practice before you preach essay

‘Practise What You Preach’, Meaning & Context

When confronted with an English idiom- such as ‘practice what you preach’ – one is encountering a phrase that has a good chance of having been coined by either one of the Bible writers or William Shakespeare.

In the case of ‘practice what you preach’ it is not from Shakespeare. Whether it originated with a Bible writer is not quite clear cut, but the phrase certainly does appear in the Bible and never appears in Shakespeare.

‘Practice what you preach’ is usually spoken as a retort to someone who is being hypocritical, who is telling people how they should behave while not themselves behaving in that way.

Shakespeare’s characters frequently talk about hypocrisy and in Hamlet Ophelia comes close to telling her brother, Laertes , to practice what he preaches, in so many words, when he lectures her on how she should behave. She says:

“I shall the effect of this good lesson keep As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads And recks not his own rede.” Act 1, Scene 3

The saying is most clearly stated in the Bible in Matthew 23:3 :

“So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

This is Jesus speaking. He is teaching about legalism. Giving instructions to someone else which we are not willing or able to follow makes us hypocrites. One of Jesus’ main themes about the civil and religious life of his time was the curse of hypocrisy throughout society, and he talks about it a lot, but it is here that he uses the language of practicing what you are preaching (as translated into English).

Platus’ use of ‘Practice what you preach’

But the first expression of the saying came two centuries before Matthew in the works of the Roman playwright, Titus Maccius Plautus . ‘Practice yourself what you preach’ appears in the comedy, Asinaria , Act 3, Scene 3.

Plautus wrote more than fifty plays, mostly adapted from works by Greek playwrights, which he reworked to appeal to Roman audiences. Twenty of them have survived. The texts of Plautus’ plays were studied and copied out by Shakespeare when he was at school. Later, when he was writing plays in London, he harked back to what many of the writers he had encountered in school. For example, The Comedy of Errors combines the plots of two of Plautus’ plays.

Plautus’ influence on Shakespeare goes further than the use of his plots. It goes right to the language of his texts. He was similar to Shakespeare in his ability to find exactly the right words to express the situations we encounter in life.

Here are some of those phrases, which we can trace through several works of literature, transformed into expressions that we use every day:

Better do nothing than do ill. Fire is next akin to smoke. Those, who twit others with their faults, should look at home. To love is human, it is also human to forgive. You will stir up the hornets. They call me mad, while they are all mad themselves. He who would eat the kernel, must crack the shell. If you strike the goads with your fists, your hands suffer most. He whom the gods love dies young. If you speak insults you will hear them also. Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. The day, water, sun, moon, night – I do not have to purchase these things with money. Speak no evil of an absent friend. How often the highest talent lurks in obscurity.

‘Practise what you preach’ in other literature

Hypocrisy is one of the worst human characteristics and exhorting hypocrites to look to themselves before condemning others is a major theme through Western literature. Other writers have expressed the same idea- to practice what you preach – through the centuries. For example:

The best brought-up children are those who have seen their parents as they are. Hypocrisy is not the parents’ first duty. George Bernard Shaw

She heard the snuffle of hypocrisy in her prayer. She had to cease to pray. George Meredith

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I want that glib and oily art To speak and purpose not. William Shakespeare

There are hundreds more, all of which can be traced through other works of literature, to a phrase that we use today. For example, back to Plautus: ‘Patience is the best remedy for every trouble’ is usually expressed today as ‘patience is a virtue’ and ‘Fire is next akin to smoke’ is expressed as ‘there is no smoke without a fire.’

‘Practise what you preach’

See All Hamlet Resources

Pinterest 0

Great Bible information ⁷

23 Preaching Tips That’ll Actually Help You Preach Better

Run a Google search for “preaching tips” and brace yourself for a barrage of well-intentioned advice and bold claims, each promising a path to powerful preaching .

But let’s keep it real:

There’s no single formula, trick or tip for sermon preparation and delivery that’ll instantly transform you into a great preacher overnight.

In this post, I’m not offering a quick fix, but rather a collection of tried-and-true preaching tips that, when applied long enough, will drastically improve your sermons .

I’ve preached on four continents, devoted 20 years to developing my preaching skills, and listened to over 10,000 sermons. This isn’t just another list of generic preaching tips; it’s an actionable strategy you can follow.

23 Proven Preaching Tips For Beginners

1. Start Strong 2. End Even Stronger 3. Get Proper Preaching Training 4. Be True The Text 5. Be True To Yourself 6. Know Your Audience 7. Preach Data-Driven Topics 8. Create A Preaching Calendar 9. Run Sermon Series 10. Set Aside Specific Prep Time 11. Build A Preaching Team 12. Use AI To Write Your Outlines 13. Have One Clear Message 14. Hammer Your Point Home 15. Always Offer Life Application 16. Craft A Bottom Line 17. Listen To Great Preaching 18. Read Preaching Books 19. Practice What You Preach 20. Pray Yourself Full 21. Watch Yourself Back 22. Invite Feedback 23. Put In The Reps

1. Start Strong

Mastering the first 90 seconds of your sermon is non-negotiable.

Lose your audience at the beginning, and the battle for their attention is lost for the entire sermon before you’ve even begun.

You have to step up to the pulpit with confidence .

Your mission: to seize everyone’s attention immediately.

There’s no time for pleasantries—your congregation needs to sense the gravity of your words right from the start. It’s not about a polished delivery; it’s about forging a raw and authentic connection.

So skip the preamble, get straight to the point and watch everyone in the room hang on your every word, ready for the transformative journey unfolding before them.

Here are 6 compelling strategies to kick off your sermon .

2. End Even Stronger

Getting your sermon conclusion down is just as crucial, if not more so, than nailing the start.

Avoid the common preaching mistake of letting your sermon fizzle out and intentionally plan your conclusion for maximum impact.

Preaching is like flying a plane: you’ve got to get the takeoff right, know where you’re taking people to and exactly how you’re going to land.

Here are 7 ways to end your next sermon on a high note.

3. Get Proper Preaching Training

The best preaching tip I can give you, especially if you’re just starting out , is this:

You need a rock-solid system for sermon preparation and delivery.

Looking back on my early days of preaching, I was all over the place…

One week, I’d barely plan at all and try to wing it on the day. Another week, I’d sit paraphrasing someone else’s preaching on YouTube until late Saturday night.

Sometimes I’d write out every word and other times I’d try to preach without notes .

It was a stressful and chaotic mess.

What was missing?

A structured guide on preparing sermon outlines, step by step, from start to finish. I never had anyone show me the ropes.

Enter Killer Sermons Academy – a real game-changer for me. Seriously, it will completely revolutionise your entire preaching approach.

You can get all the deets in my SUPER in-depth Killer Sermons Academy review here.

4. Be True The Text

There are 2 types of preachers:

Topical preaching is when you preach on themes or topics and draw from various parts of the Bible to support your central idea.

Expository preaching is when you preach on a portion of scripture and allow the chosen text to determine the sermon’s content and message.

Your goal should be to become an expository preacher.

Because rather than trying to make the text fit your message; you let the text shape and define your message.

Instead of cherry-picking verses to back up what you want to say, you let God’s Word speak for itself which results in more authoritative, richer messages.

Here’s Ministry Pass on why expository preaching is the better way:

5. Be True To Yourself

Without a preaching system and desperate for inspiration, it’s easy to look at preachers like Steven Furtick on YouTube with 100,000+ views on each of his sermons and 2.8 million subscribers and think you have to mirror his style and content.

However tempting this trap may be, it’s a problem because you never find your voice.

You want to take inspiration from everyone but copy no one.

Your God-given uniqueness will resonate with some and not with others, and that’s perfectly okay. Be true to yourself, and let your distinct personality and voice shine through.

6. Know Your Audience

One of the most powerful tips for delivering quality sermons week after week is understanding your audience.

As a pastor or church leader, you’re likely already intimately acquainted with the battles, challenges, aspirations goals, needs and wants of your congregation so tailor your messages directly to them.

A preacher in a rural church in Wisconsin will approach preaching differently than an urban church in central New York.

Similarly, a preacher in a church full of young families will cover different sermon topics in a distinct style compared to a preacher addressing a more traditional congregation with an older demographic.

Keep your audience in the front of your mind as you plan and present your sermons and you’ll find you’ll forge deeper connections and resonate more with their unique life experiences to make your preaching more powerful.

7. Preach Data-Driven Topics

You can preach better sermons by tapping into the power of data.

This could be as simple and straightforward as giving your church a survey to find out what pressing questions, challenges and areas of interest they have.

Ask them what topics they’d like you to preach more about.

Use online tools like Google Trends and AnswerThePublic to discover hot topics.

You can use a keyword research tool like Mangools to see what phrases and questions people are searching online.

For example, the question “Once saved always saved?” gets searched a whopping 6,500 times a month on average:

This would be a great topic to talk about.

And don’t shy away from preaching on the issues of the day that society is grappling with. If people can’t get compelling answers to today’s big questions in church then they’ll go looking elsewhere.

Pastor Mark Driscoll recently ran a brilliantly titled series called “ Black & White In A Rainbow World ” where he addressed issues of homosexuality, gender and the whole woke agenda head-on. It’s had 20,000+ views.

Preaching data-driven topics not only ensures your sermons are relevant and interesting but also ensures your messages meet the genuine needs of your congregation.

8. Create A Preaching Calendar

As a preacher, you have just 45 minutes a week to speak into the lives of your members.

No pressure, but that means you have to come up with fresh sermons week after week after week that make an impact.

You’ll burn out if you don’t plan ahead. Take it from someone who’s been there.

Now I like to spend a bit of time around the new year asking God what He wants to say to His church and scheduling out my sermons for the 12 months ahead.

Here’s a preaching calendar you can use.

The beauty of planning ahead is twofold:

It means you can get ahead which gives you time and breathing space and makes sermon prep way less stressful.

It also allows you to get more creative. Without the pressure of last-minute sermon prep, you’ll find the freedom to explore more innovative ways to get your message across.

9. Run Sermon Series

This preaching tip completely revolutionised the way I preach.

Instead of delivering standalone messages each week, consider organising your preaching into a 3-6 week sermon series.

This a great way to organise your preaching and it helps make your church service more of an event and keeps people coming back for more.

(A great church growth strategy by the way.)

Here are 12 sermon monthly series ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

10. Set Aside Specific Prep Time

The better you prepare, the better you preach.

On average, a preacher spends 13 to 15 hours preparing a sermon. And that’s on top of juggling countless other jobs that need to get done in the week.

You need to set solid chunks of time aside to prepare your sermon and make sure your staff is on the same page – these periods are non-negotiable.

For your focused sessions find a quiet space with minimal interruptions and distractions.

By blocking out time like this at the beginning of the week and following a consistent schedule, you can free your mind to focus on other vital ministry tasks.

11. Build A Preaching Team

I don’t know where we got the idea from where we have to sit struggling to write sermons alone.

Some of the best preachers of our time (I’m thinking the likes of Craig Groeshel and Andy Stanley) have a preaching team who help them come up with creative angles, story and illustration ideas.

Start with 2-3 guys in your church you trust and get together maybe once a month to discuss upcoming sermons.

By preparing sermons as a team , your preaching will become richer, deeper and more varied because you no longer have to rely on your experiences.

As the old saying goes: two (or more) brains are better than one.

12. Use AI To Write Your Outlines

If you’re not leveraging the power of AI to write your sermons yet then you need to.

Right now we have amazing tools like ChatGPT at our disposal that can make our sermon prep easier and our preaching better.

You can ask it to polish up your intro, craft a more compelling conclusion, help explain how concept A relates to concept B and so on. The possibilities are endless!

Start with this free AI guide for preachers.

13. Have One Clear Message

If you want to become a great preacher then avoid cramming a gazillion points into a single sermon because that’ll only have your church members overwhelmed, confused and remembering nothing.

It’s far better to have one clear central message you want to convey and keep it simple.

14. Hammer Your Point Home

Armed with a crystal-clear message, it’s time to really drive it home:

Share real-life experiences that resonate with your congregation on a personal level.

Tell compelling stories that tug at the heartstrings to spark emotional connections that linger well beyond the sermon.

Reinforce your message with unforgettable sermon illustrations that serve as vivid visual demonstrations of what you’re saying.

Do whatever you can to get your message across.

15. Always Offer Life Application

The purpose of real preaching is to trigger life change. And that’s only going to happen if you give people practical ways to apply the message in their everyday lives.

And these don’t have to be drastic changes. It could be as simple as challenging your congregation to practice gratitude for the next 7 days or try a new approach to a common problem.

Even a slight mindset or attitude shift can make a big difference.

Your listeners want preaching that causes them to grow so give a compelling call to action when you preach and watch as lives are transformed.

16. Craft A Bottom Line

This next preaching tip takes a bit of work but it’s worth doing in my view.

A sermon bottom line is a short and memorable statement that sums up your entire message.

Pastor Andy Stanley of Northpoint Community Church gives a bottom line or “key takeaway” every time he preaches without fail.

By taking the time to write a solid bottom line like “Fixing your mind on Christ fixes your mind.” or “You don’t go to church, you ARE the church.” , you ensure your message lingers in people’s minds long after the sermon is over.

17. Listen To Great Preaching

Listening to great sermons is one of the best ways to improve your preaching .

And don’t just listen:

Actually sit down with a notepad and jot down how they:

Introduce topics
Structure outlines
Tell stories
Give calls to action
Build tension and hold your attention

Why not set yourself a challenge of listening to a sermon a day for the next 30 days?

You’ll be glad you did!

18. Read Preaching Books

I wish I read more books earlier in my preaching journey…

Books like Become A Preaching Ninja and Communicating For A Change .

Preachers should always be students of their craft and one of the best ways to learn is from those who have gone before you.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The same difficulties and struggles you face with preaching today are the same issues faced by others.

I’ve gleaned so much over the years from “preaching mentors” I’ve never met in person but learned from through their books.

Here’s a full list of the best books about preaching .

19. Practice What You Preach

This preaching tip isn’t about making sure your words and actions match (though that’s super important!) but rather, it’s about actually practising your preaching before you step up to the stage.

Once you’ve got your sermon outline done, imagine you’re preaching for real and rehearse it out loud.

That way you can hear the parts that don’t quite flow, see the sections that need tweaking and get more comfortable with what you’re going to say.

20. Pray Yourself Full

Pray yourself full before heading up to the pulpit for 2 reasons:

Firstly, as a conduit for the Holy Spirit, you want to be open to what He has to say.

Secondly, you want to be fired up and burning on all spiritual cylinders because powerful preachers preach with passion.

Actually, you want your whole sermon prep process to be drenched in prayer so you get God’s heart for His people and it shines through when you’re sharing His Word.

21. Watch Yourself Back

Recording yourself preaching and watching it back is a solid way to review your delivery skills.

It might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but stick with it. Look at your body language, tone of voice, pacing and eye contact and make notes on what you got right and what you could improve next time around.

22. Invite Feedback

All preachers have blindspots. Even you… and yes, even me.

And unless we’re intentional about it, the only feedback we’ll get is the friendly “I really enjoyed your message today!” comments from people on their way out the door.

That’s not going to cut it if you’re serious about constantly getting better.

Find people you can ask to objectively evaluate your sermons for you. It could be someone in your leadership team or a church member you trust.

Download this free sermon evaluation form and ask them to fill it out.

It might be hard to hear constructive criticism at first but keep an open heart and you’ll ultimately, preach better sermons ; a win for you and your church.

23. Put In The Reps

If you want to build muscle, you need to hit the gym and put in the reps.

Preaching is no different. No matter how many preaching courses you take or how many preaching tips you read, nothing can beat practice and experience.

So commit to focusing on the one thing you can improve on your next sermon and these small changes will surely add up over time.

And I guarantee your 100th sermon will be significantly better than your first.

Preaching Tips: Bottom Line

Becoming the best preacher you can be won’t happen overnight, but I hope these preaching tips will help unlock your preaching potential and accelerate your growth.

I know we’ve covered a lot of ground here so if you want to start improving your preaching skills right now, choose just 1 or 2 of these tips to try right now.

Or you can go one step further with this free 21-Day Guide To Creating Killer Sermons that gives you a practical 3-week roadmap to writing better sermons in less time.

INTRODUCING: KILLER SERMONS ACADEMY

Immerse yourself in 28 core lessons packed with in-depth, step-by-step actionable training to craft and deliver messages that captivate and inspire life change.

Join a dynamic community of 3,000+ passionate like-minded preachers who are transforming their sermons from ordinary to extraordinary.

Whether you're a seasoned preacher or just starting out, Killer Sermons Academy gives you the roadmap you need to preach better sermons.

Practice What You Preach, Pardoner

"The Pardoner's Tale," written by Geoffrey Chaucer, exhibits several qualities of life, as we know it today. In this story, Chaucer writes about a man who preaches to his audience for money. This man begins speaking against all that partake in drinking, blasphemy, and gambling but he admits to committing these sins himself. The pardoner speaks of three men that lost their lives due to greed. This leaves the reader with the knowledge that money is the root of all evil.

The pardoner condemns people who drink and says, "Lust is in all wine and drunkenness" (p 1). Even today, similar quotes can be heard from people across the nation. Many people love to advise others how to live their lives, but they lack the concept themselves. The pardoner is in fact this same way. He thrives to tell others the way of the Lord and condemn them for their sins; however, he is guilty of the same. In fact, just after he explains that swearing is evil, he says "Now for the love of Christ" (p 4). This could be considered a form of swearing. I find it ironic that he concludes his "sermon" by swearing with Christ's name to begin his tale.

Another aspect to consider is the greed of the pardoner. The pardoner seeks a commission from his audience for his tales. He himself is also one that is overtaken by money. Does he sincerely care about the condition of one's soul or is he just out for a quick buck? On page 9, the pardoner comments that his "holy pardon cures and will suffice/ So that it bring me gold, or silver brings/ Or else, I care not- brooches, spoons, or rings." Personally, I believe that the pardoner is willing to tell just about anything to receive money for himself. This is one of his sins that is evident that allows me to propose the statement, "Practice what you preach, pardoner."

The story also portrays the effects that greed has on one's life. The tale of the three men overtaken with greed relates to this present decade of people. "Show me the money" has been the theme of this generation. Everyone is caught up in his or her own battle of gaining their share of the riches. This is very similar to the tale of the three men that struck gold under the oak tree. The men were concerned with how to travel with the money without looking like robbers as noted when they stated, "For men would say that we were robbers strong/ and we'd, for our own treasure, hang ere long" (p 7). They were not concerned about whose money they were stealing they cared only about their personal statue. They did not want to appear as robbers, so they planned to travel at night as seen in this quote on page 7, "This treasure must be carried home by night." The three travelers set out to slay death. An old man directed them to death's path. The path was under an oak tree that actually had a treasure of gold. In my opinion, the old man was very wise in pointing the fact out that death will be found at this tree. When the men reached the tree, they automatically begin to think only of themselves. They begin scheming against each other to gain more for them. Page 7 and 8 displays these quotes, "...poison he did pour" and "...romp with him as in a game/ and with your dagger see, you do the same." These describe their plots of murder, which is indeed Death of which the old man was speaking. This old man recognized that money is the death of some people. He discerned their intentions and was intelligent enough to avoid that path.

Today, this same issue is visible. It may not always be to the point of death but it most likely will produce a negative outcome for another. People in this generation seem to care about themselves rather the well-being of those around them. Many reality shows on television somewhat portray this attitude. People on a given show desire the money for themselves. They do not care what they have to do to get it. They will lie, cheat, and steal; probably even kill if they could. The fact that it is televised is probably the only fact that keeps them from it!

Death consumed the travelers because of their greed. In fact, they killed each other to gain more provisions for themselves. The youngest traveler made this statement, "Have all this treasure to myself alone" (p 8). He intentionally planned to kill his comrades for the love of money. Today, there are numerous reports of homicides due to money and greed. People are willing to do anything for personal capital gains. In our area of Sand Mountain, we do not see actual murder as much, but we do see other factors of emotional murder due to the love of money. People of this generation may not actually kill, but they do tear down other people. They lose friendships, love, and respect. Greed is the root of all evil that will truly have a negative effect on a person's life.

The pardoner is a man that represents many people in this present day. He proceeds to tell others of their wrong doings; however, he is just as guilty. We, the people of this time, tend to do the same thing on a daily basis. We find it easy to tell others how to live their lives while we carry on with our sinful routine. In addition, this age of people is guilty of being self-centered just as the travelers were in this tale. The idea of today's world demonstrates this same framework of thoughts. The people of this period are consumed with the love of money for themselves more than the welfare of those around them. It is interesting that a piece of literature written hundreds of years ago could portray life, as we know it today.

Dear Client,

Like the first essay that you submitted, this essay could benefit from the inclusion of more specific examples. You say that drinking is condemned in this story, and that it is also condemned in today's society - but where are the contemporary examples? Also, your thesis is about money being the root of all evil, and you do get to that point by the end, but the paragraph on drinking seems out of place in this context. What does drinking have to do with money?

Your essay also contains a number of grammatical errors, awkward phrasing choices, sentence fragments, tense inconsistencies, and typos, all of which I have corrected for in my revision.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.

GradeSaver Editor

Editor comments:

The first sentence is very vague; don't all stories say something about certain aspects of life? What do you mean by this? "all who partake," not "all that partake." Your thesis (money is the root of all evil) is clear, but could be stated in a more interesting way.

Can you be more specific about "similar quotes...from people across the nation"? You say that "people love to advise others how to live their lives," but you should include some specific examples of individuals today condemning drinking.

The transition into this paragraph is a little awkward. Again, you should include some contemporary examples of the condemnation of greed. You don't need the last sentence in this paragraph.

Consider combining and streamlining these two paragraphs.

The three travelers set out to slay death. An old man directed them to death's path. The path was under an oak tree that actually had a treasure of gold. In my opinion, the old man was very wise in pointing the fact out that death will be found at this tree. When the men reached the tree, they automatically begin to think only of themselves. They begin scheming against each other to gain more for them. Page 7 and 8 displays these quotes, "...poison he did pour" and "...romp with him as in a game/ and with your dagger see, you do the same." These describe their plots of murder, which is indeed Death of which the old man was speaking. This old man recognized that money is the death of some people. He discerned their intentions and was intelligent enough to avoid that path.

The first sentence is just plot summary; what is the focal point of this paragraph? You don't need an ellipsis at the beginning or the end of a quote - only in the middle, to indicate that some content has been skipped over.

The second sentence is convoluted and confusing. Can you give some more specific examples to support this contention? What show are you talking about? It seems to me that contestants on many reality shows say that they want the money for their families (they may be lying, but still...).

Keep your tense consistent throughout ("death consumes...they kill each other") - generally, you should relate the events of a story in the present tense.

Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale" was written in the 14th century, but many of its themes are still relevant to contemporary society. In this story from The Canterbury Tales , Chaucer writes about a man who preaches to his audience in exchange for money. The man speaks out against all who consume alcohol, gamble, or blaspheme, but admits to having committed these sins himself. Ultimately, the pardoner says that the three men of whom he speaks lost their lives to greed: money, it seems, is the root of all evil.

The pardoner condemns people who drink by saying, "Lust is in all wine and drunkenness" (1). Today, those who drink to excess are similarly condemned: add example. Many people enjoy telling others how they should live their lives, all the while ignoring their own advice. The pardoner epitomizes this hypocrisy: he speaks of the way of the Lord and condemns his audience for their sins, but is himself a sinner. In fact, just after he explains that swearing is evil, he says, "Now for the love of Christ" (4) - a blasphemous phrase during Chaucer's time. Ironically, he concludes his sermon by taking the Lord's name in vain.

The pardoner condemns the greedy, but is deeply covetous of material things. He extracts a commission from his audience prior to commencing his tale, and appears more interested in financial gain than in the condition of his soul. Indeed, the pardoner comments that his "holy pardon cures and will suffice / So that it bring me gold, or silver brings / Or else, I care not- brooches, spoons, or rings" (9). The pardoner seems willing to say nearly anything to bring in additional income.

In today's society, greed is seen as having similarly negative effects on an individual's life. "Show me the money," a phrase popularized in Cameron Crowe's film Jerry Maguire , has become the slogan of an entire generation. Everyone appears to be caught up in the struggle to become rich. Like the three men who strike gold under the oak tree in Chaucer's tale, people today are concerned not with moral imperatives, but with how to hold on to what they have. The men in "The Pardoner's Tale" wonder how they will be able to travel without looking like robbers: "For men would say that we were robbers strong/ and we'd, for our own treasure, hang ere long" (7). They decide to travel at night so as not to be seen by passers-by. They are not concerned about the person from whom they are stealing; they care only about their personal gain.

The three travelers in Chaucer's tale set out to slay death in the hopes of taking home the ultimate prize: immortality. An old man directs them to death's path, which leads them past an old oak tree under which is buried a treasure of gold. After the travelers steal the gold, the reader realizes that the old man was very wise in pointing out that death could be found at this tree. In the face of great riches, each man begins plotting how to kill his comrades so as to keep all of the treasure (7-8). Greed is what ultimately leads the travelers to their demise. The youngest traveler even states directly that he wishes to "have all this treasure to myself alone" (8). The old man, it seems, recognizes that death can be found in greed; he knew what lay under the tree all along, but was wise enough to avoid a temptation that would lead him only to death's door.

Today, greed often has dire consequences - those who attempt to keep riches all to themselves can face fines, prison sentences, and other decidedly negative consequences. Countless homicides are motivated by greed: people, it seems, are willing to do anything for money. In Sand Mountain, murders are not particularly common, but greed can still cause people to inflict emotional harm on others. Many of today's reality shows exemplify this attitude: contestants on these shows want to win money, and do not care what they have to do to get it. They lie, cheat, and steal, and generally engage in behaviors that would be seen as reprehensible were they not undertaken in the pursuit of financial gain.

Although the pardoner was created by Chaucer many centuries ago, he is a character who remains relevant even in today's society. When he chastises his audience for their wrongdoings, he is revealed as a hypocrite: he is just as much a sinner as those whom he addresses. This tendency can still be seen today: many people easily dictate how others should live their lives while ignoring their own advice. The theme of the danger of greed is particularly central to contemporary society. Today, as in earlier years, people are wholly focused on the desire for financial gain, and are often willing to commit hateful acts in the pursuit of money.

How I am Learning to Practice What I Preach

by David Gesualdi | August 2, 2016

As teachers, we want our kids to value and enjoy learning, and challenge themselves in how they think and approach problems. Wouldn’t this conversation be more effective if we were able to invite students to see how we practice what we preach?

Over the past few years, I’ve pushed myself to become a student, again, by participating and presenting in conferences, fellowships, and doctoral coursework beyond my school. Alongside expanding my tools as a physical education teacher in Washington, D.C., these development opportunities have pushed my thinking and strengthened my focus on finding the best methods to reach my kids.

Truth is, after you’ve been teaching for a while and have found success in the classroom, it’s really easy to feel like you already know what students need and how to guide them to continued achievement; it’s much harder to challenge yourself to learn more and continue improving . In my experience, my students and I both benefit from this shift in attitude.

When I started teaching, my goal was for kids to leave my class saying, “I enjoy exercising and I know how to keep myself healthy and in shape.” I quickly learned that my goal did not properly match their immediate needs. In D.C., one in five kids ages 13 to 18 are obese. This problem is rooted in nutrition and other issues that, frankly, as a health teacher, I have the power to influence. Aiming for kids to simply have fun in my class didn’t help.

So a year ago, I was granted a fellowship with City Bridge to approach this problem through a different lens. I attended a design workshop at the Stanford d.school, where I learned a simple, yet powerful principle: Before you design something, you must deeply understand the need. This meant talking to students and learning from them about the best way to sustain movement and make health awareness exciting.

I came back to school prepared to implode my traditional way of engaging students, and made sure my students were part of this process. I asked them, “I want to keep you engaged. What is the best way to do this?” And they told me: They wanted more technology. They wanted more independence. They wanted more group work. And they wanted the freedom to try new things in different ways.

Together, we redesigned the way our classroom functioned with the goal that students can move independently throughout the classroom, collaborate on engaging activities and assignments, and in turn, partake in a more exciting learning experience. The days of teaching with one assignment and one outcome were over. I began to care more about my students’ work and their thoughts.

In the past, my class was set up in a traditional sense: teacher at the front, students in desks and focused on the teacher. If you walk into my classroom now, you’ll see students independently bouncing around learning stations, designed not only to allow them to learn about current health trends, habits to achieve physical wellbeing, and issues affecting their community, but also teach them to think critically about all of these things.

For instance, at one station, known as the Pentagon , students are presented with pressing health problems affecting the community and tasked with developing innovative solutions. In D.C., three to four people overdose on synthetic marijuana every day. A line of inquiry in our classroom became, “What could we do as a community to help reverse that trend? How could we use the tax dollars we currently spend on hospitalizations to provide some sort of outreach program?”

I didn’t expect kids to have the answers, but the point was getting students to think critically about a problem and design a solution. Students were grappling with these issues, arguing about solutions and spending time thinking about how a “user” would respond to the proposed solution. Cultivating this environment pushed their thinking, allowed them to enjoy the experience of designing, and engaged them in the hazardous health effects of a substance plaguing their community.

As teachers, we are experts in our field. And experts in any field—like science or medicine—constantly seek knowledge and use the latest research to inform, revise, and improve their work. It’s critical for the 21 st century teacher to do this, as well. Teachers today, more than ever before, are expected to prepare for everything and anything, differentiate coursework regardless of background or circumstance, and design ways to engage students who are juggling pressing issues at home.

Successful teachers cannot do all of these things without constantly fine-tuning their approach for individual students and building supportive, exciting classrooms in which students will thrive. To do so, we need challenging developmental experiences. And if our schools don’t offer that, we have to take it into our own hands by seeking outside opportunities to figure out what best practices really look like for our students. Doing so not only makes us more effective, but also proves to students we are willing to practice what we preach in the classroom—that we should be curious seekers of knowledge. And that lesson is invaluable.

David Gesualdi

Stay in the Know

" * " indicates required fields

Imali Ariyarathne, seventh-grade teacher at Langston Hughes Academy, stands in front of her students while introducing them to the captivating world of science

Imali Ariyarathne, seventh-grade teacher at Langston Hughes Academy, introduces her students to the captivating world of science.

TNTP is the nation’s leading research, policy, and consulting organization dedicated to transforming America’s public education system, so that every generation thrives.

Today, we work side-by-side with educators, system leaders, and communities across 39 states and over 6,000 districts nationwide to reach ambitious goals for student success.

Yet the possibilities we imagine push far beyond the walls of school and the education field alone. We are catalyzing a movement across sectors to create multiple pathways for young people to achieve academic, economic, and social mobility.

Practice what you preach

Last week I presented in Principia College’s Dilemmas and Decisions program. It involved a speech. The thing is, while I give others feedback on speeches, this format for expressing ideas is not my forte. I’m a writer. I’m not a natural presenter. Sure, I’m a professor, but somehow that’s different to me. Since I really wanted to participate and share on my assigned topic, reason, when asked a few semesters ago, I agreed to present.

Two things were key to my success and confidence this time around, and I want to share both here as pointers in case they help you.

#1 Make it your own

For three semesters I worked with a script that had been written by someone else. Sure, I added some ideas, including a story last fall, but the script and ideas were never really mine. This got in the way of my confidence and, I think, the success of the presentation. I was never comfortable. This semester I realized I could change that.

In talking through with my husband what the students, mostly college juniors, would care to know about reason and reasoning, I came up with five stories of decisions I’d made between the ages of 17 and 25 and how I had reasoned through them. I started to get excited about giving the talk (and remember, I really don’t like giving presentations to big groups). Why was I excited? I had made it my own, just as I advise my students to do. (You see, they almost always claim that they can’t write about things they’re not passionate about. For me, the passion came in my eagerness to share these stories.)

#2 Do a reverse outline “Put it in reverse” and “Reverse outlines to get you to the finish line”

So I wrote my stories. I crafted an introduction that directly addressed reason as a concept. My conclusion even expressed directly how my last story related to the framework in which reason had been presented to the students: You know, “Here’s how my last story proves my point….” That kind of thing.

But I still wasn’t sure the stories were holding together. I wanted each story to demonstrate a specific point. A-ha! I needed to do a reverse outline, to make sure the speech was doing what I wanted it to. So I took a piece of paper and began. I wrote down the key ideas in the introduction. Then I numbered each story: #1 college choice, #2 grad school choice, #3 should I get engaged?, #4 should I get married?, and #5 should I move to another state? Then I mapped each one to plot which personal values each story represented.

It was only AFTER I’d done this mapping that I saw that mostly I was doing what I had intended. Everything pointed at least somewhat to the fact that reasoning based on our personal values (as opposed to outside influences) leads to “freedom,” and that was my point. But the reverse outline showed me a few gaps, a few connections on the map that weren’t quite being made. And it annoyed me that I hadn’t thought to do a reverse outline earlier. Darn it. I teach this stuff! So, I’m here to remind you to practice what you preach.

The next time I’ll do the reverse outline when I have more than an hour to spare before the talk. A bonus for this time though: the reverse outline helped free me from my script (I didn’t have to read the whole thing), and it helped me know that the points were there. Next time, they’ll be crafted to be crystal clear for my audience. I think they’ll like that.

Ellen Sprague is a writing specialist and assistant professor in the Center for Teaching and Learning. Two (of many) favorite teaching gigs are ENGL 239: Intro to Creative Nonfiction and WLIT 131: Stories around the Globe, which will be taught on the 2019 Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia Abroad.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

How Practicing What You Preach Will Lead To Your Success

I love my job. I really did luck out when I ran into Eddie Cuffin that one night nearly a year ago. All it took was a few rounds and some conversation — next thing I know I’m at the Elite Daily headquarters getting paid to put my thoughts on paper. Well, digital paper I guess. Now I get to sit down and share my thoughts, ideas and rants with all of you… and I have to admit that it’s a lot of fun.

I’m always curious to know what exactly it is that you all think of me — how you envision my personal life to be. Most of what I write focuses on either deeply rooted beliefs of my own or on thoughts that have recently made their way to the forefront of my conscious mind. A lot of what I write may come off preachy at times — whether or not you find that appealing depends on your personal preferences.

I write because I enjoy writing, because I enjoy sharing my ideas and because a good number of you seem to enjoy reading what I write. There is also one more reason why I write what I write: I write to remind myself of what I believe to be important and what I believe I myself need to continue to work on. I don’t just write for you — I also write for myself.

No matter what anyone tells you or what criticism anyone gives you, the truth is that practicing what you preach all the time is difficult. This is a truth that is not novel. It is a truth that has been clear for thousands of years. Some of the greatest philosophers that the world has ever seen — people that have devoted their lives to living in sync with the philosophy, the truths, that they themselves believed to be necessarily true — have from time to time wavered from their paths, even if only ever so slightly.

It often has a lot to do with our focus; most of us have difficulty keeping our mind’s eye gazing in the direction that we believe it should gaze. Other times it’s not that our focus is unclear, but our wants in relation to our focus are muggy. Each and every person has something that he or she wants — more often than not it’s several somethings. When these wants come into contradiction with other wants, one always wins out over the others and in retrospect it isn’t always the one that we wish.

Practicing what you preach is a necessity. If your actions do not match up with the beliefs that come out of your mouth then you are either lying to the world or lying to yourself — either way, it’s wrong. If your actions do not match up with your own beliefs then you are literally a walking contradiction. Contradictions do not make progress — they instead remain caught up in the uncertainty that is their purpose for existence.

Assuming that what each of us wants most is progress — something that I believe to be an innate factor within us all — then we cannot allow ourselves to follow counterproductive paths, paths leading to different destinations. If life is but a long chain of actions and reactions, each leading to a more probable future, then our opposing actions will cause us to repeatedly change our course. Imagine it like this: every time that you make a decision to either practice what you preach or to ignore that which you believe to be right, then you are actively deciding whether you wish to keep the ship steered on course or instead to change course.

If you change your actions — change your course — then you are actively changing your destination. For those of us that are most diligent and most hungry for success, we are bound to steer back on course sooner or later. However, veer off too often or for too long and you will find yourself walking in circles never making the progress that is needed in order for you to reach your final dreamed of destination.

This is not to say that doing so is easy. Our long-term wants often go head-to-head with our immediate wants; we want to own our own tech firm, but at the moment we really want to grab a beer with our friends. We want that rock-hard body, but at the moment we really just want to grab a slice of pizza…we understand that it is sometimes okay to give into these urges, but many of us are not able to treat ourselves once and then hop right back on the wagon — instead we linger. We become distracted from our long-term goals and divert our attention to more present and immediate gratification.

That which we do, think and believe is what outlines the boundaries of our personal realities. There is no one true reality — only endless versions of it. Each person not only sees the world differently, but also creates boundaries and rules that govern it. We create or accept beliefs, making them truths. These beliefs become the rules that we ourselves play by.

The problem appears when we are unable to strictly outline the boundaries of our world — when we are unclear what is acceptable, what is not acceptable and what is or isn’t possible. These boundaries become self-fulfilling prophecies; we believe that we can or can’t and in doing so guarantee that we will or won’t. If we are unclear what rules we ought to play by, then we end up playing by different rules and holding different beliefs from day-to-day or moment-to-moment. Our focus changes on a whim. Our wants become an endless list of forever-changing, feasibly accomplishable things. Then, to add the cherry atop the havoc, anxiety sets in.

Without setting clear boundaries for our personal realities we have no one set of rules that we can trust to be correct. As the boundaries are mutable, the rules are bendable. This is a beautiful truth in disguise if we are able to utilize it properly. There not being a set of finite boundaries means that we may change and write them as we wish; group that together with a strong purpose of reality and any reality that you wish will become yours.

However, be uncertain as to your purpose and you will find yourself in a maze with no exit. Being unable to clearly define boundaries and/or shifting between versions of them creates uncertainty, which causes anxiety to manifest. Anxiety leads to stress and stress leads to failure — all this, a result of preaching and not following through.

I am in a unique position because my preaching is less private than most. This is not to say that it isn’t personal because it is — very much so. But we all do a bit of preaching to ourselves. We make ourselves promises and we motivate ourselves from time to time by grasping onto a new belief or a new method of achieving our goals — like a new miracle diet for example.

We follow through on our breakthroughs for short periods of time until we lose focus because of one factor or another. It could be because our wants and goals are unclear; it could be because the rules and boundaries that we set for ourselves are either misleading or impractical. Or, it could be because life simply happens and it happens not in our favor.

Stress and anxiety set in and we inevitably lose our way and lose ourselves. You see, when you set boundaries for your world, you are simultaneously setting boundaries for yourself because you have no choice but to play by the rules you set. If you don’t have rules, or don’t have clear rules, then you don’t have the knowledge needed to play, to participate.

At first you venture off in all directions hoping to find a clear path, but not being able to find one, you simply give up. You throw in the towel and decide that there is nothing for you to practice because there is no truth out there worth preaching — to yourself or to others. You give up on looking for rules or boundaries that the world works within and you give up on your life. If you are going to set rules, then keep them, unless you are certain that it’s necessary to alter them. If you’re going to do any preaching, then make sure to follow through and practice.

How to practice what you preach

By gargi deshpande the perfect oxymoron, gargi loves to travel and meet new people. spending most of her time with thriller and suspense novels, she has developed keen admiration for psychology—to understand the minds of other people. her passion for reading comes from her desire to learn more and connect with her inner-self. gargi also believes that stories can connect people more intimately and make them more compassionate. this belief is her motivation to pursue writing..

30 October 2020

Practicing what you preach may sound simple but it is one of the most difficult things to do. Ask yourself how often have you advised a friend to “Stop overthinking”; “Do something you love”; or “Be punctual”. And how many times have you let your thoughts run amok, found yourself stuck in a rut, or being late for work?

We all are guilty of not practising what we preach. But why is it that despite knowing what is right for us, we still find it difficult to adhere to what we ask others to follow? Sometimes, preaching is easier than practising. Because when it comes to bringing a change, we refuse to step out of our comfort zone. In life, such attitude and approach don’t work, especially if you are a parent, a manager, a teacher or into any profession where you have to lead by example.

Truth be told, you grow when you set positive examples for others and bring promising changes to your life. And you can do this effectively when you practice what you preach. Here’s how you can do this:

Don’t be afraid to try something new

When you are comfortably accustomed to your daily routine and are working round the clock, you shy away from opening up yourself to change. When you ask someone to try something new , ask yourself if you would be comfortable in stepping out of your comfort zone and adopting the change yourself. When you consciously change your course with your actions, you are eventually changing your destiny too. It is only after you have followed through with your own advice will you be in a position to preach the same to others.

Take one step at a time

If you are advising someone to be on time, make sure you are sticking to your timelines too. If you yourself practice punctuality like a ritual, it reflects on your integrity and dependability. In this way, you not only become reliable for others, but you also inculcate a sense of confidence in yourself. Remember, a punctual person is likely to be taken more seriously than someone who turns up late and doesn’t value time.

Regularity brings routine

We all know the importance of maintaining a routine in our day-to-day lives, it brings assurance and diligence in the way we carry out our tasks. But did you know that following a routine could also bring meaning to our lives? According to research , having a routine for even the most mundane things in life can promote a better sense of meaningfulness and better mental health. To start out, first set your goals and work towards them every day till it becomes a part of your routine. In this way, you not only gain more control over your time but also focus and bring about a sense of self-discipline.

Lead by example

You often see parents complaining about their kids being poor listeners or impolite. What they fail to realise is it is they who are acting as an influence on their child. One study reveals that when children are too young to comprehend the complexities of self-discipline, their natural instinct is to imitate the behaviour of their parents. If the parents shout at each other or lose their temper, their child would perceive that as normal or admissible behaviour. The only way to change this attitude would be to lead by example. When your actions are unclear or contradictory, every piece of advice you give will fail to have an impact on the child.

Don’t make excuses or lie to yourself

It is easy to offer a handful of advice to others while at the same time looking for excuses to not follow them yourself. You are not an exception to the rule. Be mindful of the promises you make, and follow through. Set a precedent and others will follow. Practicing what you preach will not only make people trust you but will also turn you into a role model for them. By walking the talk, you will become a leader who others would want to follow.

Why is it challenging to practice what we preach?

Practicing what we preach can be challenging because it often requires stepping out of our comfort zones and making changes in our own lives..

How can I effectively practice what I preach?

To effectively practice what you preach, start by being open to trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone. Make sure you are following the advice you give to others, whether it’s about punctuality, integrity, or any other aspect of life.

How can practicing what I preach lead to personal growth?

Practicing what you preach can lead to personal growth because it requires self-reflection and a commitment to change.

5 ways to 5 ways to practice what you preach attitude comfort zone complexities comprehend dependability Happiness How to practice How to practice what you preach Lead by example life meaningfulness mindful negativity overthinking positivity practice what practice what you practice what you preach Practising preach rut ways to ways to practice you preach

Comments Cancel Reply

Discover true happiness, find power and joy in these inspiring quotes

Environmentalists Preserving Mother Earth | Importance of Mother Earth

International Mother Earth Day: Recognising 10 superb environmentalists of the world

7 Effective Strategies to Overcome Creative Blocks

Experiencing a creative block? Try these 7 effective ways to beat it

Art Therapies for Children | World Art Day Special

World Art Day: 8 art therapies that make children mentally and emotionally healthy

Power of human-animal bonds: 11 must watch movies sure to make you cry

Bro-sis for life! Hollywood movies that celebrate sibling bonds

Conversations
Travel diaries
Guest contributors
Relationships
Life lessons

Privacy Overview
Strictly Necessary Cookies
3rd Party Cookies
Additional Cookies
Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

_ga Google Analytic This cookie is the centerpiece among all cookies because it is the one used for visitor tracking

_fbp Facebook pixel the pixel automatically saves a unique identifier to an _fbp cookie for the website domain if one does not already exist.

_gid Google Analytics Google Analytics cookies to track users as they

navigate the website and help improve the

website's usability.

fr Facebook pixel It contains Encrypted Facebook ID and Browser ID and the purpose is for Advertisement

fbm_220848925179805 Facebook pixel cookie used by Facebook applications (needed for logging in by FB)

NID Google ads The NID cookie contains a unique ID Google uses to remember your preferences and other information, such as your preferred language

xs Facebook pixel

This cookie contains multiple pieces of information, separated by colon

DSID Google ads This cookie is set to note your specific user identity. It contains a hashed/encrypted unique ID.

__gads Google ads Used by Google DoubleClick for Publishers to advertise on the site

c_user Facebook Cookies Analysis It provides information to Facebook to associate functionality of Social Plugin. Send information to Facebook regardless if you are a member or you have logged on the social network. For more information read the paragraph "Facebook (Social Plugin)" about Cookies Third Part

datr Facebook Cookies Analysis It provides information to Facebook to associate functionality of Social Plugin. Send information to Facebook regardless if you are a member or you have logged on the social network. For more information read the paragraph "Facebook (Social Plugin)" about Cookies Third Party.

sb Facebook Cookies Analysis These cookies are used by Facebook to support social sharing and the integration of Facebook services.

IDE doubleclick This domain is owned by Doubleclick (Google). The main business activity is: Doubleclick is Googles real time bidding advertising exchange

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

The Website uses temporary cookies, which are files that Your web browser puts on Your system when You visit a website, to store certain information that is not sensitive personal information. The information collected through these cookies is used by Us for the technical administration of the Website, research and development, and to improve the quality of Our Services (which is explained in greater detail below).

We may use third party cookies to track visitor behaviour and to improve the quality of Our Services. However, such cookies will not store any kind of personal information, nor will such information be disclosed to any third party.

We use cookies to:

(i) recognize You when You visit our Website/platform;
(ii) make Your interactions with Our Services/Website/platform faster and more secure;
(iii) enable the functionality of Our Services and providing you with features, insights and customized content in conjunction with Our plugins. We also use these technologies to remember information about Your browser and Your preferences;
(iv) customize Your experience on Our Services;
(v)show relevant advertising to You more effectively; and
(vi) help Us learn more about how well Our Services/Website and plugins perform in different locations.

These cookies are intended to be automatically cleared or deleted when the User quits the browser application. You are encouraged to use the "clear cookies" functionality of Your browser to ensure such clearing/deletion, since it is impossible for Us to guarantee, predict or provide for the behaviour of Your system.

The information We collect with cookies is not sold, rented, or shared with any third parties

Your wellbeing is a few clicks away.

Subscribe to your weekly dose of positivity, wellness, and motivation and get a free printable Soulveda Gratitude journal

Featured Essay The Love of God An essay by Sam Storms Read Now
Faithfulness of God
Saving Grace
Adoption by God

U.S. Edition

Arts & Culture
Bible & Theology
Christian Living
Current Events
Faith & Work
As In Heaven
Gospelbound
Post-Christianity?
TGC Podcast
You're Not Crazy
Churches Planting Churches
Help Me Teach The Bible
Word Of The Week
Upcoming Events
Past Conference Media
Foundation Documents
Church Directory
Global Resourcing
Donate to TGC

To All The World

The world is a confusing place right now. We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. Do you believe that too? Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work.

Other Essays

Christian preaching does not merely reference Christ; it offers him. It presses all that Christ is, all that he has done, and all that he will do into the minds, hearts, wills, and consciences of our hearers.

This essay answers three important questions about preaching: Is “proclaiming Christ” a biblical definition of preaching? How do I proclaim Christ faithfully? And, how can I sustain a ministry of proclaiming Christ?

J. I. Packer says that “the proper aim of preaching is to mediate meetings with God.” 1 These meetings are the work of the Holy Spirit, and he uses the proclamation of Christ to bring them about. God meets with people as Christ is faithfully proclaimed through his Word.

Proclaiming Christ is the distinguishing mark of true Christian preaching. It sets our preaching apart from what might be heard in a Synagogue, or a Mosque, and it distinguishes preaching from lectures that might be heard in a seminary. Such settings may accurately explain portions of Scripture, giving hearers knowledge of its contents, but preaching is an event in which God meets with people – revealing his glory, calling us to himself, and forming faith in His Son.

Proclaiming Christ is more than finding a way to mention Jesus in a sermon. Christian preaching does not merely reference Christ; it offers him. It presses all that Christ is, all that he has done, and all that he will do into the minds, hearts, wills, and consciences of our hearers.

True preaching begins with the plain meaning, historical context, original audience, and literary genre of a passage of Scripture. But it does not end there. It reaches into the treasure chest of Scripture and holds up Christ. He is the One who feeds and transforms the soul, and that is why, at the heart of our ministry, “we proclaim him” (Col. 1:28).

Three questions must now be answered: Is “proclaiming Christ” a biblical definition of preaching? How do I proclaim Christ faithfully? And, how can I sustain a ministry of proclaiming Christ?

Is “Proclaiming Christ” a B iblical D efinition of P reaching?

All of Scripture Proclaims Christ

Jesus repeatedly claimed that he is the central focus of all Scripture. Luke records that when our Lord began his public ministry, he announced that the words of Isaiah the prophet spoke about him (Luke 4:21). When speaking with the religious leaders of his day, Jesus said: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39), and “if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me” (v46). Speaking of Abraham, Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56) And, on the road to Emmaus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

The teaching of Jesus is reflected by the Apostles who saw the Old Testament as a book primarily about Christ. John tells us that Isaiah spoke of Jesus (John 12:41). Paul tells us that Israelites in the desert were sustained by Jesus, and that they sinned against Jesus (1Cor. 10:1-10). Peter tells us that the prophets wrote about Jesus (1Pet. 1:10-12). The author of Hebrews tells is that Moses considered the “reproach of Christ” more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, and Jude tells us that Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt and afterwards destroyed those who did not believe (Jude 5).

In proclaiming Christ we recognize that the whole Bible is ultimately about Jesus, showing who he is, why we need him and how he fulfills God’s plan to redeem the world. Faithful preaching recognizes that lifting up Christ is God’s purpose from every part of Scripture and while it begins with the human author’s meaning and intent, it cannot disregard the divine author’s meaning and intent, which goes beyond what the human authors understood when they wrote (1Pet. 1:10-12). Preaching that is faithful to the Bible will always point to Christ.

The Apostles Proclaimed Christ

When the apostles preached, they proclaimed Jesus Christ, – his identity as Lord, his judgment of sin, his salvation for sinners, his call to faith and repentance; in short, they preached the Gospel. For them, the good news of Jesus was what mattered. This alone had the power to save souls, nourish people in faith, and build up the church.

Proclaiming Christ was modelled by Peter and John when they gave themselves to “preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages” (Acts 8:25). Paul followed the same pattern throughout his missionary journeys, beginning in Damascus where he “began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God 2 (Acts 9:20).

This apostolic practice of proclaiming Christ is clear and explicit throughout the New Testament: “ we preach Christ crucified” (1Cor. 1:23); “t he Son of God, Jesus Christ … was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy” (2Cor. 1:19); [God was pleased] to reveal his Son in me so I might preach him among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:16); “grace was given me: to preach … the unsearchable riches of Christ ” (Eph. 3:8); “ Christ is preached ” (Phil. 1:18); “ we proclaim him ” (Col. 1:28); “pray … that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ ” (Col. 4:3). When the apostles preached, they proclaimed Christ. 3

How D o I P roclaim Christ F aithfully?

So, if preaching means proclaiming Christ, how can we do this faithfully? The diagram below offers a practical guide to faithful Christian preaching. We might call this tool “The Preaching Sandbox.”

We are to preach Christ in a way that is biblical and theological. This summarizes the what of Christian preaching. Biblical means that we are to preach the text of the Bible. Theological means that we are to explain any part of the Bible in the light of the whole, drawing attention to the main themes of Scripture.

The right and left sides of the sandbox summarize the how of Christian preaching. The Word is to be preached with clarity so that people can understand. And it is to be preached to people directly so that they may be compelled to respond to the Word of God with faith and obedience. Faithful Christian preaching fits within this sandbox, with each side guiding the proclamation of Christ so that people might meet with God.

Practically speaking, a few key questions with regards to each element might guide a preacher as he seeks to prepare a faithful sermon.

Biblical : What does the text say? Where does the theme come from or go to in the Bible’s storyline?
Theological : Where does the text fit? Within which category of systematic theology does the main thrust of this passage belong?
Clear : How can I say this well? How can I structure, illustrate, and communicate this truth best to these people?
Compelling : How has this passage spoken to me , and how does it speak to them ?

The final point deserves emphasis. A preacher who submits himself to a passage of Scripture will find that certain elements of the text press themselves into his own heart, mind, and conscience. Some of these may be primarily for the preacher himself but, by God’s design, what a preacher finds most compelling in any text of Scripture will be used by God to compel others when he preaches.

The preacher gathers up what God has deposited in his own soul as he has submitted his own life to the Word of God and so he speaks from the heart to the people before him. And that which is from the heart speaks to the heart .

True preaching will make eternal things real and fresh to people so that they glow with an urgent, present tense reality. And it will be marked by with expectancy because God’s Word is living, active, effective and life changing.

Such preaching is God’s ordained means to open eyes, unstop ears, renew minds, enliven hearts, and redirect wills. It is a mediated encounter with God himself.

How Can I Sustain a Ministry of Proclaiming Christ?

Every preacher committed to the task of proclaiming Christ can testify to the demands that this work brings. Week by week, the preacher places himself in a crucible where God’s Word works on his own heart, exposing the secret thoughts and intentions of his heart. His own need is ever before his eyes, and as he thinks about the task to which he is called, he often feels a sense of his own inadequacy. Who is sufficient for these things?

Despite the many challenges and discouragements that beset a preacher, three convictions will sustain him in his blessed and privileged calling to proclaim Christ.

Scripture is the Word of God

No preacher will give himself to a lifetime of proclaiming Christ without a deep conviction that the Bible is God’s living and active word. It comes from God. It was breathed out by him. Scripture is not our word about God; it is God’s word to us.

This conviction must be settled in the heart of a preacher. It must become an anchor for his soul, a cornerstone for his work, and a foundation for his life. The source of the Bible in God himself means the preacher does not stand over it, to define its meaning; nor does he stand beside it, to develop or complement its message. The preacher stands below the Bible, submitted to its authority and bound to its message. And because the preacher is unswerving in his confidence regarding the Bible’s source , he is expectant regarding its promised effect (Isa. 55:10-11).

The preacher believes God when God says the Bible is living seed (1Pet. 1:23): The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to regenerate dead hearts. 4 He believes God when he says that the Bible is bread, milk, and meat for the believer (Matt. 4:4; 1Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12): It is what God’s people need for growth, for strength, for spiritual health. He believes God when he says the Bible is light, like a lamp in a dark place (Psa. 119:105; 2Pet. 1:19): it is what people need to see truth, to cultivate wisdom, to obey God.

A deep conviction that the Bible is what it says it is , and that it will do what it says it will do , will sustain the preacher in a lifetime of proclaiming Christ (Psa. 19:7-8).

God Speaks When the Word is Preached

Preachers will give themselves to a lifetime of proclaiming Christ if they are convinced of the unique place of preaching in the purpose of God.

Our Lord made preaching the primary thrust of his ministry (Luke 4:18-19; Mark 1:38). And the apostles gave priority to the work of preaching and to prayer (Acts 6:2-4). Preaching is the central and indispensable means by which God advances the Gospel and builds his church.

God uses many means to convey his truth: one-on-one discipleship, group Bible study, personal example, classroom teaching, books, topical discussions, practical experiences, and the like all have their place. Yet, among all these, preaching stands as God’s designated means for his voice to be heard in the world (Rom. 10:14-17, 1Cor. 1:18-25).

Preaching is a personal passionate plea in which God speaks as Christ is proclaimed from the Scriptures. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us, We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2Cor. 5:20, emphasis added).

Faithful preaching is undergirded by a stunning promise of God’s presence and activity. When the New Testament uses the phrase “the word of God,” it usually refers to the Scriptures (Heb. 4:12) or to the Lord Jesus himself (John 1:1-2, 14). But the New Testament also uses ‘word of God’ to refer to the word preached. “The word of God continued to increase” (Acts 6:7). “The word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). “The word of God was spreading throughout the whole region” (Acts 13:49). “The word of God continued to increase and prevail mightily” (Acts 19:20).

When preachers stand under the Word of God (the Bible) and proclaim the Word of God (Jesus Christ), God speaks through their preaching. When Scripture is faithfully proclaimed, God’s voice is truly heard (Luke 10:16; 2Cor. 5:19-20; 1Thes. 2:13; Heb. 13:7; 1Pet. 4:10-11). A deep conviction regarding this wonderful truth will motivate preachers to persevere in their calling.

The Holy Spirit Works in and through the Preaching of the Word

All that we have said about preaching – God’s initiative to meet with sinners, Christ being lifted up, people seeing the truth clearly and experiencing its life changing power – is accomplished through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Preachers depend on the Holy Spirit at every stage in the preparation and delivery of sermons; for understanding of the passage, for discernment in application, for clarity in writing, for freedom in speaking, and for receptiveness in the hearts and minds of those who hear.

Preaching is spiritual work and it depends for its effectiveness on the work of the Holy Spirit. 5 He causes the Word to come with power and conviction (1Thes. 1:5), and when Christ is proclaimed from the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit mediates encounters with God.

Our confidence in preaching is that the Holy Spirit works in and through the proclamation of God’s Word to redeem sinners, to sanctify Christ’s people, and to build his church. So if God has called you to preach, give yourself to the ministry with confidence and joy, knowing that God has said,

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10,11).

How to Preach (Part 1): Sermon Writing

Learning how to preach can be scary. Very few people are excited by the idea of standing before a crowd of people, with all eyes on them, to deliver a thirty-minute or longer sermon.

Public speaking was always on the top of my list of greatest fears—just below death, spiders, and talking to girls. It’s just not something that comes naturally to most of us.

Where do you even start when you’re learning how to preach?

After more than a decade of preaching experience, studying preaching, teaching pastors about preaching, and writing a few books on the subject, I’m convinced that all great preaching has three phases.

Phase 1: Preparation – writing the sermon

Phase 2: Presentation – preaching the sermon

Phase 3: Evaluation – improving for your next sermon

I’ll be breaking this down into a three-part series, starting with the first phase of preaching.

Phase 1: Preparation (Writing the Sermon)

The first phase to preach a sermon is to prepare the message. You can’t preach if you haven’t prepared.

Sure, you might be able to wing a sermon or two, but that’s not sustainable and it will never be your best work.

There are seven steps for good sermon prep. I call this my 7-Step Sermon Prep. And you can download my 7-Step Sermon Prep checklist for free if you would like.

Prayer is the way we tap into God—the source of power for our sermons.

Do you want to preach a message backed by the power of God? Do you want the Holy Spirit to show up and change lives? You better pray.

You may be thinking, “Duh.” But did you actually pray yet? Don’t skip this!

Get on your knees before God and beg him for inspiration.

Pray before you ever sit down and stare at the blank page and blinking cursor on your computer screen. Pray before you ever crack your Bible. And don’t stop there.

However, you do it, beg God to show up. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you. Ask for direction and guidance for your message. Ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to say. Plead for hearts to be softened. Beg for lives to be changed.

You want no part in preaching apart from God. He alone has the power to use an imperfect messenger to deliver his perfect message.

Good preaching begins with God’s Word as the foundation and pulls all of the ideas for the sermon out of Scripture.

Think of it as if you are excavating a section of the Bible. You start with the passage of Scripture and dig, and dig, and dig until you find all the treasures it contains. All of your illustrations, topics, titles, and creative ideas should flow out of what the Bible already says.

Pick the text you will preach. Read it over and over. Make sure you also read at least the chapter before and the chapter after the text so you understand it in it’s proper context.

Write down all your observations and questions. Then, after you’ve done your own study, break out the commentaries and other study tools. I personally use and highly recommend Logos Bible Software (use my link to get a discount and help support my work).

Your goal before you ever write a word of your sermon is to become an expert on the text you preach. This will make writing the sermon easier, and guard you against preaching anything that the Bible does not say.

The Bible must be the foundation of our message. It should underly everything we say and do. It isn’t just something we throw in to make our self-help talk a sermon.

The Bible is the very Word of God that molds and shapes human hearts in supernatural ways that no other book in human history ever has or ever will.

Find the one idea that God wants your congregation to hear from his Word. Then hit it with all you got.

What’s the one thing, based on the passage of Scripture, that your listeners need to remember when you are done preaching?

To get to the big idea, summarize the passage. Then, refine it as best as you can into a single, clear, memorable sentence.

Focusing on the big idea of the text will keep your sermon from rambling about a dozen different topics.

Great preaching stays laser-focused on a single big idea from the Bible.

4. Illustrate

Now comes the creativity for your sermon. Gather stories, videos, music, pictures, props, quotes, or any other creative ideas that might fit your message.

Collect more than you need. The best illustrations will rise to the top.

A good illustration compliments the sermon. It is a work of art that provides clarity, inspires action, or brings the message to life. Illustrations are meant to illuminate your message.

A bad illustration clashes with the sermon. It is an eyesore that confuses, distracts, or lessens the impact of the message. Sometimes an illustration is bad simply because you’ve used too many. Use them wisely.

The key is knowing your audience. When you know your audience, you’ll know which illustrations will connect.

Take your Scripture, study notes, big idea, and illustrations and piece it together into a full outline or manuscript.

Think of it like a puzzle. Each element is a piece that you move around until you find the right fit.

A clear outline is essential to a clear message.

However you structure your sermon, like all stories, every sermon has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The beginning needs to grab your attention. The middle needs to hold your interest. The end needs to resolve the story (or the message) in a memorable way.

Generally, you want to introduce the problem in the introduction, reveal the solution of the Bible in the middle, and then drive home the big idea at the end.

Although you may feel like you are finished, editing is crucial. I guarantee that there are problems you overlooked.

There will be sections you wrote that looked good at the time, but upon further inspection, don’t fit. There will be illustrations you used that are too long, or unnecessary. There will also be plenty of typos, punctuation, and spelling mistakes that, if you’re a perfectionist like me, will drive you crazy.

Walk away for a bit to get a fresh perspective. Then, take a red pen to your message and mark it up. Cut anything that doesn’t fit. Kill whatever strays from the big idea.

This is a good time to share your message with a trusted g or two to get their input and feedback as well. You’ll be amazed at some of the insights another set of eyes can bring.

Move things around. Fix mistakes. Refine your sermon until it’s just right.

Editing will make your sermon clearer, sharper, shorter, and all around better.

7. Practice

Many pastors are tempted to skip practice because it takes a time and can be repetitive. Don’t get lazy!

Practicing your sermon is one of the biggest difference makers between being an average preacher and a great one.

Internalize and rehearse your message. Read it aloud. Practice with notes. Practice without notes. Make changes as needed. Don’t stop until you are comfortable with the material.

The better you know your message, the more confident you will be delivering it

Remember: Every time you practice, you are becoming a better preacher for every future sermon—not just this one.

Practice won’t make perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect sermon. But practice will definitely make you better.

If you want to learn more about these seven steps, I go much deeper in my book Preaching Nuts & Bolts , and more so in my course Best Preaching Year .

That’s it for Phase 1. Stay tuned for the next part of this three-part series, Phase 2: Delivery .

And if you haven’t already, subscribe to our free email list so you don’t miss an update.

Get My Logos 8 Sermon Workflow

After I posted my review of Logos 8, saying how excited I was about the new workflow feature, I got a handful of questions asking if I could share my sermon workflow. So here’s a quick video going over my workflow—what it is, and how it works. The workflow will save you time while guiding…

6 Short Christmas Sermon Videos

Do you need a little inspiration before your big Christmas sermon? If so, or if you just like watching good preaching, I combed through YouTube and found 6 solid (and short!) Christmas sermon videos to share with you. Check them out.

How to Write A Sermon – 7 Steps to A Memorable Message (Step 3)

Crafting a sermon is a lot like building a house. There are 7 different stages that the construction of a message must go through before it is completed. In previous posts we have discussed the first two steps: Step 1: Pray – Connect to the power source. Step 2: Study Scripture – Lay the foundation. Now on…

How to Preach Like No One Else

Do you want to preach like no one else? Then stop trying so hard to preach like somebody else? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love listening to great preaching! I am currently subscribed to 18 church podcasts (I recommend Downcast). I never miss a good message from preaching giants like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Mark…

VIDEO: Pastor Goes Off On His Congregation

The following video of one pastor’s rant while on stage has been making its way around the internet over the last few days. Check it out: Can’t see the video? Click here. What Can We Learn? Although we don’t know the exact context behind why this man went off on his congregation, I think it…

I’ve learned so much from your videos

Very encouraging!

You are amazing brother, keep on doing it.

I am overwhelmed by the way you broke it out into phases. I really like your channel on YouTube and I have already subscribed.

Grace be with you!

Thank u so much for the notes, they are so helpful.

Very very helpful for me n my study. Bless you thanks

Review Cart

No products in the cart.

How to Say “Practice What You Preach”: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to say “practice what you preach”! Whether you’re looking for formal or informal expressions, this guide has got you covered. In this article, we’ll explore various ways to convey this powerful message, provide regional variations where necessary, and offer plenty of tips and examples to help you master its usage. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and explore the different ways to express the concept of practicing what you preach!

Formal Expressions

When it comes to conveying the idea of practicing what you preach in more formal settings, you can employ the following phrases:

1. Lead by Example

Leading by example is an excellent way to express the notion of practicing what you preach. It indicates that you should be a role model and exhibit the desired behavior yourself, rather than simply dictating it to others. By setting a positive example, you can inspire others to follow suit.

“In order to build a culture of integrity within the organization, leaders must lead by example.”

2. Set the Standard

To emphasize the importance of practicing what one preaches, you can use the phrase “set the standard.” This expression highlights the idea that you establish expectations and demonstrate them in your actions.

“As a manager, it is crucial to set the standard for professionalism and dedication.”

3. Practice What You Preach

The most direct and explicit way to convey the concept is by using the phrase itself. This expression emphasizes the need for consistency between one’s words and actions.

“To gain the trust and respect of your team, it’s essential to practice what you preach.”

Informal Expressions

When you want a more casual and conversational way to say “practice what you preach,” consider using these informal expressions:

1. Walk the Talk

“Walk the talk” is a popular idiom used to convey the idea of backing up one’s words with actions. This expression is often used in everyday conversations to remind someone to practice what they preach.

“If you want to motivate your team, you need to walk the talk and show them that you’re willing to put in the effort.”

2. Practice What You Preech

A playful twist on the phrase “practice what you preach” is by intentionally mispronouncing it as “practice what you preech.” This informal variation adds a lighthearted tone and can be used in casual settings among friends.

“Hey John, remember to practice what you preech and don’t forget to exercise regularly like you always tell us!”

Tips to Remember

Regardless of whether you choose a formal or informal expression, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

Show others how it’s done by exemplifying the behavior or values you advocate. Actions often speak louder than words, and leading by example is a powerful way to inspire change.

2. Consistency is Key

To practice what you preach effectively, ensure that your actions align with your words consistently. Inconsistency may breed skepticism and erode trust.

3. Reflect on Your Values

Regularly reflect on your own values and beliefs. By recognizing any gaps between what you say and do, you can work towards closing them and becoming a better practitioner of your own teachings.

4. Be Mindful of Context

Consider the context in which you deliver your message. Certain situations may call for a more formal or informal approach, so adapt your language accordingly.

Examples of Usage

Let’s now explore some examples that demonstrate how to incorporate these phrases into different scenarios:

1. Business Environment

In a business context, you might say:

“As a manager, it’s important to lead by example and practice what you preach in terms of punctuality and professionalism. This sets the right standard for the entire team.”

2. Personal Relationships

When discussing personal relationships, you could use a more informal expression:

“If you want your friends to trust you, you need to walk the talk. Don’t just talk about loyalty; show it through your actions.”

3. Teaching and Mentorship

When teaching or mentoring others, it is crucial to live up to your own teachings:

“To be an effective teacher, practice what you preach. Students are more likely to listen and learn when their instructors exemplify the principles they advocate.”

Now that you have a range of expressions and insights into using them, you are better equipped to emphasize the importance of practicing what you preach. Remember to lead by example, be consistent, and adapt your approach based on the context. By following these principles, you can inspire others and foster a culture of integrity and authenticity!

Guide: How to Say Sorry If You Don't Know What You Did

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to sincerely apologize when you are unsure of what exactly you have done wrong. Saying sorry is an essential skill that allows us to mend relationships and express genuine remorse. In this guide, we will provide you with tips, examples, and variations for both formal and informal situations. So, let's dive in!

Guide on How to Say Sorry if You Don't Know What You Did Wrong

Apologizing can be a challenging task, especially when you are unaware of the specific offense you have committed. However, acknowledging that someone is hurt or upset, even if you don't understand why, is an important step towards resolving conflicts and maintaining healthy relationships. In this guide, we will explore various ways to apologize when you're uncertain about the cause. We'll cover both formal and informal approaches to help you navigate these situations with grace and sincerity.

Guide: How to Apologize When You Don't Know What You Did

Apologizing when you don't know what you did wrong can be challenging and confusing. However, it's important to acknowledge the impact of your actions and mend the potential rift in your relationship. In this guide, we will provide you with tips and examples on how to say sorry, both formally and informally.

Guide: How to Say Thank You for What You Do

In our daily interactions, we often encounter individuals who deserve our appreciation for the work they do. Whether they are colleagues, friends, family members, or even strangers, expressing gratitude can make a significant impact on their morale and overall well-being. This guide will provide you with various ways to say thank you for what you do, including formal and informal expressions. Remember, a heartfelt expression of appreciation goes a long way!

How to Say Thank You to Someone Who Helped You When You Are Sick

When you're feeling unwell, the kindness and support of those around you can make a significant difference in your road to recovery. Expressing gratitude to those who have helped you during your illness goes a long way in showing appreciation and building stronger relationships. In this guide, we'll explore various ways to say thank you to someone who has assisted you when you were sick, ranging from formal to informal expressions, with tips and examples to help you convey your heartfelt appreciation.

How to Say "German" in Practice: Formal and Informal Ways, Tips, and Examples

Learning how to say "German" in different contexts and situations can greatly enhance your language skills and cultural understanding. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore formal and informal ways to refer to the German language, along with tips, examples, and regional variations.

How to Say Good Practice: A Comprehensive Guide

Saying "good practice" is a common phrase used to express appreciation or admiration for someone's behavior, action, or approach. Whether you're in a formal or informal setting, it's always a positive gesture to acknowledge and encourage good practices. In this guide, we will explore various ways to say "good practice" and provide plenty of tips and examples to help you express your admiration effectively.

How to Say "Have a Good Practice": Formal and Informal Ways, Tips, and Examples

When it comes to expressing good wishes for someone's practice session or rehearsal, it is important to find the right words to encourage and motivate them. Whether you want to wish someone good luck before a music practice, sports training, or any other form of practice, this guide will provide you with a variety of formal and informal ways to say "Have a good practice." Let's dive in!

Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Arabic Cantonese Chinese Dutch English Farsi Filipino French German Greek Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Irish Italian Japan Japanese Korean Latin Mandarin Mexican Navajo Norwegian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Sanskrit Sign Language Spanish Swahili Swedish Tagalog Tamil Thai Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese

Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of practice what you preach in English

Practice what you preach.

above board
anti-corruption
artlessness
in all honesty/seriousness/truthfulness idiom
in good faith idiom
joking apart/aside idiom
squeaky-clean
straight arrow idiom
straight up idiom
the straight and narrow idiom
transparency

practice what you preach | American Dictionary

Word of the Day

doggie day care

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

a place where owners can leave their dogs when they are at work or away from home in the daytime, or the care the dogs receive when they are there

Dead ringers and peas in pods (Talking about similarities, Part 2)

Learn more with +Plus

Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
English–Dutch Dutch–English
English–French French–English
English–German German–English
English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
English–Italian Italian–English
English–Japanese Japanese–English
English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
English–Polish Polish–English
English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
English–Spanish Spanish–English
English–Swedish Swedish–English
Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
English Idiom
American Idiom
All translations

Add practice what you preach to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

IMAGES

Practice before you "Preach"
.PPT: Practice what you Preach before you Teach!
A1) Expand the theme:Expand the following idea in 100 words:" Practice
practice what you preach
Practice What You Preach!
Practice What You Preach

VIDEO

Can I Preach What You Practice?
Practice what you preach #christianpodcast #christ #christianity #jesussaves
"Practice what you preach" 01/14/2024
Leave me a sermon, before you preach me a sermon 🙏🔥. Pastor Henry Okechukwu (Omereme)
Barry White
MINISTRY IS A LIFESTYLE, LIVE IT BEFORE YOU PREACH IT #jesus #christianmotivation

COMMENTS

'Practise What You Preach': Meaning & History Of Phrase ️
'Practise what you preach' in other literature. Hypocrisy is one of the worst human characteristics and exhorting hypocrites to look to themselves before condemning others is a major theme through Western literature. Other writers have expressed the same idea- to practice what you preach - through the centuries. For example:
Learn How To Practice What You Preach
How to always practice what you preach. 1. Practice before you preach. In other words, work on yourself and then, share your journey with others. Your journey will add confidence and experience to your words. You'll also have the ability to have open and honest discussions that you may not have otherwise. 2.
Practice What You Preach
Origin and Etymology Behind Practice What You Preach. The idea conveyed by practice what you preach comes from ancient times, appearing in various forms in different cultures and religious texts. One of the oldest written examples in the Bible is Matthew 23:3, when Jesus criticizes the Scribes and Pharisees because they didn't practice what ...
23 Preaching Tips That'll Actually Help You Preach Better
Practice What You Preach 20. Pray Yourself Full 21. Watch Yourself Back 22. Invite Feedback 23. Put In The Reps. 1. Start Strong. Mastering the first 90 seconds of your sermon is non-negotiable. Lose your audience at the beginning, and the battle for their attention is lost for the entire sermon before you've even begun.
Practice What You Preach, Pardoner
Home Essay Editing Services Sample Essays Practice What You Preach, Pardoner Before Practice What You Preach, Pardoner "The Pardoner's Tale," written by Geoffrey Chaucer, exhibits several qualities of life, as we know it today. In this story, Chaucer writes about a man who preaches to his audience for money.
How I am Learning to Practice What I Preach
As teachers, we are experts in our field. And experts in any field—like science or medicine—constantly seek knowledge and use the latest research to inform, revise, and improve their work. It's critical for the 21 st century teacher to do this, as well. Teachers today, more than ever before, are expected to prepare for everything and ...
Practice What You Preach
Second step: Do it for yourself. What most people fail to realize: preaching is more about doing and acting, than preaching. You should be doing former a thousand times more than the latter. You ...
Practice what you preach
So, I'm here to remind you to practice what you preach. The next time I'll do the reverse outline when I have more than an hour to spare before the talk. A bonus for this time though: the reverse outline helped free me from my script (I didn't have to read the whole thing), and it helped me know that the points were there. ...
Practice What You Preach
Interesting fact about Practice What You Preach. Like so many statements, the origin of the idiom 'practice what you preach' is the Bible. The saying is found in Matthew 23:3 and reads thusly: "So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.". What does the phrase ...
'Practise What You Preach' Meaning
If you have a question about idioms, ask us about it in our Idioms Discussion Forum. If you know of an idiom that you would like to be listed here, please use our online form to suggest an idiom. See also: View examples in Google: Practise what you preach; Idiom Quizzes
How Practicing What You Preach Will Lead To Your Success
When these wants come into contradiction with other wants, one always wins out over the others and in retrospect it isn't always the one that we wish. Practicing what you preach is a necessity ...
Before You Practice Preaching, Practice What You Preach
Before you practice preaching, you had better practice what you preach. "For they preach, but do not practice.". The stakes have never been higher. Trust has never been more difficult for pastors to earn. The title of pastor no longer holds respect in the eyes of most people outside the church but skepticism.
How to Preach: An Epic Guide to Everything You Need to Know
Phase 1: Preparation (Write the Sermon) The first phase to preach a sermon is to prepare the message. You can't preach if you haven't prepared. Sure, you might be able to wing a sermon or two, but that's not sustainable, and it won't be your best work. There are seven steps for good sermon prep. 1.
How to Practice What you Preach? 5 Ways to Follow it
You are not an exception to the rule. Be mindful of the promises you make, and follow through. Set a precedent and others will follow. Practicing what you preach will not only make people trust you but will also turn you into a role model for them. By walking the talk, you will become a leader who others would want to follow.
Practice What You Preach or Pay the Price
It only works when what you believe and do and say align. This is why "Be Do Say" leadership is so powerful. Nothing kills credibility faster than not practicing what is preached. A leader ...
Preaching
Preaching is the central and indispensable means by which God advances the Gospel and builds his church. God uses many means to convey his truth: one-on-one discipleship, group Bible study, personal example, classroom teaching, books, topical discussions, practical experiences, and the like all have their place.
How to Preach (Part 1): Sermon Writing
Phase 1: Preparation (Writing the Sermon) The first phase to preach a sermon is to prepare the message. You can't preach if you haven't prepared. Sure, you might be able to wing a sermon or two, but that's not sustainable and it will never be your best work. There are seven steps for good sermon prep. I call this my 7-Step Sermon Prep.
PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH
PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH definition: to do the things that you advise other people to do: . Learn more.
How to Say "Practice What You Preach": A Comprehensive Guide
When you want a more casual and conversational way to say "practice what you preach," consider using these informal expressions: 1. Walk the Talk. "Walk the talk" is a popular idiom used to convey the idea of backing up one's words with actions. This expression is often used in everyday conversations to remind someone to practice what ...
Practise What You Preach Definition Essay Sample (500 Words
Download. Table of contents. Practice what you preach Any person in the world is an individual and it goes without saying that all people differ. Consequently, all of them have different mentality, ideology, behavior, thoughts, attitude to the same things and phenomena. Usually since childhood we stand on one path and follow it during all our life.
How to Preach (part 1): Sermon Preparation / Writing
If you've ever wanted to learn how to preach, or even just how to preach better, this is for you. In part one of this three part series, we'll cover the firs...
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH definition: 1. to do the things that you advise other people to do: 2. to behave in the way you tell other…. Learn more.
Practise What You Preach
Practice what you preach. Any person in the world is an individual and it goes without saying that all people differ. Consequently, all of them have different mentality, ideology, behavior, thoughts, attitude to the same things and phenomena. Usually since childhood we stand on one path and follow it during all our life.

‘Practise What You Preach’, Meaning & Context

Platus’ use of ‘Practice what you preach’

‘Practise what you preach’ in other literature

See All Hamlet Resources

Leave a Reply

23 Preaching Tips That’ll Actually Help You Preach Better

23 Proven Preaching Tips For Beginners

1. Start Strong

2. End Even Stronger

3. Get Proper Preaching Training

4. Be True The Text

5. Be True To Yourself

6. Know Your Audience

7. Preach Data-Driven Topics

8. Create A Preaching Calendar

9. Run Sermon Series

10. Set Aside Specific Prep Time

11. Build A Preaching Team

12. Use AI To Write Your Outlines

13. Have One Clear Message

14. Hammer Your Point Home

15. Always Offer Life Application

16. Craft A Bottom Line

17. Listen To Great Preaching

18. Read Preaching Books

19. Practice What You Preach

20. Pray Yourself Full

21. Watch Yourself Back

22. Invite Feedback

23. Put In The Reps

Preaching Tips: Bottom Line

Leave a comment Cancel reply

INTRODUCING: KILLER SERMONS ACADEMY

How I am Learning to Practice What I Preach

Stay in the Know

Practice what you preach

Leave a Reply

How Practicing What You Preach Will Lead To Your Success

How to practice what you preach

Why is it challenging to practice what we preach?

How can I effectively practice what I preach?

How can practicing what I preach lead to personal growth?

Comments Cancel Reply

You might also like

Discover true happiness, find power and joy in these inspiring quotes

International Mother Earth Day: Recognising 10 superb environmentalists of the world

Experiencing a creative block? Try these 7 effective ways to beat it

World Art Day: 8 art therapies that make children mentally and emotionally healthy

Power of human-animal bonds: 11 must watch movies sure to make you cry

Bro-sis for life! Hollywood movies that celebrate sibling bonds

Most Popular

U.S. Edition

To All The World

Other Essays

Is “Proclaiming Christ” a B iblical D efinition of P reaching?

How D o I P roclaim Christ F aithfully?

How Can I Sustain a Ministry of Proclaiming Christ?

Further Reading

How to Preach (Part 1): Sermon Writing

Phase 1: Preparation (Writing the Sermon)

4. Illustrate

7. Practice

Similar Posts

Get My Logos 8 Sermon Workflow

6 Short Christmas Sermon Videos

How to Write A Sermon – 7 Steps to A Memorable Message (Step 3)

How to Preach Like No One Else

VIDEO: Pastor Goes Off On His Congregation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Review Cart

How to Say “Practice What You Preach”: A Comprehensive Guide

Formal Expressions

1. Lead by Example

2. Set the Standard

3. Practice What You Preach

Informal Expressions

1. Walk the Talk

2. Practice What You Preech

Tips to Remember

2. Consistency is Key