Bridges on Preaching: Not the Same Thing

There is a great deal of difference between people admiring the preacher, and being edified by his sermons. (Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 316)

Bridges on Preaching: Preaching to No Body

The general sermons that are preached to every body, in fact are preached to no body. (Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 272)

What he means by this is that if a sermon does not have specific application to the people sitting in front of the preacher and the situation they are in the sermon was a waste of time.

Bridges on Preaching: Deformed Preaching

We should thus mark the difference between Scriptural doctrines and Scriptural statements, and may observe that points-Scriptural in their place and proportion-may become unscriptural by their disproportioned and unnatural application. (Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 302)

Bridges on Preaching: Partial Preaching

Partial preaching will produce a luxuriant crop of partial hearers, to whom a large part of Scripture is useless; full of notions, excited in their feelings, forward in their profession; but unsubdued in their habits and tempers, equally destitute of the root, the life, activity, fruitfulness, enjoyment, perseverance, of vital religion. (Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 268)

Bridges on Preaching: Knowing When to Stop

This past January I finished reading Charles Bridge's The Christian Ministry. It was recommended to me by an older minister. Rarely I have been so convicted personally by a book. The entire text was used by the Holy Spirit to show me my failings in sermon preparation and delivery. Anyone who is considering ministry should read it. I thought I would post some of my favorite quotes from it. Here is the first.

Let us ever stop where revelation stops; and not pretend to move one inch beyond it. p. 250