I’m preaching on the defeat of Jericho this Sunday. The title is “Struggling with Jericho.”

It’s more descriptive of my process than any alliteration.

I remember some strange statistic that 80% of the world learns by visual/tactile stimuli, while 20% learn auditorially. Which begs the question: is preaching the most effective means to communicate the Gospel? I love what I do. But, I often wonder if there isn’t a better way to do it. Preaching is a highlight of my week. I would hate to learn that God had something else in mind.

Also, I was with a group of Southwestern Grads. They commented extensively on how many “great” preachers came out of SWBTS. I asked if they knew any from Southern, and they drew a total blank.

I also asked about sermon prep. Most of these guys don’t use a manuscript. Also, they want to put their sermons in the easiest language as possible, so that they slowest/dumbest person in their congregation can understand it.

I was taught to preach by a graduate from Southern Seminary. He forced us to write manuscripts. He also read us the riot act if we dumbed down our sermon. When I asked someone else about the sermon prep being taught, who was a Southern grad, he said it was a geographical thing. He said that (back then) that is how they taught it at Southern. Manuscript sermons, assuming that your people are capable of understanding what you give them. While SWBTS was Outline, and you preach to the lowest common denominator of your congregation.

Now, I didn’t graduate from SWBTS, or SBTS. I’m a Truett grad, and I was a bible major at HPU (Baptist school in TX). My preaching proff at HPU was a Southwestern Grad. He taught us the “3 points and a poem” method. My Truett Proff was a guy originally from Southern…who made us type out 20 page manuscripts. So, I’ve kind of experienced from a teaching stand point. Also, I spent a year in Augusta, GA…under a preacher that went to Southern. I experienced his manuscript preaching, and it took me a while to get used to it.

Is it really that way? Or, am I just crazy???

Tim

In the end, the real discussion is about the sufficiency of Scripture (at least to me).

I just wanted your thoughts on that.

Alcohol, Inerrancy and the SBC.

Also, I mentioned ’suspicious’ above. What I mean by that is both those familiar and unfamiliar with the Scriptures will think something is up when the Bible just so happens to fit nicely in a quaint outline with the same letter. One might ask, ‘Is the preacher doing something with the story to make this happen?’ Probably.

What a horrible ending to a nice comment… I disagree with that staement.

The problem is we try to complicate some scripture, then turn around and make it palatable. For instance, The Story of Noah in its dark “Deadliest Catch” horror is turned into a primary color Disney-esque eco-tale of cute critters. Then we try, as adults, to understand it’s meaning through that fairy-tale filter

But, back to the subject. i can’t defend it. I, as a designer, usually despise having to work with in art. My pastor uses it all the time. and I put up with it.

And i feel sorry for some of the letters in the alphabet that never get to be part of it. X, Z, Q, Y. How sad for them.

Great post. I have not been a fan of the acronyms and alliteration at all. I especially am not found of the fill in the blank in the Sunday sermon…people anxiously waiting for the magic word to pop up so they can write it in. I’m struggling with preaching and teaching right now to be honest and I’m wrestling with what it all looks like and how to best communicate the word. So though I know how top put a sermon together, that does not equate to me being able to preach or teach. Learning.

Rhett