Standing in the Middle

March 9, 2026

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

My Biological Ancestry

My family’s American experience began ten generations ago when my seventh great-grandfather, Johann Jacob Weller, arrived in America in 1737. Four generations later, my third-great grandfather—Johann’s great-great grandson—moved to northeast Indiana. That’s where he and four successive generations of Wellers rest at Cedar Chapel Cemetery. It’s where they’ll lay my bones one day to await Christ’s return.

My Spiritual Ancestry

As fascinated as I am with my family’s genealogy, I am more intrigued with my spiritual family tree. I wish there was a good website for tracing the ancestry of my spiritual fathers and mothers.

I learned about Jesus from my dad, Larry Weller. My childhood preacher, a man named Jim Platner, led my father to faith in Christ. Jim tells me he became a Christian through the influence of, among others, a preacher named Hank McAdams.

That’s as far back as I can trace my spiritual heritage.

If Brother McAdams were still living, I’d be fascinated to find out who told him about Jesus. And who told that person. And the one before.

In eternity I think I’ll have all the time in the world to meet every person in that long line reaching all the way back to Jesus. Jesus discipled Peter, who told Clement about Jesus, who told Ignatius, who told Polycarp, who told Irenaeus, who told someone, who told someone else, all the way down the line to Hank McAdams, Jim Platner, Larry Weller, and eventually me.

Christians Stand in the Middle

That’s because all those folks lived according to 2 Timothy 2:2—“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re called to stand in the middle between the generation who led you to Christ and people who have not yet become followers of Jesus.

Preachers Stand in the Middle, Too

In 2020 I began meeting with a group of younger preachers for coaching and encouragement. These guys ranged from their late twenties to early thirties, and each were first-time preachers.

By that time, I had been preaching nearly every Sunday for twenty-three years, so I had a lot to say. I’ll leave it to them to decide whether I had much to offer.

We talked about preaching. We explored leading in the context of a complicated time in our nation’s history (remember, it was at the start of the pandemic). Our topics ranged from the mundane—like how to prepare a sermon—to deeply personal subjects like how being in ministry impacted our wives and children.

As I move into my fifties, investing in the next generation of servant leaders feels more important to me than ever.

There was a slogan on the wall of the chapel at the college I attended: “God give us preachers.” This rallying cry is as relevant and needed today as it was forty years ago when I first read it.

It is a prayer, but it is also a reminder that I am the answer to that prayer, because I stand in the middle between the preachers who taught me and the ones who will pick up the mantle of proclaiming God’s Word to a new generation.

Evangelism is the responsibility of every Christian. But it’s important that preachers understand their responsibility to stand in the middle pulpit.

Putting in the Reps

April 16, 2026

I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been preaching for a while now, and I still walk away from some Sundays thinking, Well, that could have gone better.

There’s no shame in that. In fact, I’d worry about the guy who walks off the platform every week thinking he knocked it clean out of the park. Overconfidence in the pulpit is a little like overconfidence behind the wheel of a tractor — sooner or later, you’re going to end up in a ditch.

I sat down recently with Patrick Lightfoot, lead pastor at Traverse Christian Church in Windsor, Colorado, and something he said stuck with me. He talks about “stage time” — the practice of actually getting up on the platform mid-week and preaching the sermon out loud before Sunday arrives. Not reading it over in your recliner. Not muttering through it in the shower. Actually standing where you stand and speak the words into an empty room.

He calls it “putting in the reps.”

I love that. Because preaching is a craft, and crafts require practice. You don’t sit in the bleachers and become a ball player. You don’t read books about farming and develop a feel for the land. You have to get your hands dirty.

Patrick also talked about watching yourself preach — playing back the recordings and sitting through the awkward “ums” and the rushed transitions and the conclusions that sort of just… trail off. He admits it’s uncomfortable. Of course it is. Nobody enjoys watching themselves on video. I watched one of my sermons once and became briefly convinced that I needed a new career. But that discomfort is where growth hides.

What strikes me most about Patrick’s approach is the discipline underneath the Spirit-dependence. He doesn’t treat those two things as opposites. He plans sermon series a year in advance and still makes room for the Holy Spirit to redirect. He rehearses thoroughly and still steps to the pulpit trusting God, not his notes.

That’s the balance, isn’t it? Preparation isn’t a lack of faith. It’s faithfulness.

Francis Chan puts it in the form of three questions: Am I worried about what God thinks? Do I genuinely love these people? Am I depending on the Holy Spirit?

Patrick has those written on a notecard and tucked in his Bible. They’re a better pre-sermon checklist than anything I could come up with, so I plan to put them in my Bible.

The congregation sitting in front of you every Sunday deserves a preacher who has done the work — and who has also gotten out of the way enough to let God do His.

Put in the reps. Then trust the One who makes them count.

BONUS CONTENT: Here are Francis Chan’s seven questions Patrick Lightfoot mentioned in his recent podcast appearance. Print them off and tuck them in your Bible and see if they don’t shape your preaching.

Am I worried about what people think of my message or what God thinks?—Teach with Fear.

Do I genuinely love these people? — Teach with Love

Am I accurately presenting this passage? — Teach with Accuracy

Am I depending on the Holy Spirit’s power or my own cleverness? — Teach with Power

Have I applied this message to my own life? — Teach with Integrity

Will this message draw attention to me or to God? — Teach with Humility

Do the people really need this message? — Teach with Urgency

Use Diverse Sermon Styles: Engaging Generations with Variety and Creativity

April 6, 2026

Preaching multiple sermon styles is a strategic way to reach and engage generational cohorts. By using a mix of topical, expository, and narrative sermons, preachers adapt as needed for their congregation’s context.

This is the fourth post in a series about preaching contextualized sermons.

Why Variety Matters

The world today is accustomed to rapidly changing content and diverse media formats.

Monotonous, predictable sermon structures can result in disengagement. Offering sermon variety can maintain interest while addressing different learning preferences.

Sermons are most often written to fit three broad categories.

Sermon Types Explained

Topical Sermons: Address a specific theme or issue directly. They can include multiple scriptures from throughout the Bible.
Expository Sermons: Unpack a scripture verse by verse, emphasizing deep biblical understanding. Preachers who prefer this style often work through a larger text like the Sermon on the Mount or an epistle.
Narrative Sermons: Use stories and personal testimony to illustrate spiritual truths. Messages delivered in the narrative style can feel more like a story than a sermon.

Balancing Styles

Preachers should be adaptable, choosing methods that best communicate the message and engage their listeners rather than sticking rigidly to one method.

Narrative sermons build emotional connections, expository sermons deepen understanding, and topical sermons tackle pressing concerns.

Creative Techniques

Preachers can integrate creative communication to make messages more concrete and memorable.

Use multimedia (videos, music, visuals) to complement the sermon.
Incorporate participatory elements like Q&A or discussion groups.
Employ authentic storytelling to make the message memorable.
Use props or object lessons to create strong visual connections.
Enlist the help of others by sharing the platform when appropriate.

Embracing diverse sermon styles keeps sermons vibrant, inviting people from all generations to experience Scripture in fresh and meaningful ways.