Advice for Preachers, from Jay Adams

A post from Wes Bredenhof pointed me to the blog of Dr. Jay Adams, very well known for his counseling approach, but who also has great advice on a wide variety of subjects for pastors.  As I am repeating sermon series that I have done in the past, I’m finding his advice here to be very true.  I tended to try to cram a lot in at earlier times in my ministry, and now I say more about less, frequently splitting old sermons into two sermons, or preaching an extra sermon on the same text.

If I took 25 minutes to tell you about one event on one night at one place last summer, I could tell all—colorfully, interestingly, and in a way that you could understand. Instead of hurriedly racing hither and yon, I could stop, examine in detail, describe in depth, delineate and delete! But all of last summer? Why, all I could do is vaguely sketch what took place!

As I get older in the ministry, I realize how much better it is to say one thing well than twenty things badly.  Just saying one thing well is challenge enough.

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