Hokmah ExpositorBlog
THE HOKMAH EXPOSITOR BLOG
Notes for pastors who teach every week.
Practical articles on preaching, Sunday School, discipleship, marriage preparation, leadership training and small groups, written from the Reformed confessions by a pastor with more than twenty years in ministry.
DISCIPLESHIP
One-on-One Discipleship Questions: What to Ask in Each Part of the Meeting
Good one-on-one discipleship questions open the Bible, reach the heart and lead to one step of obedience. Here are questions for each part of the meeting.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Deacon Training Curriculum: A 12-Session Plan for Reformed Churches
A deacon training curriculum in 12 sessions: eight on the man and his calling, four on mercy, stewardship and care, with what the PCA, OPC and 1689 expect.
PREACHING
Is It Wrong to Preach Someone Else's Sermon? Honesty, Credit and the Pastor's Call
Is it wrong to preach someone else's sermon? Reading it openly is an old practice. Passing it off as your own is not. Where the line falls and how to credit.
DISCIPLESHIP
How to Disciple a New Believer One on One: A Practical Guide for Pastors and Church Members
Meet weekly, open the Bible together, teach the basics in order, practice the means of grace and connect the new believer to the whole church.
PREACHING
How to Prepare a Sermon for the First Time: A Step-by-Step Guide for Elders, Interns and Seminarians
A step-by-step guide to your first sermon: choosing the passage, studying it, finding the main idea, writing, timing and getting it reviewed before Sunday.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Elder vs Deacon in the Presbyterian Church: Roles, Qualifications and Training
Presbyterian elders oversee, teach and govern; deacons lead the ministry of mercy. The offices in Scripture, ruling vs teaching elders, and how to train each.
PREACHING
How Long Does It Take to Write a Sermon? A Realistic Weekly Plan for Expository Preachers
How long a sermon takes and where the hours go: a day-by-day plan for expository preaching, with notes for bivocational pastors and first sermons.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
How to Teach the Westminster Shorter Catechism to Adults: A Sunday School Plan
How to teach the Westminster Shorter Catechism to adults: how the 107 questions are organized, a one-year and a 13-week plan, and how to run each class.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION
Premarital Counseling Questions for Pastors: 49 Questions for Seven Sessions
Questions a pastor can ask an engaged couple, organized by the seven sessions of a biblical premarital course, with notes on listening well and when to refer.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Questions to Ask Deacon and Elder Candidates: An Examination Guide from 1 Timothy 3
Examination questions for deacon and elder candidates from 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and Acts 6, with the ordination vows and notes on conducting the interview.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Reformed Adult Sunday School Curriculum: How to Choose or Build One
How to choose or build a Reformed adult Sunday School curriculum: a checklist, the kinds of content, buy vs build, a multi-year cycle and teacher training.
SMALL GROUPS
Sermon-Based Small Group Questions: How to Write a Weekly Guide from Sunday's Text
How to write a weekly small group guide from Sunday's sermon text: observation, interpretation and application questions, prayer and a template to copy.
AI AND MINISTRY
Should Pastors Use AI for Sermons? A Confessional Line Between Help and Outsourcing
Using AI is not sinful in itself, but some work belongs only to the preacher. Where help ends and outsourcing begins, with a checklist for your study.
PREACHING
What Is Lectio Continua? How to Preach Through a Book of the Bible
Lectio continua is preaching through a book of the Bible in order, week by week. Where it comes from, why it serves a church, and how to plan a series.
DISCIPLESHIP
What to Cover in a New Members Class: A Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist Outline
The eight topics a new members class should cover, a five-session outline, and how the class and interview differ in Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist churches.
DISCIPLESHIP
What to Teach New Believers: A 12-Week Path from the Gospel to Mission
Twelve topics to teach new believers in order, from the gospel to perseverance and mission, with a base text, a takeaway and one question for each meeting.
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