Can you relate to this story? Mike Bullmore writes, "About two years into my preaching I was regularly experiencing an unusual amount of anxiety in the morning late in the week. It didn't take long for my wife Bev and I to figure out that it was connected to the preaching responsibility … I would wake up on Thursday mornings with heaviness, and it was sometimes approaching despair. It went on for a matter of months and it got worse, so that we got concerned about it." In his article—"Top 7 Lessons on Preaching: Part 2"—Bullmore provides the surprising way he learned to deal with this "heaviness approaching despair" in his preaching.

This week's two featured sermons—"Two Inseparables: Truth and Love" and "A Church Full of Characters"—are based on the tiny, under-preached books of 2 John and 3 John. In them Mark Mitchell demonstrates why "all Scripture is … profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16). Read Mark's sermons and then ask yourself, "What parts of the inspired Word of God have I intentionally avoided for years"?

Also, check out these new resources:

• Featured Skills Article: "7 Things I've Learned About Preaching (Part 2)" by Mike Bullmore
• Featured Illustration: Too Much or Too Little Conflict Creates Stress
• Featured Video: Psalm 146: This video is a great lead-in to a time of praise and worship.
• Featured Sermon: "Two Inseparables: Truth and Love" by Mark Mitchell

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. New to PreachingToday.com? Check out our FAQ Section to read more about our editors and our vision to see the church matured through the inspired preaching of God's word.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.