It's normal to feel nervous as you get ready to teach or preach God's Word. Your heart beats faster, your palms get sweaty, your mouth feels parched. You are keenly aware of your own limitations and others' expectations. So where do you find the courage to speak with godly confidence? Here is what I’ve found helpful.
Category: Tips for Teachers
Tuesdays with Zechariah (Chapter 1)
Ready to start learning more about the fascinating Old Testament book of Zechariah? Here's a post that explains and applies Chapter 1.
Start the New Year with Zechariah
Ready to go deeper in the Bible in 2026? Why not start the year learning about a relatively unknown book in the Old Testament. I'm talking about the book of Zechariah. It's a puzzling but powerful book with much to teach us. So start the New Year with Zechariah.
Preachers: Stay on the Expository Path
Preachers and teachers have a choice to make every time they prepare to speak. They must choose the path they will travel. Here's why they should choose to stay on the Expository Path.
What Does a Faithful Pastor Look Like?
Ever wonder what a faithful pastor looks like? I certainly did when I began serving as a pastor. After studying the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 TImothy and Titus), I came up with a simple sketch to picture a faithful pastor.
Praise and Prayer Update (October 31, 2025)
Here's an update on the Reeds recent travels and a few specific prayer requests for the coming week.
Home Run Sermon Introductions
Hitting a home run in a world series game is the desire of every baseball player (just ask Addison Barger). Hitting a home run in our sermon introductions should be the desire of every preacher. So how can we do that?
Getting Free from Your Sermon Manuscript (Part 3 of 3)
How do you keep your manuscript from become a manacle? How do you break free from your carefully prepared manuscript so the sermon is preached rather than read? That's the focus of this final installment in the mini-series on Sermon Manuscripts.
How to Write Your Sermon Manuscript (Part 2 of 3)
In my last post, I offered seven reasons why manuscripting your message makes for better sermons. In this post, I want to offer some suggestions on How to Write Your Sermon Manuscript. After studying the passage to discover the Big Idea and craft a sermon outline, how should a preacher approach writing the manuscript? Here are seven practices I’ve found helpful in writing a sermon manuscript.
Why Sermon Manuscripts Make Better Sermons (Part 1)
After preaching for almost 40 years, I still write a manuscript for every sermon. I get the fact that not everyone is sold on writing out a manuscript for their messages. So let me offer seven reasons why manuscripting is worth the time and effort.
Rick and Linda Reed 