Jenstezen Franklin, Tim Keller, Erwin McManus, Kerry Shook and Judd Wilhite were interviewed by Rick Warren on the topic of Preaching. Here are a few quotes from the session.
Next Sunday about 120 million people will go to church in America. More people go to church on one weekend in America than attend all sporting events in an entire year. - Rick Warren
Praying is more important than preaching. My family is more important than the church. - Jenstezen Franklin
Being out there with people gives you something to say when you are preaching. A seminary sermon is bones with no flesh. Pastoring gave me things to say. - Tim Keller
There are three things to do: lead, pastor and administrate. - Tim Keller
I feel like my job is to listen the conversation humanity is in, to listen to the conversation God is trying to have with us, to listen to the conversation God is trying to have with me. - Erwin McManus
I have to admit I used to get Rick's tape and memorize it, but I memorized it really good. - Kerry Shook
I block my time. I block it and give it to message preparation. I go to another place, away from my office, and prepare to preach. - Judd Wilhite
Preaching is good for edification (build up), exhortation (fire up) and comfort (hold up). I find I need to make sure I cover each of those over the course of a year. So, if you have a personal preference of one of those three, over the others, you'll emphasize that one to the neglect of the others. We must preach the whole counsel of God. If all you do is fire-up messages you'll burn people out. - Rick Warren
I lay out a 12-month-run so I cover the critical issues in the year, then we plan it out as a team. The whole church knows when it's coming and what is coming. - Judd Wilhite
Before I plan a series I think, "What kind of action do we need to take as a congregation? What do I need to rev-up with my sermons?" I want to be intentional about every sermon. It may be something really small; it may be really big. - Kerry Shook
I challenged people one weekend to give their shoes. We collected 4,600 shoes for the homeless in our community. - Kerry Shook
I think of myself as having a conversation with Los Angeles. When Heath Ledger died I did a series called "Vital Signs" and everyone sent in email questions for three months. I did a message on the top questions. - Erwin McManus
Each week we took a billboard in our city and held conversation with it. The first one was, "Life is Short. Have an Affair." - Erwin McManus
During the summer I read the books that will help provide background for the topics coming in the year ahead. I preach a liturgical year. I'm always looking for parts of the Bible I've not yet given to my people. - Tim Keller
I marvel at people who like to plan ahead. I just can't do it. - Jenstezen Franklin
Sometimes, the older we get the more we shy back from preaching to the kids. But the older we get the more we become father-figures and we can really speak into the lives of young people. I'm 45 and I still just love to preach to young people. The older you get, the more authority God gives you to speak to the issues. - Jenstezen Franklin
Don't ask the question, "What will I preach on?" Instead, ask the question, "Who am I going to preach to?" God knows who will show up. Ask God to help you know who you're going to preach to so you can preach to their questions and confusion. - Rick Warren
I actually use my small group to help me prepare. When I'm dealing with a specific issue I use my small group. We have different perspectives. It really helps. - Rick Warren
I love to get feedback from previous messages. I love to run my ideas through kids because they are so current. - Jenstezen Franklin
I have two things: I have a physical file and I have an electronic file. When I read an illustration I throw it into that file. So when I preach on a topic I've been preparing that message for years! - Rick Warren
A crisis pulls stuff out of you. It pulls the preparation you've done for years out of you. It may be the best preaching you do. - Tim Keller
I love those moments. For me, it is a personal sweet spot. A time of crisis allows the reconsideration of previously held assumptions. - Erwin McManus
In my book I wrote of a God who allows good people to die in towers. We should be aware, in those moments when everything is unstable, we have opportunity to help people wrestling with crisis. - Erwin McManus
The church has to be relevant in a crisis. If we aren't relevant in a crisis we aren't relevant. - Kerry Shook
There will be crisis. If you know that is going to happen, be ready for that. It is the point when you speak with authority. - Rick Warren
The Sunday after 911 I said, "I know three things are true. (1) Everything on our schedule for the next three months is off. (2) People are going to be more open to the Gospel than any other time. (3) There is a great possibility for effective evangelism." - Rick Warren
The buckets you set out will be filled. If you only set out one bucket, only one bucket will be filled. - Rick Warren
I think titles can grab the attention of a congregation. - Jenstezen Franklin
When I started going to church I was so appreciative of the humor. I noticed. He caught me disarmed. He disarmed me with his humor and then I paid more attention to the parts that really mattered. - Erwin McManus
English is my second language. Humor is the last thing you pick up when you pick up language. It may be the highest form of communication. When people laugh with you, you are speaking their heart language. - Erwin McManus
The best humor has to occur to you on the spot. Humor will reveal your "self-regard." People are attracted to you when they see you see the ironic in life. Spontaneous humor is the only humor that works. Unless you are a fairly godly person, your humor will go awry. - Tim Keller
Humor about sex is both important (because sex is an idol in our culture) but is can go so wrong! - Tim Keller
The word "humor" and the word "humility" come from the same word. It means, "...from the earth." People are looking for an authoritative message coming through a humble personality. That is so winsome and so endearing to people! - Rick Warren
My wife brought her 82 year old neighbor and I was preaching on sex. Because my wife brought her, she had to sit through the entire sermon twice. My wife couldn't even look at her. When the second message was over she looked at my wife and said, "I really needed that. I keep going to our club and I'm waiting on one of the old women to die so I can get her husband." - Erwin McManus
The difference between a bad sermon and a good sermon has a lot to do with you; it has to do with your intellectual preparation. The difference between a good sermon and a great sermon is all God. It has to do with prayer. It has to do with your relationship with God. Never confuse your gift from the Spirit with the fruit of the Spirit. - Tim Keller
Don't mistake the emotional content with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. There may be an emotional release in preaching that can be mistaken for the anointing of God. When you are under tension, and it is coming out during a very emotional time of the message, it is not the Holy Spirit. It is spiritual vomiting. - Rick Warren
Preaching is passion. If you don't feel what you're saying, it won't move anybody. When you feel yourself getting cold, fast! I've found if I'll fast, it sharpens you. You get broken. You get tender before God. It will ignite the fire in you, to say what you say with great anointing. - Jenstezen Franklin
I surrender when I come on the property. God I'm yours. That act of surrender is a ritual for me. I go in and pray in the auditorium. I meet the people I'm going to speak with. - Judd Wilhite
The pastor standing at the door is really what Howard Hendricks calls "The Glorification of the Worm Ceremony." - Rick Warren
I always kneel at my sofa in my office before I preach. I want my heart totally right before I go out there. - Kerry Shook
Years ago I told the Lord I really didn't want to preach anymore. I haven't written a single word of my talks for the last 15 years. I really try to inter-connect my own walk with Jesus and what I say on Sunday. I try to be sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit. Knowing He is vibrantly alive I try to practice walking in His presence. - Erwin McManus
God looks at you heart. He is not looking for perfection. He is looking for direction. He wants to see the direction you are going. - Rick Warren
God knows the direction of my heart is always for Jesus Christ. I love Him. I love Him with all my heart. That is what God blesses. He wants to know, "Do you love me?" - Rick Warren
Humility is a declaration of dependence on God. - Rick Warren
Refuse to become a professional. I never want to become so comfortable with material that I don't pray myself hot and study myself full and prepare the message through and then let lose and say, "Holy Spirit, I'm yours." - Jenstezen Franklin
The purpose is to make the truth about Jesus real, not make the truth about Jesus clear. People shouldn't be taking notes at the end of the message because they shouldn't be able to. - Tim Keller
God has been convicting me, "Live it out at home. Live it out at home. Live it out at home." - Kerry Shook
Speak to the broken and you will always have an audience. - Judd Wilhite
You can subscribe to this blog with a feed reader, or have posts sent by email directly to your Inbox.
You both are wonderful! Corey and I really miss you. Im loving all the note taking and yes Ive actually had some time to read thru them. YEAH
Have fun and be safe
Debbie Mann
Posted by: Debbie Mann | May 21, 2008 at 02:06 PM