Considering the pervasive immorality and high divorce rate of our contemporary Christian culture, we evidently need a biblically based, theologically compelling, practical understanding of sex, dating, and relationships. Pastors Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas counteract this problem with their paradigm-shifting view of purity and relationships—a view that challenges even the basic assumptions of evangelical subculture. Unlike most books on dating, this one cuts straight to the heart of dating relationships, asserting with confidence that the line must be drawn at "no sexual activity" whatever. Few have dared to define and apply the Bible's understanding of purity in premarital relationships to this degree, but Heistand and Thomas have done it. Furthermore, both authors are vocational pastors who communicate regularly with the target audience and have a proven ability to express biblical truth in a winsome and compelling manner. Sex, Dating, and Relationships adds a new, almost provocative voice to the conversation that, with straightforward theological insight, pleads with Christians to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.

“God has appointed preaching in worship as one great means of accomplishing his ultimate goal in the world.” —John Piper John Piper makes a compelling claim in these pages about the purpose of preaching: it is intended not merely as an explanation of the text but also as a means of awakening worship by being worship in and of itself. Christian preaching is a God-appointed miracle aiming to awaken the supernatural seeing, savoring, and showing of the glory of Christ. Distilling over forty years of experience in preaching and teaching, Piper shows preachers how and what to communicate from God’s Word, so that God’s purpose on earth will advance through Biblesaturated, Christ-exalting, God-centered preaching—in other words, expository exultation.

"Lane provides practical tools to help pastors deliver engaging messages. Anyone who preaches or teaches will benefit from this book." -Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling Author of The Circle Maker, Lead Pastor of National Community Church. Today's audiences are more distracted than ever, but sermons can only be effective if people are listening. You have to capture people's attention. But how? In Preaching Killer Sermons, author and pastor Lane Sebring reveals practical preparation and delivery techniques that will enable you to better connect with your listeners. Discover how to: -Capture and maintain the interest of your listeners -Structure each sermon for the greatest impact -Maximize your prep time on a tight schedule -Overcome distractions & communicate with clarity -Inspire people toward life-change If you want to discover practical methods to communicate clearly every time you preach, this book is for you. What church leaders are saying about Preaching Killer Sermons: Lane has written a very helpful, practical book for preachers and teach-ers. I think there are two great sins in preaching: misusing the text and boring your audience. In teaching pastors and seminary students, I find there are plenty of resources and attention given to avoid the first great sin. But there is a lack of resources on how not to bore people. And too many preachers feel that if they have rightly divided the Word of Truth, they have done everything God requires them to do. I think accuracy and effectiveness are equally important in preaching. Preaching Killer Sermons is a great resource to help pastors truly be effective in communicating the powerful truth of God's Word. I plan to start using this with the preaching students I teach. -David Whiting, Executive Search Consultant, Vanderbloemen, former Lead Pastor, Northridge Church, Rochester, NY The hardest thing I do each week is not leadership development or pastoral care - it's crafting a message which will communicate truth in an engaging and impactful way. I genuinely want to get better at what I believe is God's greatest call on my life. I'm thankful for Lane's heart to help us be better preachers. I'm thankful for this book. -Ron Edmondson, Senior Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, Church leadership blogger, RonEdmondson.com Pastor Lane Sebring has done an outstanding job of reverse engineering the "great sermon." His efforts will help all who preach to preach better prepared sermons, and become better prepared communicators. Preach-ing Killer Sermons should be included reading in homiletics courses around the world. -Brett Fuller, Senior Pastor, Grace Covenant Church, Chantilly, VA Chaplain, Washington Redskins If you are a communicator in the local church you need to pick up this book. Lane brings practical insights and helpful encouragement on every page. Pick it up ... and apply the lessons contained within. -Rich Birch, unSeminary, Executive Pastor, Liquid Church, Mountainside NJ The concepts Lane shares in this book have helped sharpen my effectiveness in communicating the content of God's inerrant Word! I would highly recommend this book to both the novice and the experienced preacher. -Dr. Billy Ross, Senior Pastor, Centreville Baptist Church, Centreville, VA Trustee, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary I serve on a Teaching Team with Lane, so I watch him live out Preaching Killer Sermons each week. Lane's heart is to communicate God's Word in culturally relevant and engaging ways. Now he's sharing his passion in a book full of practical tools to help preachers (and teachers/speakers). You'll hear his heart as he challenges you to examine and refine your own preaching habits. -Elaine Bonds, sought after speaker, Graduate, Proverbs 31 She Speaks and CLASSeminars

Give Your Best Sermon Ever—Every Time Newly edited for today’s readers, this time-tested book combines recognized public speaking techniques with proven theories of preaching to equip you for the pulpit. Author James Braga provides pastors and message-givers anywhere in ministry with logical, step-by-step guidance to preparing and delivering effective sermons. Each chapter thoroughly defines and describes each critical component of a sermon, from the introduction to illustrations and the conclusion. 35th Anniversary Edition - Updated for the 21st Century! A How-To That Delivers Since 1969, How to Prepare Bible Messages has been a pastor’s most trusted source for preparing and delivering sermons that change lives. And for good reason. James Braga’s clear and logical method combines effective techniques for public speaking with time-tested theories of teaching. His instructions are so simple even a novice can follow them. From the title to the conclusion and the lessons in between, Braga leaves no question unanswered. How to Prepare Bible Messages is a recognized classic—and your key to powerfully conveying God’s Word to a hungry people! Story Behind the Book When this book was originally published in 1969, James Braga understood that in order for God’s Word to impact His sheep in a life-changing way, the messenger had to do his job exceedingly well. Now, more than thirty years later, the guidance Braga provides pastors, youth leaders, and speakers of all kinds for preparing and delivering effective Bible messages stands stronger than ever. Time-tested and true, his words provide insight, guidance, and tangible steps for answering God’s call to deliver His message with excellence.

Many sermons preached today lack the divine knowledge and spiritual understanding available only through dynamic expository preaching. In Preaching: How to Preach Biblically, John MacArthur’' well-known passion for the Bible combines with the expertise of faculty members at The Master's Seminary to inspire and equip preachers in effective biblical preaching. Preaching: How to Preach Biblically flows from biblical foundations for expository preaching through a detailed process of developing expositions and creating sermons to the actual delivery of expository messages, connecting what pastors learn in seminary with the sermons preached in a local church. This volume shows how to progress purposefully from one phase to the next in preparing to minister to God's people through preaching. This book answers these questions and more: What is expository, biblical preaching? What are the theological and historical foundations for insisting on expository preaching? What are the steps involved in preparation for and participation in biblical preaching? What models exist for expository preaching today? The Master's Seminary faculty, with over thirty years' experience in preaching and seminary training of preachers, contributes a treasury of expertise alongside insights from expositor John MacArthur. While united on their commitment to exposition, the variety of individual expressions and methodological preferences discussed offers beneficial assistance for any preacher seeking a higher level of expository excellence.

First published 1982 in the U.K. by Hodder and Stoughton, London, under the title "I Believe in Preaching."

No matter how good your message, if your delivery is poor, your audience won't receive it. Even a great message with poor delivery will result in a disengaged audience. In my years of education on a bachelors and masters level from great Christian institutions, I learned the message of the Bible. But I didn't learn how to deliver that message. It took me a decade of failure, learning from great preachers, and years of research to learn the principles in this book. Preach and Deliver is a practical guide that will teach you the best practices for body language, eye contact, pauses, humor, illustrations, notes, and much more. This book will change the way you deliver a sermon so that you can preach in a powerful way that grips the hearts and minds of your audience. But reading alone will not make you a better preacher. That's why at the end of every chapter, I have included an action step to apply what you learned. If you want to master the fundamentals of sermon delivery, this book is for you.

As a preacher, you are the response of Heaven to the cry of your city!Clarify your calling, strengthen your character, and develop your craft as a preacher.In this book, Samuel Deuth, the author of the best selling book, Following Jesus, shares from his 20+ years of preaching and ministry leadership experience.Whether you're just beginning in ministry or you've been following the call for years, this book will stir and encourage you in three specific areas that are the building blocks of your ministry role.This book from Samuel Deuth, is packed with powerful and practical training to help you clarify your calling, develop a character that will carry your calling, and give your step by step in writing messages and fine tuning your craft as a preacher and communicator! More resources at: preachingforward.com

My goal in writing this book is to help busy pastors and laymen who may not be able to go to seminary, do not have time to read the multiple tomes written about preaching, or are overwhelmed by the volume of such books. Perhaps he is bi-vocational (which we all know is a code word for full-time job plus a full-time pastorate) and has wrestled with attaining excellence in the pulpit on a weekly basis. Maybe he has an MDiv but has grown stale in his study and needs a fresh perspective. These are common experiences among pastors, so I share my solution-a simple process for preparing sermons that are faithful to God's Word. The process outlined in this book is designed to maximize the value of time which can be afforded to sermon preparation. When the week is closing in and your study time feels compressed, Sunday's sermon still must be prepared. In those moments, a defined process which is simple, easy to use, and stays true to Scripture will serve you well. I believe you will find the information and instructions in this book beneficial in such a way.The information within the book is written in a conversational tone. However, the content is a condensation of scholarly work and hermeneutical theory. This book has been divided into two major sections: Ideology and Methodology. The first major division will deal with the ideology behind the process; why we do it the way we do. We must begin with similar views on the value, power, and importance of the Bible if we are going to be able to convey its truth well. The process in this book is based on a high view of Scripture as God's Word. The major presupposition underlying this process is that the Word of God is inerrant, infallible, and written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it seemed important to establish a starting place from where we can all move forward together with a shared understanding of how to approach God's Word. The second major division is the process itself. After an introductory segment, each of the short chapters in that section will deal with a different step in the process. Although the process is divided into steps, it is not intended to become a robotic, factory-like process. The purpose of the steps is to give you a method to work through a passage in the Bible and discover the truth within it, then, to convey that truth to your audience in an understandable way. One of my goals has been to keep this as simple as possible while also respecting the importance of the task. Another goal is to give you a tool which you can start using the first week you read it.

This insightful history explores the stereotype of Dallas Theological Seminary as an anti-intellectual stronghold of fundamentalism and dispensational premillennialism. The tenures of the school s five presidents reveal the tensions that DTS, a blend of differing heritages and of opposing traditions, has experienced amid changes in American religious and cultural life."