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Just below is an excerpt from a recent interview we did with Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership journal. Take a moment to give it a read and then answer this question: Concerning preaching the gospel, to which school of thought do you associate yourself and why? If neither is a good fit, how would you describe your particular school thought?

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Prince Caspian (Rated PG)
2. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
3. What Happens in Vegas (Rated PG-13)
4. Speed Racer (Rated PG)
5. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)

It’s Friday, and I feel overwhelmed. But it’s not what you think! My sermon preparation for Sunday is complete. But I feel overwhelmed because there are a dozen books I need to read. Make that “dozens.†So many books, so little time! I did something this week, though, that I think will help.

Perhaps you noticed this week that Preaching Today has officially launched a new theme for preaching skills articles: "Getting the Gospel Right." For the rest of 2008, we're going to wrestle with some important questions: Is our gospel too small? Is it too big? What does it really mean to preach the gospel? To learn more about this theme—and the all-star lineup of preachers, authors, and professors that will be featured in the months ahead—you'll want to give a listen to the newest episode of PT Talk. Click "Play" on the audio player to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player. The article Brian Larson and I reference throughout is Skye Jethani's "Preaching the Gospel: Past, Present, and Future."

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

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In a recent lecture on preaching, David Jackman challenges preachers to “love the listeners!†He cites 1 Thessalonians 1:5 as a model for engaging and persuading listeners, especially those in the younger generations. I am trying to work out his insights in my own ministry context.

Our sister site, BuildingSmallGroups.com, recently posted a new download about the power of sermon-based small groups (available for $14.95). Here's a brief overview of the resource:

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
2. What Happens in Vegas (Rated PG-13)
3. Speed Racer (Rated PG)
4. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)
5. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
2. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)
3. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)
4. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay (Rated R)
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Rated R)

Notables: Iron Man did huge business this last weekend (it topped $100 million). Robert Downey, Jr. plays the title role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. His character is one of many in movies and television who serve as heroes riddled by character flaws (see the show House for another good example). It's interesting that we want our heroes to have a dark side to them—some character trait or nasty habit that handicaps them emotionally or psychologically or spiritually while they remain dominant physically or intellectually.

Because of the horrifying tragedy in Myanmar (rescue officials think the death toll may climb as high as 100,000), many of us will probably want to lead our congregations through difficult issues like pain and suffering. We've gathered a few illustrations and tagged them as "Free" for the next 30 days to help you in your preaching. Most of these stories come from past tragedies—the tsunami that killed over 400,000 people, Hurricane Katrina, the attacks at Virginia Tech—and obviously speak to the heart of what we're watching unfold in Myanmar.

Every week, Preaching Today posts new illustrations - a mixture of stories, statistics, quotes, humor, and scenes from popular movies or TV shows. As a regular part of our PT Talk sessions, Brian Larson and I would like to take a moment to talk about how we might use some of our illustrations in a sermon. We decided to try this out on a classic: Master Violinist Goes Unrecognized. We felt it was the best illustration of 2007.

To hear us talk about specific and more abstract ways to use this illustration, click "Play" on the audio player below to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

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I’ve been working on a sermon series idea for the three-week window between the start of school and Labor Day. It’s a strategic time because everyone is back from summer vacation. Yet I don’t want to begin my fall sermon series until after Labor Day. Here is my plan . . .

In late 2005, the long-anticipated movie version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released. It went on to earn $745 million at the box office worldwide (and over $1 billion in DVD sales). On May 16, its sequel—Prince Caspian—arrives in theatres. The world is abuzz. It's safe to assume it will be a hit. It's also safe to assume it will open the door to conversations over its Christological content. You might be planning to weave themes from Prince Caspian into your preaching. Here are a few links to helpful resources from our sister sites:

If you’re still trying to find a sermon series for summer, here is an idea . . .

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)
2. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay (Rated R)
3. Forgidden Kingdom (Rated PG-13)
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Rated R)
5. Nim's Island(Rated PG)

Notables: Time magazine recently ran an article about how the Harold and Kumar movie subversively speaks out against the Bush administration's military doctrine concerning imprisonment and torture.