Tag: Order

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Simplicity in Preaching Book Review by Jeff Bush

By JC Ryle 

  • Unless you are simple in your preaching, you cannot be understood, and if you cannot be understood, you are of no good to the listeners. 
  • No greater mistake can be made than supposing you can easily be understood. 
  • The majority of preachers preach over the head of their listeners. 
  • It is not easy to write a clear and straightforward sermon that can be easily understood. 
  • To write what is simple, striking. and easily understood is a rather hard thing. 
  • If you are going to attain simplicity in preaching, you must have a good understanding of your subject. 
  • Do not preach on an obscure passage that you do not know or understand. 
  • Be careful of spiritualizing and drawing out something that the Holy Spirit never put in the text. 
  • If you want to be simple, there must be order your sermon.
  • If you do not understand a passage or subject, you cannot make it simple; and if you do not make it simple, it will not be understood.
  • Use simple words. Simple words, are not words of one syllable rather words that are commonly used.
  • Use antidotes and illustrations. Look at the sermons of Jesus, He referred to the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, the sheep, the goats, etc.
  • The best speaker can turn the ear into an eye, causing people to imagine and see.
  • You will never preach with simplicity without a lot of hard work. Take time to prepare and develop your sermons.
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Reset Book Review by Jeff Bush

By David Murray

  • Just as a runner must set his pace or he will lose the race, so must we do as Christians. Pastors and ministry workers are getting tired and quitting way too often. 
  • We might say we believe in sovereign grace, but we yell and scream when things don’t go our way in ministry. We must realize it is God that gives the increase. 
  • Not all life or ministry depends on you.
  • Yes, it is better to give than to receive, but if we never receive we will end up drying up.
  • We must learn to slow down and pace ourselves in life and ministry. Not just so that we may live longer, but we will be more joyful, fruitful, and grateful as a result.
  • There are warning lights that are physical (insomnia, being aggravated, etc.), spiritual (still preaching or teaching, but not getting anything from it, not being touched by sermons from others, etc.), marital, mental, etc. Pay attention to these warnings. 
  • If you don’t slow down, God might slow you down.
  • God is a God of order, not of confusion, and we should live orderly lives. 
  • If you do not prioritize your life, someone else will prioritize it for you.
  • To prioritize life, we should break things up into four categories: definitely do, desire to do, delay to do, and don’t do.
  • We must learn to prune in areas. Instead of making a millimeter of progress in a million areas, it would be better to make much progress in a few areas. 
  • We must learn to say no to the nonessential so that we can say yes to the essentials. Learn to say a slow yes and a quick, no.
  • What we eat affects our mood. 
  • What energizes one person does not necessarily energize another person.
  • Replenishment is supposed to be for every day, not for once or twice a year when you get away from everything.
  • Our parenting as fathers should represent well the Fatherhood of our God.
  • Contentment in ministry is secret to longevity in ministry.
  • Sometimes God lets His children go through the wilderness university, and once broken and taught, can use us greater.