Resources by Charlie Wingard
A Good Sermon Is Hard to Find
A friend reminds me that homiletics is a physician-heal-thyself enterprise, so my critiques of student sermons are restrained. But not as restrained as those offered by “a sexton at whose church theological students frequently did the preaching. He always had three stock answers when they asked with anxious curiosity how they had done. If they had done well he would reply, ‘The Lord has been gracious’; if moderately well, ‘The text is difficult; and if badly, ‘The hymns were well chosen.’” [1] My criticisms are more direct, but not so much as those offered by Professor James Benjamin Green, who began teaching at Columbia Seminary in 1921. After one student’s sermon, he offered this analysis: “There were three problems with this sermon:…
Read MoreLynne and I enjoyed hosting our students and their families this afternoon.
Read MoreA Prayer for the Lord’s Day, July 5 (based on Psalm 90)
ETERNAL GOD, the only refuge of the afflicted, seeing that the shortness of this present life admonishes us to turn ourselves away from earthly things and to have our meditation on heavenly matters, grant unto us that we may employ our whole life on the consideration of thy mercy and goodness; and that thine anger may be so turned from us that we may have continually wherewith to rejoice in thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN. – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 104.
Read MoreLord, Increase Our Faith!
“Faith is at the root of all that is good; and unbelief, of all that is evil. According to our faith will every grace be found within us. Look at a person in a state of departure from his God: to what is his condition owing? There is ‘in him an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.’ Look at persons anxious to attain the highest grace, so as to be able to forgive their brother, not seven times, but seventy times seven: for what do they pray? an increase of love? no; but of faith: ‘Lord, increase our faith.’” – Charles Simeon, Horae Homileticae: Philippians to 1 Timothy (vol. 18; London: Holdsworth and Ball, 1833), 316.
Read More“Can we ever give too much honour to Christ? Can we ever think too highly of him? . . . Men may easily fall into error about the three persons in the holy Trinity, if they do not carefully adhere to the teaching of Scripture. But no man ever errs on the side of giving too much honour to God the Son. Christ is the meeting-point between the Trinity and the sinner’s soul. ‘He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him’ (John 5:23).” – J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John, Vol 1. 1869. (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2012), 27.
Read MoreA Prayer for the Lord’s Day, June 28 (based on Psalm 87)
O LORD GOD, the only founder of thy church, augment and increase daily the number of the faithful by the preaching of thy holy Evangel, that the darkness of ignorance may be chased out of the world, and that thy name may be known over all. May all men resort out of all parts to render themselves under the obedience of thy Word, and may they reverence thee with their whole hearts, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN. – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 101-102.
Read More