The Preaching & Ministry Journal: November 2023 Preachers & Writing by The Jenkins Institute

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FROM THE EDITORS: These editors can still be surprised. As we read through the articles in this edition of The Journal we expected excellence for these are some outstanding writers in their own lot. Within this group millions of words have been printed and read. They are outstanding. But two things stood out. One, the tremendous passion with which these brothers express themselves. They value what they do and what they write. They believe that the messages they are writing can change lives and help God’s People be better. And, two, how remarkably practical the advises they give about writing are. We were instructed by their articles. While we have over 90 years of published writing between the two of us, over and over we found little nuggets that will help us to be better writers. So, as you enjoy this issue of The Journal be prepared to be both inspired and instructed. So, take your time, drink this one in, and write more and write better. Thank you for reading The Journal and for encouraging us in this periodical dedicated to Preaching and Ministry. Please help us by sharing it with others and making full use of it. And, as always we pray for you as you grow in His Service. - Jeff & Dale Jenkins editors

The Impact of Writing By Dan Chambers, Brentwood, TN * danleola@yahoo.com

’ve been incredibly blessed to write a few books over the past twenty- ve years or so—not many, but a few—and I love it. Well, to be perfectly honest, it’s probably more accurate to describe my relationship with writing as a love/hate relationship. As I said, I really do love writing. I can easily get completely lost in the writing process. Frankly, if I’m not careful, when I’m writing and “in the zone,” everything else can fall off my radar. And by “everything else” I mean, well, just about everything else—hygiene, hunger, home, and a host of other ministry demands that I’m expected to invest some time and attention in as a full-time preacher.

At the same time, there are moments when I really hate writing. It’s such hard work. At least it is for me. Progress can be painfully slow. Frustration can come out of nowhere and come in waves. The creative

juices sometimes slow to a trickle, and sometimes they just don’t ow at all. Is my tone right? How is this going to be heard? Can I state that point more clearly? Is that sentence too long? Is that argument too

complex? Should I say more? Should I say less? Am I handling that text accurately? And the agonizing analysis goes on and on. Whew, I’m wiped out just thinking about how hard writing can be. With that said, wow, what a blessing writing has been to me! It’s been worth every drop of emotional, physical, and spiritual energy I’ve invested in it . . . and then some. I know writing isn’t for everyone, but for me it has not only been a very important way to minister, but it has also been one of the most satisfying and ful lling aspects of my ministry.

If you suspect that God has gifted you with some writing ability, let me encourage you to give it a try (if you aren’t already doing it). And how exactly do you know if you might have a gift to write? Well, maybe several people have said to you, “You need to be writing.” Or maybe you just feel a pretty strong impulse to write. Some refer to that as “having a burden” to write. If you’ve got that impulse, or people have af rmed your writing ability, then you probably have some giftedness for it. So, cultivate that gift. Rise up and write. Or write some more. Write an article. Write a devotional. Write a blog. Write a book. Write a theological treatise. Write some

Bible class lessons. Write a newsletter or ministry report. Just write something to in uence people —something to challenge them, something to encourage them, something to inspire them, or something to instruct them If you’re still not quite sure that you want to sit down at your keyboard and tackle a writing project, let me give you a couple of things to think about. WRITING: A FEW THOUGHTS ON WHY I think the number reason to write is in uence. I want to in uence as many people as I can for Jesus. I want to persuade as many people as I can to choose the path of obedience. I want to awaken as many people as possible to the delight of discovering the truth about spiritual realities. Writing has expanded my in uence far beyond what I ever imagined. It has signi cantly multiplied the number of people I’ve gotten to “talk to” about spiritual things. Just this month I got a couple of emails from people I’ve never met who told me that one of my books was helpful to them. Congregations in several states have used my books

in their Bible classes or evangelistic efforts. One of my books has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and Telugu (one of the languages of India). Recently I found out—much to my surprise and delight—that almost 250 copies of one of my books have been sold in Great Britain this year. I’m profoundly thankful that God has used my written words to help people in places I’ve never been and probably will never go. Do you want to expand your teaching in uence? I know you do. So, go ahead, start that blog you’ve been threatening to start. Submit that article you’ve been thinking about. Write that book that’s been on your heart. Then see if God uses those written words for His glory. If He does, keep writing.

Another reason to write is because it’ll make you a better preacher, teacher, and Bible student. Years ago, one of my college professors explained the purpose of the dreaded term paper. He said it makes students think more deeply, read more widely, explore more thoroughly, and express their conclusions more clearly and precisely than they would on their own.

He nailed it. I’ll admit that when I’m writing on a Bible passage or topic, I’ll spend more time reading, thinking, re ecting, and pondering than I would otherwise. I’ll spend more time crafting my words to communicate with precision and clarity, and more time agonizing to hone the perfect persuasive argument, than I do when I’m not writing. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not suggesting that, when not writing, I’m a shallow Bible student, or a careless communicator, or indifferent about trying to win people with persuasion. I’m just admitting that the process of writing requires a level of work and effort that rarely happens outside of that process. And that high level of work and effort will make a huge difference in both your spiritual and professional development. That’s a real win-win. It’s a win for your own spiritual edi cation and a win for all those you help on their spiritual journey. Isn’t that worth pursuing? Now, if you’re ready to carve out a little time to write something, here are a few things you may want to think about.

Think about your tone. Just like tone of voice, tone in writing communicates. It affects how your readers “hear” you. If your words come across as unkind, arrogant, or condescending, don’t expect your

language; that means I speak in the rst person, liberally use contractions, and occasionally toss in some slang and idioms. It also means I’m not afraid to be playful or use humor. I guess I can sum it up this way: I like to write as though I were having a

I like to write as though I were having a conversation with good friend… Remember, your number one goal in writing is to convey your message to your readers. It’s not spelling, punctuation, or grammar. readers to appreciate either you or your message. On the other hand, a tone that’s respectful, kind, and humble will pack a serious punch in accomplishing your goal to positively in uence your readers. People are far more likely to be open to persuasion if your arguments are packaged in a good mood and a good attitude.

Think about your style. Like tone, this is also about putting thought into how your writing will be heard. When it comes to conventions of communication, I think our culture “hears” an informal style of writing better than a formal style. For that reason, I purposely write in a conversational style (most of the time). I use colloquial, everyday fi

WRITING: A FEW THOUGHTS ON HOW

conversation with good friend. People often say to me—and they mean it as a compliment—“When I read your books, it sounds like we’re having a conversation.” Mission accomplished! That’s usually what I’m going for. Think about your message rst. Remember, your number one goal in writing is to convey your message to your readers. It’s not spelling, punctuation, or grammar. I’m not saying those things aren’t important. They are important—very important —for comprehensible writing. But rst things rst. And grammar isn’t rst. A good message is rst. Too much focus on grammar and spelling can paralyze productive writing. Too many potential writers never even

get out of the starting blocks because “I’m really bad at grammar.” I want you to get out of those blocks. So, when you sit down to write, just let it ow from your ngertips. Say what you want to say. Don’t worry about misplaced commas, or the right form of “there,” or the proper position of prepositions. Then, when you’ve got your message on paper, you can go back and clean up any messes in spelling and grammar. And if you’re not able to clean it up yourself, there’s always someone you can nd who has a better eye for that kind of stuff than you do.

particular section and decided to add a paragraph or two in the nal copy. Before I made that change, however, I reached out to one of my readers—a young professional in his thirties who happens to be a great thinker and Bible student—and told him about my planned edit. Then I asked what he thought. Frankly, I expected him to simply af rm my decision. But he surprised me with a thoughtful assessment. He advised against it and explained why he thought I should let it stand. I thought about what he said, decided to leave the section “as is,” and I’m glad I did.

Think about getting feedback. Good advice can be invaluable, so don’t be afraid to ask. Before I published my last book, I sent a proof copy to some trusted friends and acquaintances. After stewing over the proof copy myself, I began to have some doubts about one

As I said earlier, what a blessing writing has been to my life and ministry. It’s been worth every drop of emotional, physical, and spiritual energy I’ve invested in it . . . and then some. If you haven’t done much writing, give it a try! If you have, keep on writing!

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he Divine Mandate of using the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (1 Corinthians 1:21) presumes that those doing the preaching are going to have to come up with something to preach. The difference between good sermons and lousy sermons can be vast, or slight. As Mark Twain writes, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ‘It’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

The difference between good sermons and lousy sermons can be vast, or slight.

As we go about the work of writing sermons, what are some considerations that should be always before us? 1. Be Biblical—“Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). If our preaching is not rooted and grounded in God’s Word, it might as well be an after-dinner speech at the Kiwanis Club. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. Our words are not. The former is eternal; the latter is temporal. As the late Avon Malone used to say, “I tell young preachers starting out to use a lot of scripture in their sermons. At least that much will be right.”

Writing sermons

By: Chuck Monan Little Rock, Arkansas ~ pigskinpreacher63@gmail.com

2. Be Informed—Theologian Karl Barth urged ministers to get their sermons up with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. God’s Word has something valuable to say about EVERYTHING in this world. But you have to know what’s going on in the world, the culture, the congregation, and in the lives of the people. You do not have the option of being uninformed. Not if you expect a hearing, anyway. 3. Be Creative—As we preach the same facts, truths and doctrines, it is crucial that we nd fresh, new, unfamiliar ways to frame and illustrate them. Find new stories and anecdotes. Mine books, newspapers and current events to spotlight ancient truths. How can we do this? Read. Study. Be relentless in your quest for knowledge. A great preacher once told me, “If you quit studying, you’re dead.” He never quit studying. We shouldn’t either. 4. Be Bold—When Jesus arrived on the scene, the standard mode of teaching in Judaism was “Rabbi Hillel says x, but Rabbi Shammai says y.” Jesus moved away from the point/counterpoint back and forth method to direct proclamation. The impact of this was dramatic: “And when Jesus

nished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” ( Matt. 7:28-29). While we are not Jesus, we do have authority when we proclaim the timeless, changeless Word of God. Goethe said, “Preach to us your certainties! We have enough doubts of our own.” And remember—he said this before there were 146 different genders. As you craft your sermons, think on the needs of the people to whom you preach…the struggles that threaten to make shipwreck of faith…the allurements of the world…the temptations common to mankind… the distractions that turn our focus away from the Savior…the preening arrogance that encourages people to say “There is no God.” Might there be a need for a word from God on these and other matters? What about an answer to the questions Why are we here? Where are we going? And, What must I do to be saved? If you don’t step up and give an answer, who will?

“But as for you, O man of God, ee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good ght of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the

presence of many witnesses…” (1 Tim. 6:11-12). And preach the word. In season and out of season. Marshall Keeble said “That’s when they want to hear it, and when they don’t.”

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How Writing Helps Our Preaching

ords. Preachers deal with words every day. Sermons, classes, meetings, and writing. As preachers of the Gospel, we are in the business of words. We study words, write words, and preach words. In all of work, the focus should be on His Word, rather than our words. “Preach the Word!” Paul’s words to his young friend Timothy and to all of us is the strongest admonition in scripture in regard to what we do. If we want to be well-rounded, at our best, and provide balance in our preaching we need to read, and write.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became esh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). When God wanted to communicate to the world His love, He used words, He used The Word. And,

By: Jeff A. Jenkins, Lewisville, TX jeffajenkins@gmail.com

how do we know that the Word became esh and tabernacled among us? Through the revealed Word written for our learning. God used and uses the written Word to teach us. Remember these words from Paul written in the Roman letter? For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

On one occasion I asked brother Claiborne about the amount of time it took him to write all of his manuscripts and then reading them in classes as well as sermons. His response was that writing helped put the thoughts that he wanted to present in his mind in a more powerful way. He added that he read them because he didn’t want to leave out something that was important that he had written.

One of the most Some of the best …the words we speak preachers we have signi cant mentors in my life known are also will be lost over time, has been brother excellent writers. but the words we Winford It has been Claiborne. During suggested that if a write can be helpful our years at Freed preacher wants to Hardeman it was to future generations, be a good writer a great privilege to he should write sit in a number of something every his classes. One of the most day. If it has not been your habit of important classes he taught was a writing, we want to encourage you class dealing with Contemporary to begin today. Concerns. It was a required course for all Bible majors. What stands out Please consider these thoughts in my mind about brother concerning how writing can help our Claiborne’s classes was the number preaching. of books he cited in his lectures and the fact that he taught his classes 1. Writing focuses our mind on the from a written manuscript. He held content of the message. As we write us spell bound. He also instilled in the words we intend to speak it will many of us a greater desire to read allow us to think more deeply about more. the words that will come out of our

mouth. If we speak from the hip, unless we have been preaching for many years, we will struggle. 2. When we write the words we plan to speak, we have the opportunity to review our choice of words, our passages, and our illustrative material. We often talk about the need to read the text a number of times before planning the sermon. Writing the sermon will allow us to go over our material as many times as we would like. 3. Writing forces us to consider the use of language. When we write, we will consider if we are using the correct words, sentences, grammar, and even in ection. 4. Writing brings clarity to the words we want to communicate. We have the opportunity to write and rewrite what we want to get across to those who hear us. As we read what we write, we will be able to determine if our words are clear and they communicate the message we desire.

5. Writing can ll our minds and hearts with con dence. Writing allows us to read through our thoughts numerous times before they are spoken.

6. Writing gives structure to the message. Structure keeps us focused on the message and guards us against chasing rabbits in our messages. As preachers, we need to have a grasp of where we are headed with the message. We want to encourage you again. Write something every day. Start a blog, write articles that can be submitted to periodicals for publication. Writing will help our preaching. The more we write, the more effective we will be as a writer and a preacher. One other thought. Often times the words we speak will be lost over time, but the words we write can be helpful to future generations, long after we are gone.

WRITING A BLOG

felt a pang of guilt when Jeff and Dale asked me to write an article on blogging. The truth is, for several years I published a new blog post every week, like clockwork. However, for the last few years I have become far less consistent and have not been writing nearly as often as I should. And it’s a shame, because blogging has truly blessed my life. So, hopefully, this article will encourage both you and me to get busy writing some articles. Why Write a Blog As heralds of the Good News, we are incredibly blessed to live in an era with so many different mediums for communication. Not only can we teach and preach on Sunday and Wednesday, we can share truth with the church and the community throughout the week. If we have a brief encouraging thought, we can easily write something on Facebook or X (Twitter). With nothing more than a smartphone, we can produce high quality audio and video for distribution through podcasts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Live videos, and YouTube. Self-publishing has also come a long way, giving ministers the freedom to publish their thoughts in book form without a traditional publisher.

However, there are some ideas that are best expressed in a blog post. A blog post allows plenty of space for By: Wes McAdams, Plano, TX ~ explanation, clarity, and nuance that is dif cult to provide on social media. Not only is this good for the reader, but it is good for the writer. Fleshing out and developing ideas is a healthy wes@radicallychristian.com Author of Radically Christian discipline for a preacher. I have

found that writing blog posts helps me preach better sermons, because it forces me to disentangle my ideas and get very speci c about what I am trying to say. Blog posts are also bene cial “I have because, through found that search engines, writing they will often blog posts be discovered helps me years after they preach were written. better.” Someone will stumble across an old blog post you wrote and it will teach and encourage them, long after you have forgotten you wrote it. And, unlike a book, you can go back and easily make edits to old blog posts. Or, you can even remove a post from your blog if you nd it no longer re ects what you think or believe.

How to Write a Blog As you begin to write, here are a few practical tips I would encourage you to consider: 1. 1,000 words is a good target length for a post. 2. Use sub-headings and lists. It invites potential readers to do what you likely did with this article, scan it rst to determine

whether it is worth the investment of time. 3. Have someone proofread your post before publishing it. 4. Be humble and kind. The sweeter your words, the easier it will be when you have to eat them later. 5. Point people to Jesus. Our job is not to accumulate fans or foment anger, but to make followers of Jesus. If you publish your writing, you will most likely make mistakes. There will inevitably be grammatical, factual, and doctrinal errors. Obviously, we need to strive to minimize these mistakes, but we must also not allow the fear of making mistakes keep us from saying what needs to be said. Speak the truth boldly, but with all humility. As far as the technical aspects of blogging are concerned, my blog is a Wordpress site and is hosted through GoDaddy. However, there are countless blogging platforms. They range from free to expensive, and from simple to complicated. So, if you do not have a blog and are thinking about starting one, do some research. Figure out what platforms are out there, which ones you can afford, and which ones you would feel comfortable using.

Write What Needs to be Written All that being said, my biggest piece of advice is this, only write what needs to be written. If you’re like me, your email inbox is over owing, you have more articles than you have time to read, and there are a stack of books on your desk you have not even started. Ours is an incredibly noisy world. We do not need more noise. So, if you’re thinking, “I want to write articles like so-and-so is writing,” then don’t write a blog. Share so-and-so’s articles. If you read something and say, “They said that so much better than I would have,” share their article, pray for them, and encourage them. Don’t try to copy what they are doing. Do not write just to write. Do not write because you feel like you need to join the cacophony of preachers’ voices speaking out about the latest issue or debate. In an age where it is so easy to share our thoughts with

the world, we need to diligently practice discretion. We need to constantly ask, “Does this need to be said and do I need to be the one to say it?” Of course, there will be times when the answer to those questions is, “Yes!” Yes, this needs to be said. And, yes, you need to be the one to say it. In that case, write! Please, brothers, write! Conclusion You have a unique voice, perspective, and set of experiences. There are issues to which you are uniquely equipped to speak. So, speak up. Don’t let the fear of mistakes keep you from saying what needs to be said. A blog may be the best platform from which to share your thoughts. If so, write to the glory of God. Share the Good News about Jesus. Use your blog to disciple people who would otherwise be discipled by cable news or YouTube in uencers.

And remember the words Paul wrote to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:23-25a). Those words are as relevant today as they were then.

I love you and God loves you, Wes McAdams

Ideas for Choosing a Topic

1. Write to help people, not to get rich. Seek to be useful, not wealthy or famous. 2. Write about a subject you are passionate about. 3. Write about a neglected topic that brings needed balance to our brotherhood. 4. Write about a subject you are curious about and would like to research. 5. Write about a subject you know well. 6. Write about what you are for and not just what you are against ( ip it).

Writing Tips

1. Make a tentative table of contents but be ready to adapt. 2. Exhaust your own mind for ideas before consulting reference material. 3. Don’t wait to be inspired. Just put something down on paper. 4. Try writing a page a day. 5. Five to six typed pages is about right for a chapter (try to be consistent in length). 6. Make your writing practical and actionable. 7. Do not be unnecessarily provocative or controversial: seek to bless, not impress. 8. When in doubt leave it out (this may be the best advice I give you). 9. Use fresh language and illustrations to connect with younger readers. 10. Be relevant. Help readers live abundant lives. 11. Take out unnecessary words. Simple and direct is best most of the time. 12. Replace repeated words with synonyms. 13. Use popular language rather than third person. 14. After the rough draft is done, go back and add more illustrations and applications. 15. Look for ways to turn a phrase or make important statements memorable. 16. After a while, delete sentences or paragraphs that resist reworking (this is hard to do). 17. Keep a le for storing things you’d rather not delete altogether. 18. Add questions and exercises after you are nearly complete. 19. Add section headings for clarity, ow, and mental relief. 20. Add Bible verses or quotes to support chapter titles. 21. Turn pieces of your book into sermons, articles, or devotionals (this is piggy backing). 22. Preach the material, then teach the material to different groups (more piggy backing). 23. Rewriting (polishing) is the key to great writing. You will make thousands of corrections. 24. When you reread and nd only a handful of changes, you are ready to let it go. 25. Ask friends to read or teach the material and mark the manuscript with suggestions. 26. Get a professor who knows biblical languages to look it over for doctrinal content. 27. Hire a quali ed person to do a professional proofreading job. 28. Get it clean and complete before you submit it to a publisher ( rst impressions count). 29. If turned down, rewrite it again and thank God it didn’t go to print before it was ready. 30. When it gets approved, don’t get testy when the editor wants to change something. Most of the time, they are right. Be humble, grateful, and easy to work with, and they might just use you again.

From Aubrey Dear writer, I know you are interested in serving God’s kingdom through the ministry of writing. Writing is a labor of love. It demands devotion. I typically write more from curiosity than mastery. My books are three to ve years in the making, and I have more than one book going at a time (this may not be a good idea). Whatever your topic or timetable, I hope you will help readers to see the beauty and bene ts of NT Christianity. You must nd your own style but perhaps these suggestions will help.

Writing Books that Make a Difference

By: Aubrey Johnson Old Hickory, TN aubreyjohnsonministries.com

proli c writer named David once said, “My cup runneth over” (Psalm 23:5). Jeremiah described his passion for communicating God’s word as a re in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9). Paul declared, “The love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). What do these examples tell us? It is the faith- lled heart that makes a positive difference in the world. The secret to writing more and better is to write from the heart—more speci cally, a redeemed heart. When your heart is full of God’s goodness and blessings, it just comes out. And like the widows’ oil, the ow is beyond anything purely natural (1 Peter 4:10-11). Though modern writing is a non-miraculous gift, it is no less compelling. Woe to those who sti e rather than stir up God’s gift (1 Corinthians 9:16). Use Your Voice

One thing that limits a writer’s productivity is judging the output too early. Obsessing about a word or phrase makes the writing process painful and slow. The frequent starts and stops are exhausting. Leaving the spigot open allows more words to appear on the page before you. As Solomon noted (another proli c writer), there is a time for everything under the sun. For writers, the time will come to attend to details more closely, but not too soon. Deep thinking is bene cial but overthinking is detrimental. One enlivens you. The other entangles you. Experience will reveal the difference.

Writing from the heart places your unique voice and perspective at God’s disposal (there are four gospel accounts for a reason). For example, Jude wanted to write about the common faith, but his heart told him something different was needed. Instead, he urged his readers to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. His letter was brief but chock-full of soulenriching, spine-reinforcing truth. It was the right stuff at the right time. The letters of Paul and Peter are remarkable, but the New Testament would not be complete without Jude’s contribution.

Know Your Power Just because you lack a miraculous measure of the Spirit does not mean you cannot be full of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22). When you are faith- lled (Romans 10:17), God is no less at work in your life (Philippians 2:13). When you are deeply convicted, the power of the gospel fuels your writing. You become purposeful and passionate. You may not be inspired, but when you are intrigued (captivated, enthralled) your words have a relevance that is felt by the reader. Hearts are touched and lives are changed (Romans 12:2). You stir something inside of others— something created in God’s image—

something waiting to be awakened from slumber (Hebrews 10:24). Words are powerful things. People use them to organize thoughts, communicate ideas, build relationships, and shape environments. Yet no words have a power comparable to those of Christ (John 6:63). Jesus’ teachings save and sanctify. They alter lives and destinies. And when Jesus’ words dwell in you richly, your words have a similar if secondary power. By faithfully sharing His words, you know you are making a difference. To write powerfully, keep it in the word (Matthew 7:24). Bless Your Audience Though 85% of Americans hold a high school degree, the average American reads on a 7th or 8thgrade level. Therefore, you may broaden your in uence by making your writing style simple and practical rather than showy and academic. Aim to inform, not perform. There is a place for textbooks, reference works, and research on deep topics, but class books and devotional works may have a greater impact on the condition of the world. The wisdom of scholars eventually lters down to the laborer and the homemaker, but someone must make the ideas

approachable. To make a difference when writing, consider these suggestions:

1. Trust more - Use your voice. Let your lifetime of study, prayer, and re ection ow freely onto the page. Don’t imitate: create! 2. Polish more - Level the road of learning for readers by smoothing the ow of ideas. Make your writing readable and enjoyable. Remove the bumps. 3. Explain more - Go the second mile by de ning key terms and describing crucial concepts. Don’t assume: explain! 4. Illustrate more - Jesus taught with stories and images. You will do well to follow His example. Illustrate to educate. 5. Simplify more - Simplicity increases the potency of your message. Remove imprecise words, awkward sentences, and expendable paragraphs. When in doubt, take it out. 6. Apply more - Education without application leads to ruination. Look for practical ways to put positive principles to work. Connect the dots. 7. Help more - Most people need tools and resources more than guilt. Give readers a hand-up rather than a beatdown. 8. Innovate more - To break new ground, break with old standards. Overused language is like a spark plug past its prime. It lacks re.

Fresh language ignites minds and propels progress. 9. Motivate more - Provide a sense of urgency and optimism. Do more than educate readers: activate them. To inspire, instill desire. 10.Finish more - When edits are changes rather than improvements, let it go. Perfectionism is the plague of writers. Aim to bless rather than impress.

Achieve Your Goal Seek to be sound, clear, and helpful, and your writing will be timeless. Striving to be popular can make your in uence short-lived, and aiming to be edgy can diminish your standing. Being needlessly provocative dilutes your message because the attention is on you. Make your ideas challenging without being contentious. You can remove the barb but retain your point by seasoning your speech with salt (Colossians 4:6). Be as direct as necessary yet as gracious as possible. Paul’s test for prudent speech is whether it builds up the hearer (Ephesians 4:29). The same is true for writing. Ask yourself, “Is this helpful?” Make it your goal to (1) af rm the faith, (2) edify the saints, and (3) strengthen the church. James said, "The wisdom from above is rst pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good

fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18). This short list of bene ts is a checklist for effective writing. Review it often. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (and the pen), yet some words have more power than others.

Trite words lack timeliness, and popular words may lack potency. A word “ tly” spoken—or written—is different. Successful words are both Scriptural and suitable. Thus they accomplish the purpose for which God made them and you (Ephesians 2:10). They do good.

have always been fascinated with reading articles about spiritual matters. Especially well written ones. I grew up reading the Hillsboro, TN bulletin, 20th Century Christian Magazine, and Words of Truth. Back in “the day” brother Gus Nichols published Words of Truth every week. After I started preaching I wrote the 5 largest congregations in every state and requested their church bulletin as well as every congregation of over 500 attenders in Where the Saints Meet. I was getting over 800 bulletins a week. Some I grew to love, especially special were Paul Rogers Centerville newsletter, Jim Bill McInteer’s WORDY eight pages with no graphics bulletin, and the super attractive Golf Course Road bulletin from Texas. There were others but nearly 40 years later these still stand out to me. Jim Bill and 20th (now 21st) Century used to give out a bulletin of the year award. I thought about that once upon a time. At some point John Gipson’s writings captured a generation’s attention and his

Why Should Preachers Write

By: Dale Jenkins, Spring Hill, TN dale@edge.net

- Writing gets out

more so as we grow older. We can easily “chase rabbits,” stray from our purpose, go places that distract from the message. Writing helps us be more exact. And we tend to become more erudite and precise in written words. - Writing helps to nd errors in our grammar: What a time to be alive. Word processors, grammarcheckers, and the such can nd our errors long before the “grammar-police” show up on the scene. Over time we can begin to correct our own spoken language as we see the corrections in print in words we have written. -Writing helps us to think both analytically and creatively: When writing you can see the balance of points and the progression. You can also see the need to illustrate put right in front of your face that you might miss in your speaking. - Writing helps us to be more disciplined: If you write for publication there will be deadlines. If you write a blog there need to be regular posts for those words to be read consistently. Therefore, writing helps to press us into being disciplined in the art.

Writing will outlast our spoken word

a message of their conviction, compassion, for the cause of Christ: We use our voice and every ounce of in uence we can to make the name of Jesus known. Writing is another venue that can magnify His glorious name and message. - Writing will outlast our spoken word: The spoken word unwritten will probably diminish over time. The written word can go places your voice may never be allowed. It can last long after you leave this clay. - Writing will help you to take the uff out: Most of us who preach tend to be wordy and to grow

articles would appear in 100’s of bulletin’s a week. I wanted to be a writer and in 1988 I submitted two articles to Words of Truth, by then edited by Bobby Duncan. He edited me extensively, a painful and humbling process for a rookie writer, and used both of the articles I had labored over in Words. I was a writer. He sent me a letter thanking me and included some words on why it was good for preachers to write. Ever since I have tried to write. Here are some of the reasons I write and encourage others to write:

- Writing forces us to study subjects

more fully: I nd when writing I am MORE likely to notice what I may miss in sermon prep. I nd that because it will be critiqued differently I have to think more about what I may have left out in examining a subject. - Writing, simply makes us more complete: Frances Bacon said, “Reading makes a full man, conversation a ready man, and writing an exact man.” Written words have greater value than the spoken in most of the cultures. Though it may be easier to recognize someone's recorded voice than his handwriting, it is a signature in the document that has value. I want to encourage you to start writing and stick without throughout your time as minister. Not too many years ago every preacher had to write every week. They had at least a weekly bulletin article, sometimes two, and often a piece for a local paper or advertiser. Sadly those days are gone in many places and the discipline and exactness that practice requires has been lost in their demise. So, get better at what you do and start writing now, the impact will be varied and probably helpful in your work.

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February 2024 The Journal for Preaching & Ministry

Why Be Better?