The Spirit God Actually Gave You

July 2, 2026

Ben Merold walked into a bar to preach a sermon.

Not exactly how most homiletics professors would recommend you begin your ministry career. But there he was, pulpit replaced by a video machine, cocktail waitresses clattering around in the background. And when he got to the part about the Holy Spirit, everything went quiet. That’s Ben Merold for you. The Word had a way of showing up when he preached it.

I’ve been sitting with a transcript of a sermon Merold preached at the Lincoln Christian College alumni reunion on March 14, 1985. His text was 2 Timothy 1:3-7, and his theme was simple and devastating all at once: God has not given you a spirit of timidity. Whatever that shrinking, fearful, draw-back spirit is that you’re carrying around — you didn’t get it from God.

So where did you get it?

Merold unpacked three things God does give. A spirit of power — not the horsepower kind, but the kind that changes a life, rewires a mind, repairs a relationship. A spirit of love — not the feeling-based, falls-in-and-out variety that fills up divorce court waiting rooms, but the committed, volitional, I’m-showing-up-regardless kind. And finally, a spirit of self-discipline — what Merold called, borrowing from one translation, a smiling mind. Quiet. Steady. Unintimidated by panic or passion.

What strikes me most about this sermon, forty years on, is how thoroughly Merold believed that the Christian life was supposed to be upbeat. He said it plainly: he looked around at Christianity and got a little disgusted at all the people who were down. Joy is fruit of the Spirit. God expects us to express it.

Ben Merold passed away in November 2022 at the age of 96. He grew two churches from under 200 to over 3,000. He held more than 500 revivals. He wanted to be remembered as a church builder and a friend of the small church.

But listening to him preach, what I remember most is that smiling mind.

God gave you that.

Use it.

Preach Relevant Messages

March 30, 2026

Addressing Real-Life Challenges of Generational Cohorts

Relevance matters in preaching. Sermons that connect Scripture to pressing, real-life issues stimulate spiritual growth and help listeners navigate the complexities of their world.

This is the third in a series of five blog posts that will help you preach contextualized sermons to people who are different than you. This principle emphasizes that relevance is not about watering down the gospel but applying it meaningfully.

Understanding Generational Challenges

Each generation navigates unique challenges shaped by the social, cultural, economic, and technological changes during their lifespan.

Churches often excel in family ministry, but recognizing and empathizing with generational differences is essential to build and strengthen bonds within the church family.

Shifting from “Ought-To” to “How-To”

Preaching should move beyond telling the congregation what they should do and include practical instruction on holy living.

Listeners need to be told more than, “God wants you to serve.” They need to hear suggestions about how to serve.

Financial stewardship sermons should address the realities of debt and budgeting rather than only the principle of tithing.

Connecting Grace and Truth

Like Jesus, preachers should balance grace and truth.

Younger generational cohorts often distrust institutions that have failed them, making it crucial to preach God’s grace while also calling for honest repentance and transformation.

Examples of Relevant Topics

Preaching relevant sermons strengthens faith by showing the Bible’s practical power in daily life.

Navigating relationships and singleness with dignity and purpose
Managing financial pressures with biblical wisdom
Dealing with disappointment and unmet expectations in life and faith
Finding hope and identity beyond consumer culture and social media

This can be challenging, especially for preachers who are accustomed to preaching expository sermons.

When ministers preach only verse-by-verse sermons, congregations benefit when pastors find ways to address relevant topics within the scope of their preaching calendars.

Connecting Intentionally

March 23, 2026

Building Authentic Relationships for Deeper Impact

Effective preaching goes beyond delivering messages from the pulpit—it requires cultivating genuine relationships with the congregation. This is part two of a five-part series of posts that explore principles to help you preach contextualized sermons to people who are different than you.

This principle focuses on the importance of intentionally connecting as a generational immigrant so you can foster the trust and relatability that are necessary to increase the impact of your sermons.

The Challenge of Generational Distance

As pastors age, they can soon discover they are significantly older than many in their churches. Even when the congregation grows older with their pastor, the future of the church depends on it growing younger.

When there is a generational gap between the preacher and the congregation, it can inadvertently create barriers where younger parishioners feel misunderstood or distant from their pastors. The clergy–laity boundaries many practiced in the past can be off-putting for younger members.

What It Means to Intentionally Connect

Intentional connection means making an active effort to engage younger or older generational cohorts in ways that acknowledge their unique perspectives and needs.

It involves lowering traditional boundaries, being approachable, and demonstrating genuine care.

Practical Ways to Build Connection

Here is a truism: the more connected the congregation feels to their preacher, the more receptive they are likely to be to his preaching.

Here are four ways preachers can build connections that will result in more effective preaching:

Be accessible: Simple gestures like being visible in church lobbies or responding to social media interactions show availability and interest.
Share vulnerabilities: When pastors are appropriately transparent about their own struggles and failures, it builds authenticity and trust.
Engage beyond Sunday: Investing time in mentoring, attending social events, or hosting informal gatherings helps build deeper relationships.
Say “yes” more often: Affirming and encouraging younger generational cohorts by saying “yes” to prayer requests or meetings can have profound positive effects. The book Growing Young by Powell, Mulder, and Griffin is especially helpful on this point.

The Payoff of Connection

When younger Christians feel genuinely known and supported by their pastors, they are more open to hearing challenging biblical truths.

Relatability increases receptivity, making preaching a collaborative journey rather than a one-sided lecture.

Pastors need to remember that ministry is as much about being present and connected as it is about the content of sermons.

Prepare for the Way You Preach, Not the Way You Prepare

September 3, 2026

Tony Johnson was back on the podcast this week, and he said something in the first five minutes that I haven’t stopped thinking about: “I was preparing for a different style of preaching than what is natural for me.” He was preaching based on the way he prepared, rather than preparing for the way that he preaches. Read that twice. I had to.

Tony told me he used to build these meticulous outlines — detailed enough that he could hand them to someone else and they could preach the message. But when he got up to preach, he wasn’t using the outline at all. He was following the red circles and blue stars he’d scribbled on it. The notes were theater. The real preparation was happening somewhere else entirely.

So he blew it up and started over, building a process that matches how his brain works. Mondays through Wednesdays, he just lives in the passage: reading it, praying over it, letting it marinate. No writing. He calls this white space, and he’s convinced it’s one of the most underused tools in a preacher’s kit. Some of his best material shows up at two in the morning on a trip to the bathroom, not at a desk with a deadline looming. Thursday, he sits down and builds a mind map, breaking the message into four or five movements he can hold in his head rather than a manuscript he has to follow. Less prep time. More authenticity. A sermon that feels discovered rather than delivered.

Now, Tony’s got a teaching team of five to seven preachers to coordinate, which most of us reading this don’t have. But don’t let that get in the way of the real point. If you’re the only voice at a church of 125, you can still build a team around your preparation, even if you’re the only one standing up on Sunday. Ask a few trusted voices in your congregation what they think people need to hear. Let your spouse hear you talk about something you love and compare that energy to your preaching voice. Tony’s litmus test was simple: are you performative, or are you proclaiming something that’s naturally been embedded in you?

He also mentioned something that stuck with me. 2|42 has moved away from Tony underlining scripture on a screen when he preaches and gone back to him simply holding a Bible in his hand. No graphics, no bumpers, just him, the text, and the room. Turns out people aren’t as hungry for polish as they are the Word.

Find the process that fits how God wired you. Then get out of your own way.

Better preaching makes a bigger impact.

Episode Summary

Discover how preacher Tony Johnson transforms his approach to sermon preparation, emphasizing authenticity and responsiveness. Learn practical tips on adapting your preaching style, engaging your congregation, and cultivating your unique voice.

Fresh preaching insights await.