"Victory . . . in the pulpit . . . is won or lost before the preacher's foot enters the pulpit."

“Unction cannot be learned, only earned—by prayer. Unction is God’s knighthood for the soldier-preacher who has wrestled in prayer and gained victory. Victory is not won in the pulpit by firing intellectual bullets or wisecracks, but in the prayer closet; it is won or lost before the preacher’s foot enters the pulpit.” [Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1959; 1987), 20.]

"A sermon born in the head reaches the head; a sermon born in the heart reaches the heart."

“Brethren, we could well manage to be half as intellectual (of the modern pseudo kind) if we were twice as spiritual. Preaching is a spiritual business. A sermon born in the head reaches the head; a sermon born in the heart reaches the heart. Under God, a spiritual preacher will produce spiritually minded people.” [Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1959; 1987), 20.]

"Too many dead men in pulpits giving out dead sermons to too many dead people."

“The tragedy of this late hour is that we have too many dead men in pulpits giving out too many dead sermons to too many dead people. Oh! the horror of it. There is a strange thing I have seen “under the sun,” even in the fundamentalist circles; it is preaching without unction. What is unction? I hardly know. But I know what it is not (or at least I know when it is not upon my own soul). Preaching without unction kills instead of giving life. The unctionless preacher is a savor of death unto death. The Word does not live unless the unction is upon the preacher. Preacher, with all thy getting—get unction.” [Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1959; 1987), 20.]

Always Remember From Whence God Has Brought You

I love the letter that an old Puritan, Thomas Goodwin, wrote to his son.

"When I was threatening to become cold in my ministry, and when I felt Sabbath morning coming and my heart not filled with amazement at the grace of God, or when I was making ready to dispense the Lord’s Supper, do you know what I used to do? I used to take a turn up and down among the sins of my past life, and I always came down again with a broken and a contrite heart, ready to preach, as it was preached in the beginning, the forgiveness of sins. I do not think I ever went up the pulpit stair that I did not stop for a moment at the foot of it and take a turn up and down among the sins of my past years. I do not think that I ever planned a sermon that I did not take a turn round my study table and look back at the sins of my youth and of all my life down to the present; and many a Sabbath morning, when my soul had been cold and dry, for the lack of prayer during the week, a turn up and down in my past life before I went into the pulpit always broke my hard heart and made me close with the gospel for my own soul before I began to preach.” [Quoted in William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrews Press, 1960), 53-54.]

"Lord, help me to never forget where you brought me from and where You are taking me. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me from my sins and switching me from the broad road toward hell to the narrow road toward heaven. I feel like a turtle on a fence post: I know I didn't get here by myself. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . ." (1 Corinthians 15:10) Amen."

Are God's Children Starving Even While Seated at His Table?

"There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives. They minister constantly to believers who feel within their breasts a longing which their teaching simply does not satisfy. I trust I speak in charity, but the lack in our pulpits is real. Milton's terrible sentence applies to our day as it did to his: 'The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed'. It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table"

- A.W. Tozer

"Lord, as the hungry sheep stare up, use me to serve them scrumptuous and satisfying portions from Your delectable word. Help Your preachers faithfully feed Your flock as we feast at the Father's fine table. Surely, if we gorge ourselves on God's good word then we would not be guilty of gluttony. May we taste Your savory sweetness and see that the Lord is good. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Sermonettes or "sweet but substanceless snacks"

“Much of what emanates from modern pulpits would not be recognized by history’s great preachers as being Bible-based and glorifying to God. Rather than the spiritual meat the Body of Christ needs–marked by doctrinal clarity, a sense of gravity, convincing argument, and a proper focus on Christ–entire churches are being administered a sweet but substanceless snack by their pastors. Consequently, congregations leave the sanctuary malnourished and ill-prepared to stand firm when their faith is challenged.” - Alistair Begg

Sermonettes produce Christianettes. (I heard one preacher add: "who smoke cigarettes" to this sad but true axiom.)

"Lord Jesus, please help me consistently prepare and regularly present a full-course meal through the whole counsel of God from the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God in order to equip the saints of God to do the work of God by the Holy Spirit of God for the glory of God the Father. Amen."

Preacher, What Is Your Biggest Problem?

“A preacher’s biggest problem is how to toughen his hide without hardening his heart.”

—Vance Havner

While in seminary I remember hearing this little ditty: "A Preacher should have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros." In other words, he should be thoughtful, tender-hearted, and thick-skinned.

Unfortunately, too many preachers (and Christians) have the mind of a child, the heart of a rhinoceros, and the hide of a child. In other words, they are shallow, jaded, and touchy.

"Holy Spirit, cultivate in me the proper balance of head, heart, and hide. In Jesus' name. Amen."

What is Preaching?

“Preaching is not the art of making a sermon and delivering it. Preaching is the art of making a preacher and delivering him.”

—Bishop Quayle