Having said that, preaching is also an activity where God encourages and expects the preacher to use and develop their gifts of communication as they attempt to take the message of what God has done and is doing in the world, and to help their listeners to connect with that message in their particular culture and context.

This section of our website aims to point you in the direction of a range of web-based resources which might supply you with ideas and support materials as you prepare your talks or sermons.

Trust you find some thing useful to aid you in the various stages of your sermon preparation whether it be the beginning "what shall I preach on"? to the finishing touches "what shall I use to illustrate it?". In the next month or so we hope to update this page. If there is anything useful you use online in your preparation please feel free to pass it on to us and we can add it here. As well as having a look at our toolkit below why not take a look at our general web links page.

• The Bible
  Take a look at some online versions and translations of the Bible.

• Preaching blogs
  Some blog sites for preachers.

• Illustrations
  A well-chosen illustration can often bring your sermon to life.

• Current Affairs
  Being able to relate what you say to what is happening in the world.

• Using Technology
  Using Powerpoint and other multimedia approaches.

• Children's Talks
  Finding material to engage with your younger listeners.

• Bible Study Aids
  Getting to grips with the biblical text.

• Preaching Evaluation Form
  This form is used by the Scottish Baptist College. It may be of value to you as a self critique of your own preaching as you undertake lay preaching in various churches.