# Sermonsmith

> Conversations about the craft of sermon preparation


## Posts

- [97 - Tim Chaddick](https://sermonsmith.com/97-tim-chaddick/): A native to California, Tim’s first ten years of church-planting ministry started as the Lead Pastor of Reality LA in 2006, a thriving church in the heart of Hollywood, CA before moving to the UK in 2016. These churches are a part of the Reality family of churches, a movement committed to relational church planting and […]
- [96 -  JR Forasteros](https://sermonsmith.com/96-jr-forasteros/): JR Forasteros is an author, pastor and podcaster in Dallas, TX. He serves as Catalyst Church’s teaching pastor and wants to be the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl when he grows up. His wife Amanda skates as Mother Terrorista for Assassination City Roller Derby. His book, /Empathy for the Devil/, is available from InterVarsity Press, and you […]
- [95 - Stephanie Williams O'Brien](https://sermonsmith.com/95-stephanie-williams-obrien/): Stephanie is one of the founding lead pastors of Mill City Church in urban Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also the Preaching and Ministry Communication professor at Bethel University and Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephanie has opportunities to coach leaders around the country through speaking, coaching and her weekly podcast  Lead Stories with her friend Jo Saxton. […]
- [94 - AJ Swoboda Returns](https://sermonsmith.com/94-aj-swoboda-returns/): Dr. A. J. Swoboda is a professor, author, and pastor of Theophilus in urban Portland, Oregon. He is the lead mentor of a Doctor of Ministry program on the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary, and teaches theology, biblical studies, and Christian history at a number of other universities and Bible colleges. He is the director of Blessed Earth Northwest, […]
- [93 - John Mark Comer](https://sermonsmith.com/93-john-mark-comer/): John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. Prior to planting Bridgetown, John Mark was the lead pastor of a suburban megachurch. Before that, he played […]
- [92 - Jim Shemaria](https://sermonsmith.com/92-jim-shemaria/): Jim Shemaria is the pastor of Celebration Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan (a suburb of Grand Rapids). He grew up in Seattle, moved to Michigan for school in 2003 and began working at Celebration in 2008. Jim loves the intimacy and community of small church ministry and divides most of his time between preaching and […]
- [91 - Donnell Wyche](https://sermonsmith.com/91-donnell-wyche/): The Reverend Donnell Wyche currently serves as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor where he has served for 18 years. The Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor is a growing multi-ethnic, multi-generational church in the progressive left-leaning city of Ann Arbor, MI. Passionate about the intersections of race, faith, […]
- [90 - Rich Villodas](https://sermonsmith.com/90-rich-villodas/): Rich Villodas is the Lead Pastor at New Life Fellowship Church. On October 6th, 2013, Rich succeeded Pete Scazzero as Lead Pastor. Rich was born and raised in the East New York section of Brooklyn. He graduated from Nyack College and then went on to obtain a Masters of Divinity degree at Alliance Theological Seminary. […]
- [89: Chris Davis & Nick Parsons](https://sermonsmith.com/89-chris-davis-nick-parsons/): Nick Parsons serves as the lead pastor of Redemption Church in central San Francisco. Nick was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. He attended Ozark Christian College where he received a BA in Biblical Literature and more importantly, met his wife Rachel. Nick and Rachel have been involved in starting new churches in major cities […]
- [88 - Ken Shigematsu](https://sermonsmith.com/88-ken-shigematsu/): Ken Shigematsu is senior pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to […]
- [87 - David Guzik](https://sermonsmith.com/87-david-guzik/): David is husband to Inga-Lill and the pastor of Calvary Chapel of Santa Barbara. He has been in Christian service for more than 30 years, including two church plants and more than seven years as a missionary in Germany, as director and teacher for an international Bible College. Many people all over the world find […]
- [86 - Jorge Acevedo](https://sermonsmith.com/86-jorge-acevedo/): Jorge Acevedo loves Jesus Christ and his Church. Touched by the grace of God at seventeen, he was never the same. Rescued from a life of addictions, his greatest delight is connecting people to Jesus and the Church. Born in Puerto Rico, Jorge at the age of four months, moved with his family to the […]
- [85 - Josh Crain](https://sermonsmith.com/85-josh-crain/): Josh Crain is the senior pastor of The Meeting House, a multisite church in Pennsylvania. Josh and his wife, Emily, have been married since 2003 and have two young children: Jack (4 years old) and William (1 year old). They also have a small dog named Ella who’s family status has decreased significantly since the […]
- [84 - Luke Powery](https://sermonsmith.com/84-luke-powery/): The Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery is the Dean of Duke University Chapel and Associate Professor of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School. Prior to his appointment at Duke, he served as the Perry and Georgia Engle Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. He received his B.A. in music with a concentration in vocal […]
- [83 - Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig](https://sermonsmith.com/83-jeff-keady-jonny-craig/): Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig are pastors at Dover Church in Orange City, Iowa. They met in a seminary class in June of 2010 and have been friends since. Jeff has been in ministry for more than 27 years in churches ranging from 25 to 700. Jonny joined Jeff in ministry in 2012. Jeff grew […]
- [82 - Kevin Sweeney](https://sermonsmith.com/82-kevin-sweeney/): Kevin Sweeney is pastor of Imagine—an urban church in Honolulu that is truly welcoming of all people, sees imagination as the key to the future, chooses authenticity over performance, substance over hype, and quality over quantity. He is also a co-creator of The [un]Commons. a creative community in Kaka’ako. After receiving Masters Degrees in Theology […]
- [81 - Pastor Bryan Loritts](https://sermonsmith.com/81-pastor-bryan-loritts/): Pastor Bryan Loritts is the privileged husband of Korie, and the graced father of three sons- Quentin, Myles and Jaden. He serves the Abundant Life Christian Fellowship of Silicon Valley, California, as the Lead Pastor. An award winning author of five books (God on Paper; A Cross Shaped Gospel; Letters to a Birmingham Jail; Right […]
- [80 - Tara Beth Leach revisited](https://sermonsmith.com/80-tara-beth-leach-revisited/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Tara Beth on my Consortio Dei podcast.) Tara Beth Leach is the Senior Pastor at First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (“PazNaz”) in Southern California. She is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University (B.A. Youth Ministry) and Northern Theological Seminary (M.Div.). She is a regular writer […]
- [79 - Kurt Willems](https://sermonsmith.com/79-kurt-willems/): Kurt Willems (M.Div., Fresno Pacific) is the founding pastor of Pangea. He is also a graduate student at the University of Washington focusing on early Christianity, Greco-Roman Religions, and Classical Languages. Kurt writes for various print and online publications including his site The Pangea Blog and is also on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. His latest […]
- [78: Jason Lantz](https://sermonsmith.com/78-jason-lantz/): Jason Lantz is passionate about helping leaders launch new initiatives that make disciples of Jesus. He and his wife Suzi have been practitioners of discipleship systems within a large church at RiverTree Christian Church, through planting LoveCanton using missional communities in 2008, and now Jason is back at RiverTree as Vision Leader, leading 7 campuses […]
- [77: Jeff Isaacs](https://sermonsmith.com/77-jeff-isaacs/): Jeff Isaacs returned to the church of his youth in January, 2008 to serve as the Preacher at Riverlawn Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas. Prior to that he was in youth ministry for 13 years across town. He has been married to Jennifer for 21 years and together they have four boys: Caleb, Joshua, Elijah […]
- [76: Mark Sayers](https://sermonsmith.com/76-mark-sayers/): Mark Sayers is the Senior Leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He provides visionary leadership and teaching for Red Church and is gifted in prophetically speaking into the intersection of faith and culture. Mark is married to Trudi, and they have a daughter, Grace, and twin boys Billy and Hudson. Mark has written a […]
- [75: Scott Daniels](https://sermonsmith.com/75-scott-daniels/): T. Scott Daniels is senior pastor at Nampa College Church of the Nazarene. Scott has also pastored in Pasadena, California and Richardson, Texas and until recently served as the dean of School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University. He is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer at churches, camp meetings, and college campuses. He received […]
- [74: C.H. Spurgeon via J.R. Briggs](https://sermonsmith.com/74-c-h-spurgeon-via-j-r-briggs/): J.R. Briggs becomes our first repeat guest in a different kind of sermon prep conversation. J.R. shares how he is learning and being challenged by Spurgeon’s words on sermon prep in his book: Lectures to my Students. J.R. Briggs is the founding pastor and cultural cultivator of The Renew Community, a Jesus community for the […]
- [73: Jeremy Ashworth](https://sermonsmith.com/73-jeremy-ashworth/): Jeremy Ashworth is a pastor, a spiritual and organizational leader who lives to help people grow in the way of Jesus. He has experience in pastoral ministry and church revitalization in the Midwest, Northwest, and Southwest United States. He is the coauthor of “Outrageous and Courageous,” a book about relational evangelism. He likes all the […]
- [72: Tim Conder](https://sermonsmith.com/72-tim-conder/): Tim Conder is the founding pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham, NC. He is also a PhD Candidate in Cultural Studies at the University of North Carolina. He is an active community organizer with Durham CAN (Congregations, Associations, & Neighborhoods) which is part of the Industrial Areas Foundation. He is also deeply active in the […]
- [71: Kevin Doi](https://sermonsmith.com/71-kevin-doi/): Kevin Doi is a church planter and founding pastor of Epic Church in Fullerton, California. He is also co-founder of JOYA Scholars, a non-profit organization inspiring and preparing students from the Garnet Neighborhood in Fullerton toward higher education. In 2012, Kevin was recipient of the Ambassador of Peace Award, a congressional honor for his work […]
- [70: Laura Truax](https://sermonsmith.com/70-laura-truax/): Rev. Laura Sumner Truax is the senior pastor at LaSalle Street Church, a non-denominational church in downtown Chicago with a long tradition of uniting individual faith in Christ with God’s call for justice and compassion lived out in the world. Laura is the author of Undone:When coming apart puts you back together, published by InterVarsity […]
- [69: Adam Avery](https://sermonsmith.com/69-adam-avery/): Adam is a graduate of Portland Bible College and Trinity College of the Bible. In August of 2008, Adam and his family packed up their belongings, along with his 12 years of pastoral staff experience, and moved to Vermont to plant a church, Mosaic Burlington. In the summer of 2012, Mosaic merged with St. Andrews […]
- [68: Isaac Anderson](https://sermonsmith.com/68-isaac-anderson/): Isaac Anderson is a teaching pastor at Jacob’s Well Church in Kansas City, Missouri, where he also oversees the church’s justice initiatives. Isaac holds an MFA in creative writing from Ohio State, and has been a writer-in-residence at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Western Theological Seminary, and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. His writing has […]
- [67: RD McClenagan](https://sermonsmith.com/67-rd-mcclenagan/): RD McClenagan is the Pastor for Training and a Teaching Pastor at Door Creek Church (a multi-site church) in Madison, WI. RD is a graduate of Furman University and Dallas Theological Seminary. He is married to Emily and they have twin 2 year old daughters, Maisie and Camille. RD is particularly passionate about communicating the […]
- [66: Andy Sikora](https://sermonsmith.com/66-andy-sikora/): Andy is the lead pastor of Renew Communities – a missional church he helped plant in 2011. Andy, his wife Meri and their children Kenzie, Eva and Archer, have lived in the Cleveland area since 2005. With a deep rooted passion to see this city renewed and over a decade of ministry experience Andy focuses […]
- [65: Sean Palmer](https://sermonsmith.com/65-sean-palmer/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Sean on my Consortio Dei podcast.) Sean Palmer is a speaker and writer serving generous-hearted Christians as we re-imagine the church as a beloved community of hospitality and reconciliation, so that all people experience God’s embrace. He is the Lead Minister at The Vine Church in Temple, TX. […]
- [64: Darren Rouanzoin](https://sermonsmith.com/64-darren-rouanzoin/): Darren is the Lead Pastor of the Garden Church, a church planted in 2009 in downtown Long Beach, California. Darren is passionate about awakening this generation to the reality of Jesus and the Kingdom. He has the privilege of leading a growing urban church along side his wife Alex and both enjoy spending as much […]
- [63: David Rice](https://sermonsmith.com/63-david-rice/): David has been the Lead Pastor of Markey Church since 2014. He is passionate about connecting the Christian faith with ordinary and everyday life. David is married to Wendy, the love of his life, for nearly twelve years. Together they make their home in Roscommon County along with their two young sons, exploring the backwoods […]
- [62: Felipe Assis](https://sermonsmith.com/62-felipe-assis/): Felipe was born in Brazil but was raised between his native country and The United States. He has earned a Th.B from Seminário Presbiteriano do Norte and an M.Div from Reformed Theological Seminary. Felipe has previously founded and pastored two other churches in Recife — Brazil and in 2008 he moved to Miami at the […]
- [61: Matt Woodley](https://sermonsmith.com/61-matt-woodley/): Matt Woodley is the Editor of PreachingToday.com and the Mission Pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois. He is also the author of The Gospel of Matthew: God With Us and Billy Graham: Leading with Love. But his biggest ministry passion is training, coaching, and equipping preachers. Links Mentioned: BibleGateway Support Sermonsmith: Become […]
- [60: Tim Suttle](https://sermonsmith.com/60-tim-suttle/): Tim Suttle is the senior pastor of Redemption Church in Kansas City. He is the author of several books including Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture (2014 Zondervan), An Evangelical Social Gospel? (2011 Cascade Books), and Public Jesus (2012 The House). His blog is called Paperback Theology, which can be found at Patheos.com. Tim […]
- [59: David Eiffert](https://sermonsmith.com/59-david-eiffert/): David Eiffert is the youth and young adult pastor of Believers Center of Albuquerque, a church in Albuquerque, NM. He leads 3 weekly youth services, a weekly young adult service, and a weekly inmate bible study. He currently lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife Jordan. Links mentioned: IFTTT Pinboard Rob Bell: Poets, Prophets & […]
- [58: Abram Kielsmeier-Jones](https://sermonsmith.com/58-abram-kielsmeier-jones/): Abram Kielsmeier-Jones is the pastor of Union Congregational Church in Magnolia, MA, a youth ministry consultant, a husband and father, and a follower of Jesus. He spent more than a decade in youth ministry, working at small, mid-sized, and large churches  in Illinois, Virginia, and Massachusetts.  He has also led in other church ministry capacities, including […]
- [57: Meredith Dancause](https://sermonsmith.com/57-meredith-dancause/): Meredith is the Teaching Pastor at The Meeting House in Carlisle, PA. Along with preaching on Sunday mornings, she also oversees the discipleship team [children’s ministry, youth ministry, community life, and congregational care], as well heading up leadership development and spiritual formation efforts. Previously, she served at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI […]
- [56: Leroy Barber](https://sermonsmith.com/56-leroy-barber/): Leroy Barber has dedicated more than 25 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy starts projects that shape society; in 1989, burdened by the plight of Philadelphia’s homeless, he and his wife Donna founded Restoration Ministries, to serve homeless families and […]
- [55: John Ray](https://sermonsmith.com/55-john-ray/): John Ray is a Youth With A Mission missionary as well as Lead Teaching Elder at Grace Church of Northwest Arkansas. He has almost thirty years of ministry experience in over thirty countries and context as well as a newly minted Masters of Divinity from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. John and his wife Jane have […]
- [John Jay Alvaro](https://sermonsmith.com/john-jay-alvaro/): John Jay Alvaro is the pastor of Spring Creek Baptist Church. He has a background in art and architecture, and trained for ministry at Duke Divinity School. He is married to Corrie, who is an artist and teacher. Together they are raising their kiddos, Judah and Ruthie. He is on Instagram and Twitter as @johnjayalvaro. […]
- [Justin Morgan](https://sermonsmith.com/justin-morgan/): Justin is the Campus Pastor of Church on Morgan, a multi-site community of Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC and holds a M.Div from Duke Divinity School and a M.S.W. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife Nicole have two children, Levi and Stella. Resources and Links […]
- [Dan White](https://sermonsmith.com/dan-white/): Dan White Jr. co-planted Axiom Church when a core of families moved into the city of Syracuse, NY for a compelling dream; to submerge faith-communities deep into under-resourced neighborhoods. Dan Jr. is also a church planting strategist with the V3 Movement. Weekly, he coaches cohorts from around the country through an 18-month missional training system. […]
- [Luke Norsworthy](https://sermonsmith.com/luke-norsworthy/): Luke is the founding pastor of the Venture Community, an inter-denominational church in the Dallas suburb of Corinth, TX. Luke hosts the Newsworthy with Norsworthy Podcast a weekly podcast discussing Spirituality, Christianity, and anything else that seems news worthy. Resources and Links Mentioned: Venture Community Best Commentaries Luke’s personal site Newsworthy with Norwsorthy (iTunes) Support […]
- [Ian Diorio](https://sermonsmith.com/ian-diorio/): Ian DiOrio became a Christian in his twenties after spending his younger life in the underground music scene in Los Angeles as a DJ. DiOrio has served as a teaching pastor at RockHarbor Church & Eastside Christian Church and currently writes and speaks from Southern California where is the Lead Pastor of Yucaipa Christian Church. […]
- [Jason Clark](https://sermonsmith.com/jason-clark/): Jason became a Christian aged 17 and soon after graduated with a degree in Theology from the London School of theology in 1991. He is currently a governor and trustee of the London School of Theology. He then went on to qualify as a high teacher in Religious Education, but moved quickly into financial services. […]
- [Jennifer Morrow and Tim Ross](https://sermonsmith.com/jennifer-morrow-and-tim-ross/): Jennifer Morrow and Tim Ross are about 680 miles away from each other when they preach, but they collaborate on their sermons every week. That’s what this conversation is all about. Resources and Links Mentioned: Partners in Preaching, Leadership Journal Textweek.com Working Preacher About Jennifer Jennifer Morrow has been serving as the pastor of the […]
- [Thomas McKenzie](https://sermonsmith.com/thomas-mckenzie/): The Reverend Thomas McKenzie lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters. He is the founding pastor of Church of the Redeemer (Anglican). He’s the author of The Anglican Way (a guide to Anglican Christianity) and The Harpooner (a devotional guide to Advent). Thomas is a Benedictine oblate of the Monastery of Christ in […]
- [Kyndall Rothaus](https://sermonsmith.com/kyndall-rothaus/): Kyndall Rae Rothaus is a poet, a preacher, and the pastor of Covenant Baptist Church. Her first book, Preacher Breath, came out in 2015. She graduated with her Masters of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor. Resources and links mentioned: KyndallRae.com Covenant Baptist Preacher Breath: Sermons & Essays, by Kyndall Rae Rothaus […]
- [Mark Hallock](https://sermonsmith.com/mark-hallock/): Mark Hallock serves as the Lead Pastor of Calvary Church in Englewood, Colorado. He is grateful for 15 years of marriage to his wife, Jenna, and loves being a daddy to their kids, Zoe and Eli. His great desire is to see the gospel transform lives and neighborhoods through the planting of new congregations, along […]
- [Pastor Joseph Parker](https://sermonsmith.com/pastor-joseph-parker/): Joseph C. Parker, Jr., Esq., D. Min., a native of Birmingham, Alabama, is the Senior Pastor of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. He has been described as “called by God, shaped by experience, a man of action, and a Renaissance man.” Prior to being called as Pastor in September 1992, starting in […]
- [John Chandler (with guest host Shane Blackshear)](https://sermonsmith.com/john-chandler-guest-host-shane-blackshear/): Things got a little mixed around this week as I went from host to guest, and invited my friend Shane Blackshear, from the Seminary Dropout podcast, to serve as host. Thanks so much, Shane! Episode sponsor: Deidox Films — Modeling Faith through Film — Watch the film “Robert” as an example of a film you […]
- [Eric Fistler and Robb McCoy of Pulpit Fiction](https://sermonsmith.com/eric-fistler-robb-mccoy-pulpit-fiction/): What a fun conversation about sermon prep with the co-hosts of Pulpit Fiction. Pulpit Fiction is a podcast hosted by Rev. Eric Fistler and Rev. Robb McCoy. It is a conversation guided by the Revised Common Lectionary, and includes thoughts about pop culture and current events. It is for preachers looking for inspiration as well […]
- [Dustin Bagby](https://sermonsmith.com/dustin-bagby/): Dustin Bagby has been a pastor in The Evergreen Community in Portland, OR for the last 8 years. Previously he helped to plant a church in NYC where he also performed stand-up comedy at many of New York’s great comedy clubs. He is passionate about beer brewing and serves on the board of directors for […]
- [Jim Pace](https://sermonsmith.com/jim-pace/): Jim has been a pastor on staff with NLCF, in Blacksburg, VA, since 1996. He and his wife Tracy have been married since 1995 and they have three kids: Noah, Seth, and Emma. He recieved his Bachelor’s from Virginia Tech in Psychology and Sociology. He is currently pursuing his M. Div at Leland and plans […]
- [Brian Zahnd](https://sermonsmith.com/brian-zahnd-preaching-sermon-prep/): Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational congregation in St. Joseph, Missouri. Brian is also the author of several books, including A Farewell To Mars and Beauty Will Save the World. Follow @brianzahnd
- [Meaghan Good](https://sermonsmith.com/meaghan-good/): Meghan Good is the pastor of Albany Mennonite Church and a frequent guest preacher and speaker around such topics as hermeneutics, emerging Anabaptism, and how to teach the Bible without putting people to sleep. Her blog Mud Pie God gets down and dirty with Scripture you didn’t read in Sunday School. In her spare time, […]
- [Wade Hodges](https://sermonsmith.com/wade-hodges/): Wade is the Senior Minister for the Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas. He attended Abilene Christian University where he earned degrees in Communication and Christian Ministry. He’s served churches in Bellingham, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Austin, Texas. He’s the author of Train for Something Greater: An Athlete’s Guide to Spiritual Fitness. He’s married […]
- [Stephen Witmer](https://sermonsmith.com/stephen-witmer/): Stephen Witmer has pastored Pepperell Christian Fellowship for 7 years. Of all the interviews so far, I believe he’s the first to say he jumps right back in to do some preliminary work on Sunday afternoon while his mind is still racing from that morning’s sermon. He also offers us some helpful insight on preaching […]
- [Noemi Chavez](https://sermonsmith.com/noemi-chavez/): Noemi co-pastors 7th Street Church in Long Beach, California with her husband Joshua. In this interview, she describes how she preaches in a congregation with people from a wide array of socio-economic backgrounds, how she focuses her study on finding the takeaway for her people of a given text, and explains what it’s like to […]
- [Tony Merida](https://sermonsmith.com/tony-merida/): Tony Merida is a professor and practitioner of preaching and church planting in Raleigh, North Carolina. He describes the five steps he works through in sermon preparation, how it’s beneficial for him to talk it out with others as he prepares, and why he thinks we need to recognize how poets and song writers are […]
- [Hal Shrader](https://sermonsmith.com/hal-shrader/): Hal Shrader shares thoughts on sermon preparation from his office just beyond the Phoenix city limits. Listen in as he describes how he structures his sermons like a late 70s TV show, why finding the hook into the text is the most important part, and how his Anabaptist perspective invites the community into the textual […]
- [Scott McClellan](https://sermonsmith.com/scott-mcclellan/): Scott McClellan doesn’t preach, but his work as a writer, communications pastor, and generally witty fellow has much to offer those of us who do. Scott describes his ongoing work developing ideas for multiple blog posts per week, tells us how he keeps new ideas from getting away, and shares a pile of books worth […]
- [Wess Daniels](https://sermonsmith.com/wess-daniels/): Wess Daniels checks in with us from the greater Portland area. Wess talks about his role as a released minister in a Friends church, the unique role of preaching in the Quaker congregation, and how sketch notes helped him develop a new approach to sermon preparation.
- [Glenn Packiam](https://sermonsmith.com/glenn-packiam/): Glenn Packiam gives us a peek into how he prepares sermons in the shadow of Pikes Peak. Hear him explain how he tries each week to find something that moves people in order to shine the light of the Gospel on it, what effect growing up Singapore and Malaysia has on his sermons, and why […]
- [AJ Sherrill](https://sermonsmith.com/aj-sherrill/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with AJ on my Consortio Dei podcast.) AJ Sherrill is the parish pastor of Trinity Grace Church in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. AJ describes how his philosophy of preaching led to a five step prep process, how he sees preaching as primarily an act of […]
- [Aaron Graham](https://sermonsmith.com/aaron-graham/): Aaron Graham pastors the District Church deep in the nation’s capitol. Aaron describes how he works alongside others to develop the preaching series at District Church; how he tries to tie each sermon to the story of self, us, and now; and how he got schooled in preaching during a two hour lunch with Mark […]
- [Alice Shirey](https://sermonsmith.com/alice-shirey/): Alice Shirey joins us from Iowa while sitting near her actively maintained files of illustrations and outlines. Alice describes her unexpected journey to being a teaching pastor, why she keeps every draft of her sermons, and how she keeps her sermons fresh even as she preaches them multiple weeks in a row
- [Dave Lomas](https://sermonsmith.com/dave-lomas-on-sermon-prep/): Dave Lomas is the founding pastor of Reality San Francisco. He tells us how he gets started by reading and more reading, how his best ideas come by verbally processing his thoughts with others, and how he’s learned to preach by listening to others who do it well.
- [Winn Collier](https://sermonsmith.com/winn-collier/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Winn on my Consortio Dei podcast.) The ever thoughtful Winn Collier joins me from his home office in Charlottesville, VA. Winn talks about the interplay between preaching and writing, describes how running is his best time for ruminating, and explains how his best sermons leave plenty of […]
- [Eric Russ](https://sermonsmith.com/eric-russ/): Eric Russ is the pastor of Mack Avenue Community Church. In our time together, he talks about his journey from preaching in the suburbs of Ohio to the urban core of Detroit, how he fits deep theology into his category of ‘light reading’, and why it’s important to keep staring at the fishes.
- [Tara Beth Leach](https://sermonsmith.com/tara-beth-leach/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Tara Beth on my Consortio Dei podcast.) Tara Beth Leach is a teaching pastor and looming Nazarene church planter in the greater Chicago area. As we listen to her story, we learn about her journey to realize her call to preach, we discover why Scot McKnight told […]
- [David Sparks](https://sermonsmith.com/david-sparks/): David Sparks joins us for a unique show format where we learn from the content development practices of those in other fields. David shares how he goes about developing his many writing projects and presentations for his work as a lawyer and his side work passion for making the most of technology.
- [Phil Nellis](https://sermonsmith.com/phil-nellis/): Phil Nellis joins us from drizzle drenched Seattle, though he claims the sun was shining. He describes how growing up in Mexico shaped how he prepares sermons, why he finds great value in the lectionary study group he helped form, and how his preparation varies one Sunday a month for a community midrash rather than […]
- [TJ Luoma](https://sermonsmith.com/tj-luoma/): TJ Luoma joins us from the heart of Gallipolis, OH. He has advanced degrees in theology, but he seems to know just as much about technology. He tells us about how both of those interplay in how he shapes his sermons.
- [Juan Sanchez](https://sermonsmith.com/juan-sanchez/): Juan Sanchez is the pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, TX. Alongside his well developed sermon preparation workflows, he tells us how “preaching is central, but its not enough”, shares why good preaching begins with pastoring, and explains how the improv jazz he learned in his undergrad music degree helps him as a […]
- [Keas Keasler](https://sermonsmith.com/keas-keasler/): Keas Keasler is a preacher by day and a DJ by night in the heart of Miami. Listen in as he describes how he starts all sermon preparation with Lectio Divina, how part of his process includes “juicing’ that bad boy”, and reminds us that church is like a pirate island. Resources and Links Mentioned: […]
- [Chad Brooks](https://sermonsmith.com/chad-brooks/): Chad Brooks hosts a few podcasts of his own, so he is no stranger to the process as he joins us from Monroe, LA. Chad tells us why index cards make the best bookmarks, how he gets big on digital and little on paper, and why his preaching pits “What is?” vs. “What could be?”
- [Joe Thorn](https://sermonsmith.com/joe-thorn/): Joe Thorn takes a break from final edits to a tardy book manuscript to describe how he seeks to balance law and gospel in each sermon, how they make it a priority to develop new preachers in their young church, and how the most impressive beard in Sermonsmith history is a reminder of a significant […]
- [Mike Baker](https://sermonsmith.com/mike-baker/): Mike Baker joins us from the edge of Normal. He tells about his stacks of old sermon outlines that he never looks at, the importance of writing something worthwhile everyday, and how he preaches to an empty auditorium every week.
- [Mia Chang](https://sermonsmith.com/mia-chang/): Mia Chang tells us about how prayer is integral to her sermon preparation, how she transformed from a didactic to a prophetic style of preaching, and how she preaches in a multi-cultural congregation. Oh, and she mentions how her family hasn’t always been the best place to go for reviews of her sermons.
- [Philip Nation](https://sermonsmith.com/philip-nation/): Philip Nation tells us about how he manages weekly sermon preparation alongside a full-time job, five questions he always asks about his outline, and he’s already thinking about next week’s sermon on the way home from finishing his last sermon. And you don’t even want to know about how he spends his Tuesday lunch.
- [A.J. Swoboda](https://sermonsmith.com/aj-swoboda/): A.J. Swoboda joins us from Portland(ia) and describes his hard drive full of pericopes, how he begins his sermon preparation by thinking about his context, and why you will never ever see him anywhere without his handy Moleskine. Resources and links mentioned: Portlandia Martin Lloyd-Jones Sermons John Stott Sermons Follow @mrajswoboda About AJ A. J. […]
- [Tim Keel](https://sermonsmith.com/tim-keel/): Tim Keel, of Jacob’s Well church, joins us from Kansas City with much goodness to share about his sermon preparation workflows in our longest interview to date. He shares about the importance of good tools to capture ideas, the value of regular study leaves, and his need for tacticity (yes, I may have just created […]
- [Mandy Smith](https://sermonsmith.com/mandy-smith/): Mandy Smith is our conversation partner this week as she discusses her unexpected journey to being a lead pastor, the shortage of good examples to learn from for women who preach, and how her own work as an artist has helped shape her sermon preparation.
- [Matt Tebbe](https://sermonsmith.com/matt-tebbe/): Matt Tebbe settles in front of the mic in the shadow of the Fighting Irish. He tells us how his primary role as a spiritual formation pastor shapes his preaching, how sermon preparation is as much about paying attention as it is about time, and how he’s learned the hard way that his preaching is […]
- [Gideon Tsang](https://sermonsmith.com/gideon-tsang/): We remain in the friendly confines of Austin, TX for this interview with Gideon Tsang, the pastor of Vox Veniae. Gideon shares how mornings are more valuable than afternoons, how preaching should be considered as performance art, and how he finds great creative freedom in his self-imposed structures. (I did my best to track down […]
- [Jonathan Dodson](https://sermonsmith.com/jonathan-dodson/): Jonathan Dodson played the role of both host and interviewee as we held our first live interview in his soothing home office. He describes his weekly rhythms for sermon prep alongside the relational work of a pastor, talks about the value of reading fiction, and even parses some Greek on the fly.
- [Cyd Holsclaw](https://sermonsmith.com/cyd-holsclaw/): Cyd Holsclaw found an hour to escape from the rigors of her bivocational life as a home schooling mother to talk with us about preaching at Life on the Vine Christian Community in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Cyd talks about her own rhythms for sermon preparation, the particular structure for sermons they use at […]
- [Mike Goldsworthy](https://sermonsmith.com/mike-goldsworthy/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Mike on my Consortio Dei podcast.) Mike Goldsworthy joins us from sunny Long Beach, California where he pastors Parkcrest Christian Church. Hear how Mike’s sermons develop from staff wide reviews of previous series to quick ideas tapped into an iPhone to the most daunting outline you’ve ever […]
- [Steve Carter](https://sermonsmith.com/steve-carter/): (You might also enjoy this newer interview with Steve on my Consortio Dei podcast.) It was a pleasure to interview Steve Carter. Hear how thoughtful mentors like Rob Bell and Mike Erre invited him into the world of preaching, how simple index cards help him structure his thoughts, and how neighborhood prayer walks help prepare […]
- [J.R. Briggs](https://sermonsmith.com/j-r-briggs/): It was a pleasure to interview my good friend J.R. Briggs for the first show. I expected he would make my job easy with thoughtful answers, and that proved to be the case.

## Pages

- [Home](https://sermonsmith.com/): Conversations about the craft of sermon preparation. The Sermonsmith podcast is no longer in active production, but these helpful conversations are still available for you. You may enjoy my follow up podcast — Consortio Dei — where I interview spiritual leaders about their rhythms for self care and formation.
- [Disclosure / Privacy Policy](https://sermonsmith.com/disclosure/): This podcast is about conversations and experiences. It goes without saying, though I’ll say it anyway, that the participation of one guest should not be considered an affirmation of what any other guest has to say — or of what I have to say. In the interest of disclosure: I do occasionally receive review copies […]
- [Contact](https://sermonsmith.com/contact/): [gravityform id=”1″ name=”Contact” title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”true”]

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