Preaching Resources

Everyone has their favorite preaching resources: those "go-to" books or websites that can make a big difference in preparation. 

Below, I've listed some of my "go-to" resources. In many ways, the only "bad" thing about each of these is that I often have to be careful not to copy or steal their ideas. 

If you're looking at this list and have things to add, I'd love to know what they are!

WEBSITES:

www.workingpreacher.org:

This is an absolute must.  The commentary for each lesson can be very helpful.  David Lose's "Dear Working Preacher" blog is EXCELLENT.  The "Sermon Brainwave" Podcast is always interesting.  Check it out: it's free!


www.textweek.com:

This is another excellent resource that goes beyond preaching to worship leadership as well.  There are links to commentaries, worship outlines, images, etc.  It can be a bit overwhelming and you have to sift through plenty of things you won't use, but there are some really useful "nuggets" to be found.


www.storiesforpreaching.com:
It's very easy to craft a sermon that simply describes what the Bible says and then tells people what it means in their lives. It's so much harder to show people what this looks like. It's even harder still to find stories to illustrate this. Even harder than that is the task of finding stories that are not so cheesy you feel depressed by sharing them or stories that are not so sappy and sweet that you want to throw-up.  This website has a collection of stories and illustrations that seem to navigate the waters between cheesy and sappy.

BOOKS:

The People's New Testament Commentary. By M. Eugene Boring and Fred B. Craddock. 

There are plenty of good commentaries out there and many of them are very good.  If you're like me, however, you need something that's succinct and really emphasizes the practical application of the text for a daily life of faith.  This commentary packs a punch for discipleship, but doesn't water down its scholarship either.  AND you can get it for your kindle reader.



N.T. Wrights' "For Everyone" series. 

Very accesible and interesting. I've used these books for bible studies and also as preaching resources.  Good scholarship and good application.  Wright includes many stories that flesh out the point he's trying to make.



Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. By Bruce Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh.

If you are looking for a brief, quick look at the societal, political and economic background to Jesus' ministry, this book can provide some really good information. In addition to providing a verse-by-verse commentary, it contains a glossary of "Reading Scenarios" which give you information on a variety of topics like, say, "Acquired Honor," "Barreness," "Crucifixion," "Fasting,""Gossip," and many, many other areas of interest.


The Reason for God. By Timothy Keller

This very readable book might not be the best for uber-quick reference, but Keller explores many of the different "objections" to Christianity and explains how believing in the Christian God makes sense.  Many of the sections in the beginning book (like "How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?") could be useful background for many sermons. Keller also writes about the "reasons for faith" in a very accesible, but erudite fashion. I've gone to this book many times, not just for sermons, but also when a person asks one of those "tough" questions about faith.

Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms  AND Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms. Both Edited by Rolf A. Jacobson et. al.

Sometimes you know what you are trying to get across, but it's hard to know HOW to describe it.  These books are a very entertaining and insightful way of helping you out. As a pastor, I hope that you have at least some idea of the basics of Christology, Canon, Communion, Adiaphora, Heresy, etc.  But how do you describe these things in a way that is actually engaging? I've used these books quite often as a way of answering this question.