"I tend to get stupid when I am preaching extemporaneously..."

Notes or no notes?

I know this is a well-worn discussion in seminary (at least it was at Southeastern) with differing opinions. Paige Patterson, who was president while I was there, insisted on no notes, no outlines, no nothing in the pulpit. However, many of the "big name" preachers who came through our chapel services brought either outlines or manuscripts with them. Patterson poked at James Merritt during one service saying "As good of a preacher he is with his notes, he would only be a better one if he didn't have them."

I have found that many of the preachers that I most admire actually take manuscripts to the pulpit. I have heard several of them say that their reasoning is that they have certain issues that they want to address and address well, and that having the notes helps insure that they don't skip over anything that they wanted to share and helps ensure that they maintain right doctrine rather than slip into an "off the cuff" explanation which may or may not be exactly on target.

A similar sentiment is expressed by Thabiti M. Anyabwile in an exchange that took place over at the 9 Marks blog.

It is a few short snippets that I found helpful to consider. Take a look.

Mike McKinley also stabs at it and says: "I use the manuscript because I tend to get stupid when I am speaking extemporaneously. I'll either get punchy and start making jokes or I'll get lost on a rabbit trail going nowhere."

You can access his response by clicking on the tab at the top of Anyabwile's post.

Preaching as Gravitational Center

On church discipline

Do yourself a favor and listen to this 6 minute clip of Matt Schumaker (of Capital Hill Baptist Church) talk about church discipline in an interview with Moody Radio.

You are different- you have something to say.

“Whatever be the limitations of your gifts, you will at least have a message. You will be, in one respect at least, unlike most persons who love to talk in public at the present time; you will have one qualification of a speaker – you will have something to say....While angels look on, you will have your moment of glorious opportunity – the moment when you can speak the word that God has given you to speak. It will be a word of warning; false hopes must be ruthlessly destroyed. But it will also be a word of wondrous joy. What can be compared, brethren, to the privilege of proclaiming to needy souls the exuberant joy of the gospel of Christ?”

J. Gresham Machen

Multisight churches- Good idea or no? and Perry Noble Unleashed

The latest 9 Marks Journal is a must read. It is on the issue of multi-site churches and has articles by those who defend it and those who condemn it. Read it here.

I hope that we will see some reactions to this posted here. Hint Hint!

My initial reaction, having not read the articles yet, is that I am anti-multi-site. I'm not sure how one can be "Baptist" in their polity while pastoring, what seems to me to be, a parish-type set up. The other concern I have is simply in terms of the definition of the local church. One of the articles by Jonathan Leeman seems to echo my concerns, but there are voices on the other side I'm looking forward to hearing.

I'm also curious if any of you have seen the following clip of Perry Noble. It has been a hot topic lately. What says you?

Decision Card for Today's Church Plant

New tract cover

Should we order a case for our plants?


from http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/04/23/front-cover-of-a-new-gospel-tract-published-by-sebts/