Dr. Joe H. Cothen, who first taught how to be a pastor in Equipped for Good Work: A Guide for Pastors, now teaches how to preach- a task which lies at the very core of a pastor’s work. In each chapter, Dr. Cothen outlines several sample sermons and provides numerous Biblical references. He also draws on his more than forty years of experience as a pastor and instructor. For example, he relates the findings of a past student’s homework assignment to look for any interesting sights or sounds in the everyday goings-on of the city. What the student saw was a blind man walking with his seeing eye dog. When they stopped at the corner, he noticed that the dog was, in fact, blind in one eye! What the student saw would make a wonderful sermon: “If that blind man can trust his life to a one-eyed dog, surely I ought to be able to trust my life to a God who can see everything in my path throughout life.” Such strategies capture the congregation’s attention, and only by maintaining the interest of the congregation is the pastor able to convey his message-and His message.
