If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting...

The Preaching Ezine (the newsletter of Preachology.com)

• Broadus on "Requisits To Effective Preaching" #4.
• Sermon on "A Life That Counts".
• New sermons, outlines, and illustrations link to preachology.com!
• You could have your own sermon web page on Preachology.com!!

Hello,

Mark Hollingsworth here. Hope you are having a great week in the Lord.

2 Tim. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

I would like to continue to discuss what Broadus said about the prerequisites of effective preaching. He said there were four requisites. The first is "piety." The second is "Natural Gifts." The third is "Knowledge." And the fourth is "Skill."

(4) "Skill." (Part 1). This does not refer merely to style and delivery, but also to the collection, choice, and arrangement of materials. All who preach eminently well -- and the same thing is true of secular speakers -- will be found, with scarcely an exception, to have labored much to acquire skill.

Henry Clay, in an address to some law students at Albany towards the close of his life, mentioned that during his early life in Kentucky, he "commenced, and continued for years, the practice of daily reading and speaking upon the contents of some historical or scientific book. These off-hand efforts were made sometimes in a cornfield, at others in the forest, and not infrequently in some distant barn, with the horse and the ox for my auditors."

We are told that the Indian orators of the Six Nations were known to practice their speeches beside a clear pool as a mirror. "Patrick, the most illustrious example of natural oratory, so far as there is any such, went through a course of training in his daily studies of human nature as drawn out by himself in his little shop, his every-day trials on his lingering customers of the power of words, his deep and enthusiastic investigations into history, and particularly his patient and continued study of the harangues of Livy and the elaborate translations he made of them, which, to say the least, is very uncommon." (Day's Art of Discourse)

I certainly agree with Broadus that skill in preaching comes with practice. The preacher who will not practice, will not preach well and will wonder why he is not received well.

Yes, practice on the chickens, the horses, the children, the wife, on anything or anybody, but just practice. Of course, today we have wonderful tools by which to practice...we can preach to ourselves by way of recording ourselves with various audio and/or video devices and then we can play it back to ourselves to hear and/or see the results. Practice if you want to improve and be God's best preacher for God's glory!

2 Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

A LIFE THAT COUNTS

John 15:7-11

Introduction: Every serious Christian I know wonders if their life is really counting for the cause of Christ...and something is truly wrong if our lives are not counting for Him.

In these verses, Christ is telling us how we may let our lives count for Him. And I hope that is your prayer today...to have a life that counts for God...to make a difference on earth before we go to heaven to give an account of what we have done.

So what kind of life is a life that really counts for Christ?

I. The Christ Centered Life. (v.7)

"If ye abide in me."

• Christ centered in spirit.
• Christ centered in faith.
• Christ centered in purpose.
• Christ centered in practice.

II. The Bible Based Life. (v.7)

"And my words abide in you."

• His words enlighten the intellect.
• His words empassion the heart.
• His words empower the will.

All of this fortifies and secures us against the forces of darkness which war against our soul.

III. The Prayer Supported Life. (v.7)

"Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done."

• The privilege of prayer. "Ye shall ask."
• The preference of prayer. "What ye will."
• The pledge of prayer. "And it shall be done."

IV. The Fruit Bearing Life (v.8)

"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my disciples."

• Fruit bearing honors God. "Herein is my Father glorified."
• Fruit bearing blesses others. "That ye bear much fruit."
• Fruit bearing identifies us with Christ. "So shall ye be my disciples.

V. The Love Motivated Life. (vv.9-10)

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

• Christian love. "The love of Christ." "Continue ye in my love.
• Conditional love. "If ye keep my commandments."
• Constant love. "Ye shall abide in my love."
• Cornerstone of love. "I (Christ)...abide in his (the Father's) love."

VI. The Joy Filled Life. (v.11)

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

• Joy is in the Word. "These things have I spoken unto you."
• Joy is in the Lord. "That my joy might remain in you."
• Joy is in the Fulfilled life. "And that your joy might be full."

Conclusion: Are you truly living a life that counts for Christ? Is it a Christ centered life, a Bible based life, a Prayer supported life, a Fruit bearing life, a Love motivated life, and a Joy filled life? If not, it is not the life that Christ wants you to have. And if your life is not the life Christ wants you to have, it is an unhappy, unfulfilled life that is not counting for Christ the way it could and should.

Let me remind you again preachers and teachers that you can now have your own Preachology sermon web page. If you submit 15 or more sermons on the "Your Sermons" page, I will then move your sermons to a page of your own where you can continue to add sermons and invite your family, friends, and followers to view your work. When they visit your page, they can make comments about each of your sermons.

Several preachers have now submitted 15 sermons and have their own sermon web page. They have submitted some great sermons. Check them out and then get your own page!

There are more outlines at the "Bible Study Outlines" page where I share my skeleton outlines and there are more outlines at the "Your Skeleton Outline Page" where you can share your great skeleton outlines with all of us.

I also just recently added some more material at preachology.com on the FREE SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS page. There is also new material at the YOUR SERMONS page. There are new sermons there from several different preachers.

Go to the... Free Sermons ...page to get the new sermons and come often because we will soon add more. Take a look. There are some new sermons there now.

Subscribe to my free newsletter and receive even more sermons, outlines, notes, and ideas on a regular basis emailed directly to you. If you subscribe, you will also be able to access "The Preaching Ezine" archives where you will find even more sermon material (not on the website), sent out in the past. I'll also give you a free copy of E. M. Bounds book "Power Through Prayer."

Click here to subscribe to...The Preaching Ezine.


YOUR SERMONS, OUTLINES, and ILLUSTRATIONS:
Preachers, let's be an encouragement to other preachers by sharing our sermons and outlines and commenting positively about other preacher's sermons.

I love to read other preacher's sermons as devotionals for my own personal spiritual growth and also to get ideas for developing sermons of my own.

Go to the... Your Sermons ...page to submit your sermons and outlines and be a blessing to other preachers. There are some new sermons there right now!

Go to the... Your Skeleton Outlines ...page to submit your skeleton outlines and be a blessing to other preachers. There are some new skeleton sermons there right now!

Go to the... Your Illustrations ...page to submit your sermon illustrations and be a blessing to other preachers. There are some new illustrations there right now!

Well, that's about it for now.

Do you have any comments, ideas, or feedback? I'd love to hear from you personally. You can either reply to this ezine or go to the form on the "Contact Me" page on my website and tell me what you think.

Yours for Powerful Preaching,

Preachology Home Page