God achieves his purposes through His Word), the role of the preacher, and how the congregation should listen to sermons.

The outline was:

1. The Lord Speaks
2. The Preacher Proclaims
3. The Church Hears

Here is the audio: “Preaching.”

Tchividjian’s Preaching Notes

Via Josh Harris, here are Tullian Tchividjian’s preaching notes. For some strange reason, I’m interested in this sort of thing!

Single spaced, A4, almost word for word, with the odd scribbled note – in case you’re wondering…

Eby, Power Preaching, and Real Growth (pt 3)

A few Eby quotes on prayer and preaching:

“Prayer is God’s road to teach a pastor to depend on God’s power.”

“What is Satan’s attitude towards a church with great programs, a finely tuned organisation, a wonderful facility and staff, but with little or no prayer? What is Satan’s attitude toward a well-trained, well-educated preacher who prays perfunctorily and little? Satan laughs with a big, belly laugh.”

“Your preaching can’t possibly triumph without prayer.”

“It is the deep conviction of the hopelessness of your task, and the helplessness of your preaching that will spur you on to prayer.”

And from others:

“No amount of gift or diligence in the ministry can compensate for the loss of the influence of prayer.” (Iain Murray)

“…without prayer the God of our studies will be the unfrightening and uninspiring God of insipid academic gamesmanship.” (John Piper)

“…he preacheth not heartily to his people, that prayeth not earnestly for them.” (Richard Baxter)

“If his sermon is based on prayer in the making of it, if he rises from his knees to go to the pulpit, a power goes with the sermon that opens the way to the hearts of men.” (Edgar Whitaker Work)

All quotes are takne from David Eby: Power Preaching for Church Growth.

Eby, Preaching Power, and Real Growth (pt 2)

“The most important thing happening in the world at any given time is the preaching of the gospel.”

— David Eby quoting JamesM. Boice (p 32)

Eby, Preaching Power, and Real Growth (pt 1)

David Eby is fanning my preaching into flame at the moment. I’ve been reading a chapter each day of his book “Power Preaching for Church Growth.” Pondering preaching in the book of Acts, Eby’s thesis is that preaching is central to church growth.

‘The Church grows as the Word grows. The Church increases as the Word multiplies and spreads and prevails, in spite of opposition, persecution and cultural barriers.’ (20)

I’m bound to share some bits and pieces from this eminently quotable book over the next few days. But I would encourage preachers to buy the book yourself.

Advice For Brand New Christians

1.      Find an older Christian who will commit to discipling you on a regular basis.

2.      Attend church regularly.

3.      Make sure you understand the gospel. Clarify this before ‘moving on’ to other things. But don’t stay away too long! Learn to live a ‘gospel centred life’.

4.      Start bible-reading daily. Follow a plan (eg. ‘I will read 2 chapters of the New Testament each day’). If you have the time and desire to do so, be ambitious in what you read. However, don’t be discouraged if you can’t read quickly. And don’t expect to take in everything you read.

5.      Start praying daily. If it helps, meet with another Christian for a period to help get you started. Learn from how others pray, but don’t feel you must copy them. As a simple guide: praise God, confess sin and ask for things that you and others need.

6.      Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is a vital pathway to learning and growth. Naturally, you will have questions about countless things, so ask away!

7.      If you are ‘a reader’, consider getting hold of a Christian book that will help you learn more about the bible. Ask your pastor or mature Christian friends for recommendations.

8.      Tell others you are a Christian. New Christians make some of the best evangelists. Your first two years as a believer may be your most productive in reaching unbelievers.

9.      Be patient with yourself. You have the rest of your life to grow as a Christian!