The Alarming Effects of Poor Preaching

Recently I read a book by J. Ellsworth Kalas entitled, Preaching in an Age of Distraction (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2014). The following quote so grabbed my attention that I decided to reproduce it here in its entirety without further comment. Please read Kalas's words prayerfully and carefully, and if you're a preacher, please join me in searching our hearts and ridding our ministries of poor preaching.

"I have bet most of my life on preaching, and my mind hasn't changed. Yes, I do have some caveats. I tell my preaching students that they have no greater enemy than the poor preacher, because poor preaching makes poor listeners, and poor listeners in turn make for still more poor (or discouraged) preachers. Poor preaching lowers the expectations of the people who come, and it drives out those individuals who hunger for something better. Poor preaching discredits the product it represents. It's dreadful to think of anything that makes the Cross commonplace or that reduces the grace of God to a byword.

"By poor preaching I mean preaching that is insincere or that is carelessly prepared (which, in truth, is another expression of insincerity). By poor preaching I mean that which is without a gospel--that is, without the good news of Christ that brings salvation. By poor preaching I mean preaching that is short on love for God and for the human race. By poor preaching I mean preaching that is not doctrinally sound. By poor preaching I mean preaching that is not winsome and persuasive. By poor preaching I mean preaching that does not bring salvation to sinners and growth in Christ to believers" (pages 132-33).

O Father, deliver us from the snare of poor preaching and teach us to preach your Word with the integrity, dignity, and power due your Name!

Comments

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).

Deacons - How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (Part 1)

One of the next important priorities for GCF is to establish deacons in the life of the church. On March 14, 2021 we were able to establish an elder team. Currently, we have a team of four elders overseeing the congregation of GCF. However, there is more work to be done. I have come to see that establishing an elder team was the bare minimum that needed to happen for GCF to survive. I believe GCF now needs to turn our attention to raising up a team of qualified and willing deacons to serve the congregation so that it will not only survive but thrive. I would like to begin a series of blogs on deacons to help us understand who they are and what they do in the life of the church. In this blog let me provide three reasons why I think deacons should be near our top priority. Number 1: It is Biblical. Paul instructs Timothy to install elders who will help him pastor the church. For whatever reason, it seems the churches in our circles treat the installmen...

The Secret of all Failure is our Failure in Secret Prayer

“We may be assured of this—the secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer” (12). So writes the anonymous author of the classic little book on prayer entitled, The Kneeling Christian (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids: 1971). He means that the reason we so often fall into sin or live in discouragement or fail to bear fruit is because we do not cling to God in Christ above all things. We do not diligently seek him or lean on him or plead with him or draw on his strength. We give ourselves to busyness over communion with God and in this way we seek to accomplish in our flesh what can only be accomplished in the power of the Spirit. Giving first place to what our dear author calls “secret prayer” is indeed a key to the Spirit-filled life but let’s be clear: prayer is not magic, rather, it’s a relationship. It’s not as if we simply have to file requests with God, being careful to use just the right words so that we can get him to respond as we wish. God is not a vendi...

Glory of Christ Fellowship

Search This Blog