A few months ago someone recommended a sermon prep podcast to me, and I subscribed to it in Downcast (the iPhone podcast app I use), but then forgot about it. This past week I finished an audio book I was listening to, so I decided to check it out. I’m glad I did.

The podcast is Sermonsmith, and it’s so very good. The format is simple: the host (John Chandler) interviews preachers about “the craft of sermon preparation,” so he asks them very practical questions like, “What does your week look like with sermon preparation? How far in advance do you plan your sermons? Walk us through each day as you head toward Sunday,” and so on. I’ve found it to be refreshing, practical, and incredibly helpful. I’m currently incorporating some of the ideas I heard in one of the episodes into my weekly preparation plan.

He interviews guys who preach regularly, and they’re from all over the denominational spectrum (but broadly conservative in their approach to Scripture). The host is in the Christian Church, and he’s interviewed several guys who have some kind of connection to the Restoration Movement (Sean Palmer, Wade Hodges, and Luke Norsworthy). I found these particularly helpful, probably because of some commonalities in the way that we think about preaching.

You can find past episodes and subscription information at their web site. If you do podcasts, add this one to your queue.

A few other links that might help your ministry:

Speaking of podcasts, you might be interested in A few of the podcasts I’m listening to right now by Aaron Armstrong (bloggingtheologically.com).

Confronting the public health crisis of pornography by Paul S. Loverde (firstthings.com)

It’s interesting that people outside of the Christian world are starting to catch on to the reality of the pornography crisis that we’re facing. Here’s the first paragraph of this excellent article:

“Something is afoot. ‘Porn and the Threat to Virility’ recently hit the stands not in the form of a religious tractate, but on the cover of Time. Just days prior to that, in Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis decried the ‘flood of pornography’ and its pernicious spread which deform sexuality. If you missed both Time and Pope Francis, then perhaps you heard the news last week from Utah. The state declared pornography a ‘public health crisis.’”

What is an essential message for every modern day [preacher]? by Mark Dever (practicalshepherding.com)

This is 56 minutes long, so you might want to save it to your phone for your next trip—or break it up over a few commutes. Dever often has good stuff to say.

On writing with Tim Challies by J.A. Medders

I follow Tim Challies’ blog—he’s a good writer who shares a lot of helpful ministry stuff on his site. This is a 32-minute interview with Challies about what he does very well—write. If you like to write, you’ll be blessed by this.

What’s helping you in your ministry?

Do you have resources that you find useful in your work? Would you share them with me so I can share them here? If so, email me – I’d be grateful.