When I even think about writing on the topic of preaching with humility, I feel like a conference preacher I heard several years ago who was assigned to preach on this same subject. He opened his message by asking, “Doesn’t preaching on the subject of humility immediately disqualify you from possessing the quality?” Maybe that’s why we don’t hear preachers talk about it any more than we do.

Like most people, I’m spoiled with the GPS app on my phone. All I have to do is plug in my destination, and I get step-by-step instructions on how to get to where I‘m going. While I regret not memorizing addresses and directions much anymore, I have to admit that the GPS feature is so accessible, off-the-charts convenient, and relatively dependable.

In a perfect world, preaching is normally a point-in-time experience in front of a live audience. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, and these certainly aren’t normal times. We’re currently living with a ‘new normal’ in just about every area of life and ministry, and that includes preaching.

If there has ever been a time that pastors could legitimately say, “They didn’t teach me this in seminary,” it would certainly be now during this COVID-19 global pandemic. We’re all having to navigate new territory and uncharted waters, whether it be learning how to use unfamiliar technology or just finding an ample supply of toilet paper.

Some time ago I bought a handgun for my wife to have at our house, just for safety when I’m away traveling. When we went to the gun shop to pick it up, the seller took some time to show us all of its features.

I will forever be indebted to Rick Ferguson, my predecessor at Riverside Church in Denver, Colorado, for paving the way for me to have one of the most fulfilling pulpit ministries I ever experienced as a pastor. Rick’s tenure at Riverside came to an abrupt and tragic end when he was killed in an automobile accident while on vacation

Some things in life are not open for discussion. Whether we can and should preach Christ from the Psalms is one of them. Jesus was unmistakably clear when He said to His disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44 ESV).

The preaching ministry is a spiritual enterprise. John Knox says, “True preaching from start to finish is the work of the Spirit.”[1] Consequently, preaching has to be navigated in utter dependence on the third person of the Trinity from the very beginning of the sermon journey.