Christ at the center

Leighton Ford is doing a series at Preaching Today Blog on the invitational edge in preaching:

Every sermon should have the gospel at its core and an invitational edge. This is not to say that every sermon should aim at not-yet-believers. Most sermons will be heard by people who already have some knowledge of Jesus. But every sermon needs a spirit that invites people to follow Jesus.

Thats from Part 1. Part 2 and Part 4 are also worth reading. And here's a gem from Part 3:

Gospel preaching addresses the distorted motivations of everyone. It speaks both to the secular humanist who says, "I accept myself as my own god and obey my own laws," and the religious person who says, "I obey, therefore I am accepted." Both are motivated by self-absorption and the desire to be in control.

The series is full of weighty thoughts without being heavy reading.