Grosey's Messages

IS THE SERMON THEOLOGICALLY RICH?

"Sermons should have real teaching in them, and their

doctrine should be solid, substantial, and abundant."

IS THE SERMON ROOTED IN THE TEXT?

"A sermon comes with far greater power when it is

plainly the very word of God—not a lecture about the

Scripture. Do not thrust the text out of sight to make

room for your own thinkings."

IS THE SERMON PRACTICAL?

"Those doctrines which are not vital to the soul's

salvation, nor even essential to practical Christianity,

are not to be considered upon every occasion of worship."

DID I PREPARE WELL?

"We must throw all our strength of judgment, memory,

imagination, and eloquence into the delivery of the

gospel; and not give our random thoughts while wayside

topics engross our deeper meditations."

AM I TRYING TO BE IMPRESSIVE?

"Build not with wood, hay, and stubble, but with gold,

silver, and precious stones. It is better to give the people

masses of unprepared truth in the rough, like pieces of

meat from a butcher's block, than ostentatiously and

delicately hand them out upon a china dish a delicious

slice of nothing at all, decorated with the parsley of

poetry, and flavoured with the sauce of affectation."

IS THE SERMON FOCUSED?

"Do not overload a sermon with too much matter. All

truth is not to be comprised in one discourse. There is

such a thing as having too much to say, and saying it till

hearers are sent home loathing rather than longing."

IS THE SERMON ORGANIZED?

"In preaching, have a place for everything, and

everything in its place. Never suffer truths to fall from

you pell-mell. Do not let your thoughts rush as a mob,

but make them march as troops of soldiers."

DOES THE SERMON ENTERTAIN FALSE

DOCTRINE?

"If we give our people refined truth, pure Scriptural

doctrine, and all so worded as to have no needless

obscurity about it, we shall be true shepherds of the sheep,

and the profiting of our people will soon be apparent."

IS THE SERMON FRESH?

"Endeavor to keep the matter of your preaching as fresh

as you can. Do not rehearse five or six doctrines with

unvarying monotony of repetition. With abundant

themes diligently illustrated by fresh metaphors and

experiences, we shall not weary, but, under God's hand,

shall win our hearers' ears and hearts."

AM I GROWING AS A STUDENT

OF GOD'S WORD?

"Let your teachings grow and advance; let them deepen

with your experience, and rise with your soul-progress."

IS THE SERMON MERELY MORALISM?

"To choose mere moral themes will be to use a wooden

dagger; but the great truths of revelation are as sharp

swords. Remain unwaveringly the champions of a

soul-winning gospel."

WILL THIS SERMON PREACH CHRIST?

"Preach Christ, always and evermore. He is the whole

gospel. His person, offices, and work must be our one

great, all-comprehending theme. The world needs still

to be told of its Savior, and of the way to reach him."