Tag Archives: preaching

Ben Franklin: Patron Saint of Applicatory Preaching?

benjamin_franklin

I came across the follow excerpt while teaching a few weeks ago and it was striking that the self-made man and pursuer of virtue, Ben Franklin, was no fan of doctrinal preaching. I suspect that his objections to the preaching of Jedediah Andrews, the pastor at First Presbyterian in Philadelphia, would have also applied to… Read More→

Posted in Adventures in Church History, Featured | Also tagged , , | 141 Comments

Missing the Forest for the Pericopes

I have yet to read T. David Gordon’s book, Why Johnny Can’t Preach, but I’m tempted to wonder if part of the reason for Johnny’s homiletical ineptness is that he feels constrained to preach one paragraph at a time. Mind you, I have nothing against the lectio continuo, that is, preaching and reading through entire… Read More→

Posted in Shock and Awe | Also tagged , | 13 Comments

In Defense of Pessimism

I came across a great passage in Machen in preparation for yesterday’s lesson in adult education. I read most of it and so the audio that Camden Bucey is posting here at oldlife will have it. But for those who want the print version, here it is: If you accept the Bible as the Word… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Also tagged , , , | 5 Comments