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I rarely preach one-and-done sermons—very rarely. Come to any service at Saddleback and you’ll catch us either at the beginning, middle or end of a series. Why do I do this?
It builds momentum. Momentum matters in ministry. It’s what keeps your church going in the same positive direction. It isn’t easy moving people in a …
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On Sunday, January 6th, Pastor Rick delivered a sermon to prepare the Saddleback church community for the upcoming campaign What On Earth Am I Here For?. If your church is starting the campaign on the National launch day of February 3rd, we thought you could use this sermon to prepare your members and start to talk about forming small …
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“Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you appear as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15)
The worst time to preach on money is when you need some, pastor. The second worst time is when the church needs some.
The best time to …
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The new year is right around the corner, have you planned your preaching schedule for 2013 yet? Here are some tips to help you plan for your preaching for all of next year:
1. Spend time fasting, praying and preparing yourself spiritually to hear from God- the amount of time and the way you do this will depend on the individual. …
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Eventually every preacher gets stuck where Moses spent some time. In the desert, going nowhere, staring blankly at sheep.
Fortunately it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. I recall Haddon Robinson warning a gaggle of green wannabes that sermon prep can become dull and mundane. “Like hammering doghouses together on an …
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We live in a fallen world, and God’s will is not always done on earth.
Still, when we’re faced with such an immense tragedy as the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, we are tempted to ask, “Why?”
But such questions are unanswerable – we simply don’t know.
Instead of asking, “Why?” we need to help our people ask, …
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Our hearts are all broken for the families who lost children and loved ones this past Friday in Newtown, Connecticut. We pray for them as well as for emergency workers, teachers, and counselors who have been involved in helping the community in the aftermath.
Pastors fulfill a special calling in moments of tragedy. We carry the burden …
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As you know, people will show up at your church for Christmas that won’t show up any other time during the year. Here are three ways to help them see the importance of Christmas -
Remind them that they need a rescuer. Sheep who are lost can't save themselves. If a sheep’s rescue is completely dependent upon itself, he’s a lost …
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Being a pastor is a great privilege that carries with the calling a great responsibility to care for people, study the scriptures and to maintain a lifestyle of constant prayer. With these responsibilities come stress, misunderstandings and the pressure to be a lot of things to a lot of people. When this stress reaches a tipping point, …
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Saint Nicholas is a great story to share this Christmas! Nicholas was born in Southern Turkey in 280 AD and was a difference maker. Study the historical writings on this man, but I some it all up in this short video. Play it for your kids, or even your staff, just take the info and preach it. The enemy always has a counterfeit, and …
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