The Preaching Matters Podcast
Welcome to The Preaching Matters Podcast. Preaching Matters is a weekly podcast about expository preaching, sermon preparation, preaching tips, and the art and science of homiletics.
Our episodes discuss preaching and sermon preparation in a refreshing, engaging fashion. We discuss all matters related to preaching because Preaching Matters.
Reach out to Alan Carr at alancarr@gmail.com. The Preaching Matters Podcast is a ministry of Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook (http://www.sermonnotebook.org).
Episodes
143 episodes
138 - My Church Is Dying, Can It Be Saved?
We all know that churches are struggling. Some are sick, and others are dying. The church you serve might be one of those churches that is on the deathbed. In this episode, I want to address the modern church’s problem. In this episode, we will...
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Episode 138
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33:08
137 - Overcoming Sermon Block
Let’s face it. Sometimes, sermon preparation is as easy as it is at other times. I call the hard times “hitting the wall.” Just as writers struggle with writer’s block, we preachers can struggle with sermon block. I am referring to those times ...
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Episode 137
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30:20
136 - Off The Cuff
Sometimes, the Lord will lead you to preach a passage you have not studied. What do you do when this happens? You preach it, of course. We talk about this and much more in this episode. Let me know what you think.
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Episode 134
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31:04
135 - Ten Mistakes To Avoid In Preaching
Preaching is a powerful, God-given tool for inspiring, motivating, convicting, and comforting people. But preaching can also be dangerous. We can hurt people, lead them astray, and cause them much confusion.Here are ten mistakes every p...
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Episode 135
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34:54
134 - Growing In Your Faith
Growing in faith is a lifelong journey. It involves deepening our knowledge of God through Scripture, cultivating a prayerful relationship with Him, obeying His commands, and persevering through trials. It also requires engaging with the commun...
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Episode 134
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33:13
133 - Encouragement For Bi-Vocational Pastors
Bi-vocational pastors are a unique gift to the church. They are usually the hardest-working men in ministry. If you are a bi-vocational pastor, I want to encourage you. In this episode, I speak to the bi-vocational pastor, offering some suggest...
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Episode 133
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33:53
132 - Elevating The Art Of Pastoral Care
In this episode, we discuss ways to become better pastors and preachers. Pastoral ministry is, in some ways, an art form. In any art form, there is always room for improvement. Listen and let me know what you think.
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Episode 132
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37:33
131 - Bi-Vocational Versus Full-Time MInistry
In this episode, we will discuss the pros and cons of bi-vocational and full-time ministry. Let me know what you think about this episode. What did I miss? Let me know what you think.
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Episode 131
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37:09
130 - A Guide For Preaching Sermon Series
In this episode, I will discuss preaching sermon series. We will discuss:I. Define the Purpose and Theme - Decide on what you will preach.A. Understand the Needs of Your CongregationB. Choose a Theme or BookC. Define the Ser...
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34:31
129 - Two Ways To Improve Your Next Sermon
We all want to be better preachers and deliver more powerful sermons. We want our sermons to have cohesion. Cohesion is “ the act of cohering, uniting, or sticking together.” We want our sermons to stick. If our sermons are to poss...
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Episode 129
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28:57
128 - Eight Reasons For Writing Sermon Manuscripts
In this episode, I want to share eight reasons you should write sermon manuscripts. We will talk about: Writing a manuscript will shorten your preparation time.Writing a manuscript will help you find the right words.
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30:59
127 - Tips For More Effective Preaching
We all want to preach better, more effective sermon. In this episode, I want to share with you 15 tips for more effective preaching. Listen to this episode, use what you can, and ignore what you can't. Thank you for listening to Th...
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31:43
126 - Ten Essential Components In Preaching
10 Essential Components of PreachingIn the last chapter of Scripture, he writes the apostle Paul left Timothy, with these words: “1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dea...
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Episode 126
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34:26
125 - Thoughts On Listening To Sermons
Let's face it: We are not good listeners. This is true in private conversations and when it comes to listening to preaching. I want to share a few thoughts on improving our listening skills in this episode. This is not an exhaustive list of tip...
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30:25
124 - Mistakes To Avoid In Biblical Word Studies
In this episode, we continue talking about biblical word studies. Today, we want to discuss six mistakes we can make when doing word studies. Here is what not to do:1. Don’t conduct English-only word studies.2. Don’t rely o...
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25:48
123 - Simple Steps To Biblical Word Studies
Conducting a word study is many people’s first foray into deeper Bible study. You might do a word study when teaching the Bible, preparing for a small group, or reading for personal edification. Word studies can quickly go awry, so here are six...
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Episode 123
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32:02
122 - Thoughts on Preaching - Part 2
On today's episode, I want to share several thoughts more on preaching. These observations are designed to enhance our preaching, help us avoid the common traps of preaching, and make us more listenable as preachers.As always, I would l...
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34:26
121 - Thoughts On Preaching - Part 1
On today's episode, I want to begin sharing several thoughts on preaching. The observations are designed to enhance our preaching, help us avoid the common traps of preaching, and make us more listenable as preachers.As always, I would ...
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34:18
120 - Three Stages In A Pastor's Life
Today, we will discuss the three stages of a pastor's life. As we move through our years in the ministry, we will change, and our ministry will change with us. I want to walk you through the three stages you will pass through as you live ...
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37:14
119 - Exegesis vs Eisegesis
In today's episode, I discuss the difference between letting the Bible say what it says and making it say what the preacher wants it to. We will also discuss the differences between exegesis and eisegesis. This is not a trivial matter. It is ak...
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28:37
118 - Finding Your Preaching Style - Part 3
In this final episode of the series on Finding Your Preaching Style, I talk about how you can learn to be yourself in your preaching. We will talk about the experiences that have shaped us into the people we are and how those experiences shape ...
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35:54
117 - Finding Your Preaching Style - Part 2
This episode continues the thought from episode 116. We are seeking a way to find our preaching style. God does not want us to be an echo; he wants us to be a voice. The best way to be a voice for God is to be the preacher God created you to be...
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32:41
116 - Ten Preaching Styles To Avoid - Finding Your Preaching Style - Part 1
Every preacher has a unique preaching style. Some preaching styles are very effective, while others are not. In this episode, I want to discuss Ten Preaching Styles To Avoid.We will discuss:The "Look at Me" preacher...
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Episode 116
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28:28
115 - Tips On Sermon Delivery
Effective preaching is not just what we say, it's how we say it. No matter how strong our content, bad delivery can sink a sermon. In this episode we discuss sermon delivery. I offer several tips to help you improve your sermon delivery. Listen...
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23:54
114 - Sola Scriptura - The Authority Of Scripture
As preachers of the Bible, we must never forget that the Bible is our final authority for all matters of faith and practice. We are not to preach our opinions or the opinions of others, echo the flawed teaching of other men, or allow our church...
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Episode 114
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42:05