Mark Dever

A nearly perfect sermon? Really? Notice I said "nearly perfect," since perfection is unattainable. Nor am I suggesting that everyone must preach exactly like Mark Dever. But in this week's sermon—"Learn God's Law"—Mark Dever does so many things right. I was deeply moved by his combination of textual accuracy, theological depth, application, pastoral love and challenge, and gospel-focus. Yes, he did all of that. That's why we love offering sermon manuscripts. Read it to grow spiritually and learn from an excellent preaching mentor.

Bryan Chapell

How do I preach to the hearts of my listeners? How do I preach so lives are transformed by Christ? I've been pondering those questions for the past 24-plus years as a preacher. In this week's skills article—"Preaching to the Heart"—Bryan Chapell nails both questions. Bryan says, "I am committed even more to making sure that we address the heart before we address behaviors, not apart from behaviors but before behaviors." This is a rich and practical interview from a fabulous preaching coach.

Also, check out these new resources:

• Featured Illustration: Brené Brown on the Church as Midwife
• Featured Video: Moms: Portraits of God -; Moms play a more significant role in the world than they know. At the heart of it all, moms everywhere can display portraits of God.
• Featured Sermon: "Learn God's Law" by Mark Dever
• Featured Skills Article: "Preaching to the Heart" by Bryan Chapell

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

P.S. Looking for the perfect complement to your Mother's Day service? Give the gift of "Sanctuary for My Soul," a journey through the Psalms, and send women home with a tool they can use for a meaningful devotional time. Click here for prices as low as $1 each.

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