5 Leaders Examine Plagiarism in Preaching

April 15, 2011

90. Bruce Ball says...

In regards to comment # 89 - - The other leaders must first be certain they are not becoming legalistic in nature by telling the Senior Pastor what to preach, etc. That being said, if a pastor is taking the rights to something someone else has written, then he is committing the sin of lying. If, once he is confronted, gives his word to not let that happen any longer, and proof is given that he is, then he should be talked to by two or more elders and asked to repent before the church body or leave the church immediately and stay gone until he does come back and repent. If he does so, it would be left to the leaders of the church whether or not to rehire him back into his original position. One of the differences between deacons and elders is that elders must be ready to preach. In the above scenario, I would err on the side of NOT hiring him back, and then have the elders preach in his place until another pastor was hired.

March 20, 2011

89. says...

What if you have a senior pastor that for over 3 years has been plagarizing, been caught and confronted. Promised not to do this anymore, but less than 1 year was caught again and is still doing it. Not just points, but saying that "he read the Bible and got this point" or God spoke to him... BUT this was from someone else's sermon. When a congregation comes to be encouraged by God's Word, I do think that if they knew that the person they hear and say are searching God's Word are preaching another's sermon would feel betrayed. I do think you can use others sermons and let people know where you got the sermon from and perhaps it really impacted the pastor preaching.... but share that upfront rather than say you did the work. In regards to giving God the glory.. I do not think anyone would disagree. Of course that is the goal for God to be glorifed and for His light to be known to all. God can still use a sermon that a pastor preaches even if it is someone else's.. For me... if you continuely have to go to a site and get a sermon and preach it as it was your own, I have to say I would wonder how you can leave room for the Lord to speak to you. Or ask the question how come you are dependant on preaching another's sermon. I know several pastors who are amazing speakers where they glean inisghts from others, but don't by any means say they did the research or that they read the Word and received this info from God, when it was not their original work/research. To me that would be lying and dishonest. If the church is paying a pastor to preach 1X a week and each week someone in the church can google phrases and you can pull up the sermon, I wonder if something else may be going on in the heart of this pastor for this to be the habit?

February 21, 2011

88. Bruce Ball says...

It is NOT okay to plagiarize (copying somebody else's words and passing them off as yours). There is nothing wrong, though, in reading somebody else's sermons and then using an idea or concept in that sermon to build your own sermon. I am absolutely amazed at how many apparent Pharisees we have in the Christian faith. We get so tied up in absolute legalism that we forget what our true calling is all about. We know the words we preach, yet we sometimes have trouble remembering the meaning behind those words. We argue about giving credit where credit is due. Let me say this very plainly - WE DO NOT DESERVE ANY CREDIT FOR ANYTHING WE DO! God, however, deserves all credit. If I write a sermon and somebody uses it verbatim, I am blessed that somebody thinks something I wrote might help somebody else come closer to Jesus Christ. I urge you, Brothers, lay aside your selfish motivations and refocusing your attention on the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. And I also urge you to, if you use anyone else's words or ideas - do not pass them off as your original works.

February 2, 2011

87. Jim Martin says...

As a Deacon, I tread lightly into this conversation of mostly preachers, but do know that I hold all church leaders to a higher standard as it is written. I am heart broken to read that many of the comments are saying it's not only OK to plagiarize, but that we go so far as to encourage it (watch out for Matthew 18:7). And no, we're not talking about a line or two or three being lifted, or spending precious hours trying to cite based on our fuzzy memories, we're talking about 25%+ to 100% of sermons being routinely plagiarized without verbal citation or in cases of fill-in-the-blank handouts or out-lines with no writtten citation. Have we so diluted our spiritual focus that we actually think this issue is more about giving credit to the original author as opposed to the acknowledgment by the presenting preacher that the work is not his/her own, and by not doing so, deceiving his/her congregation? If we went back to our high school, college, or seminary ethics instructor and asked what grade we would receive for such thinking/practice, I suspect the answer would be (E)xpelled. As one of our national TV sports commentators often says (I can't recall his name or the station:-) "Awe Come On (Wo)Man..."! The Explore The Bible, Adult Learner Guide (Winter 2010-2011), p. 105, published by LifeWay, has a theme that hits the nail on the head; it asks: "Do Right Ends Justify Wrong Means? (2nd Kings 10:18-19)" Jehu's deception brought short-term gain, but at a cost of long-term failure. In addition, we might want to read Jeremiah 23 and more specificially verses 30-31 where the Lord addresses prophets "...who steal My words from each other...". Someone once said that if we're not willing to read about it on the front page of the Sunday paper, then don't do it! I think that is pretty good advice; and again we're not talking about not using others materials as a resouce in sermon preparation, we're talking about not citing it. If Bible verses and good-ole common sense don't do it for us, then let me make a final suggestion. To those who don't mind and/or encourage their sermons being partially or fully plagiarized (w/o citation), do acknowledge that fact/value/belief system to your congregation from the pulpit during your next worship hour. And to those who plagiarize significant portions or wholly your sermons without citing your major/semi-major sources, you too need to share this fact with your congregation. If you hesitate to do so, then I must ask why? Let's not concern ourselves so much with our sermons being so effective that we begin to think that it is us (our sermon/message presentation) that is the primary source of conviction and soul saving; let's allow the Holy Spirit to do His job too folks. Blessings ~ Jim

February 1, 2011

86. George Folk says...

2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. Everytime we research and write sermons are we not plagiarizing God's word? I don't recall the writers of the books staking claim on God's word but giving all glory to God. We being sent by God are using His inspired word to prepare the sermons we present. So, as I see it the words are His and not ours to copyright. Preparing the people for salvation and reconciliation is the service we were called to do. May the Lord find us all approved in the deliverence of His word in accordance to His will, Amen.

February 1, 2011

85. Mark Walter says...

While I'll agree that it would be blatantly dishonest to use another's life experiences without proper credit, I must ask this one simple question, "For who's glory are we called to minister God's word, Him or us?" I know of no copyright on the word or thoughts given us by God. If a pastor can reach their flock with the words of another, then who am I to be so proud to demand I be given the credit when all the credit is God's?

January 29, 2011

84. says...

I have read a lot about plagarizim and have to say I beleive that if a preacher takes another outline, phrases, stories etc., even if adding some of his own is plagariziam. What if a pasor was confronted and confessed to doing this using personally stories and saying they were his., word for word etc. and then goes back to doing this week after week. what do you do? I really think that the issue lies with trust and integrity, and that there is much more to what is going on than just preaching anothers sermon.

January 28, 2011

83. says...

Will one of you please post the biblical passage where God approves of dishonesty, misleading people, and an acceptance of plagiarism. Because my bible does not have anything like that. Have you all forgotten the biblical requirements for church leaders, deacons, and elders? Why do you think Jesus always gave "credit" to the Father? Even Jesus identified his "source" of information which is the one true living God.

January 23, 2011

82. Martin Dale says...

If I may add a PS. I had a pastor from the midwest of the USA write to me once asking if he could use one of my sermons in total, because he couldn't prepare fully that week (being in full time business) as I guess he felt my sermon expressed what he wanted to say. I agreed for him to use it for the following reasons. 1. We are not in competition with each other trying to show who is the most holy or who is the cleverest. We are here to help others come closer to the Lord. For this brother to use my sermon was akin to asking me to preach for him that Sunday - and which one of you would not do that for a brother minister. After all (to quote D.T. Niles) we are like "one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." 2. By posting on Sermoncentral.com, we give up our copyright in the matter anyway. There is a difference between writing an essay for an exam - and feeding your flock. And how many ofyou like me have found when reading someone else's sermon that they have the same thoughts but a better turn of phrase. Let us be more Christian about this than the secular University authorities or secular writers, where people sue for the infringement of copyright (and I am a patent lawyer as well as a minister). We are called to be different. Rather let us thank God that others have found what we have written of sufficient worth to use in the upbuilding of Christ's Church in their acre of the mission field. And be thankful. Please feel free to use any of my sermons as you like!

January 21, 2011

81. Tim Mayor says...

Interesting. Are they stealing words? Whose words are they? Are they merely a fabrication of a man's mind? Not given by God? Has anyone considered cultural relevance in this? Your concept of theft, is bound to who and where you are in place and history. If we subject the work of God to the laws of men what consequence will come of it?

January 21, 2011

80. Mattylin Hubbard says...

It appears to me that satan is trying to pit us men and women who have been called by God to preach and teach HIS WORD, against each other. When will we come together to support each other rather than tear each other down. I pastor a small rural church and I have borrowed a few words from some of the pastors on Sermon Central. I would like to thank each of you who have stated it is ok to use the Word of God in my church. I came to this site years ago because I could not afford to purchase sermon ideas from the other know sites. I read the scriptures and God will lead me to messages which relates to where the Holy Spirit has led me. Again, thanks to the contributors who are spreading God's Word among the earth.

January 21, 2011

79. Richard Mc Quinn says...

I began preaching at age 18, my first year of Bible College. I carried a full load of classes, worked 30 hours outside of college. I asked the college to give me places to preach on the weekends and they did. I took one sermon that a professor helped me develope and took it all over the state of Illinois preaching. It is still MY sermon, no one else could preach that sermon with my personal illustrations. BUT, my second year of Bible College I became the minister of a small congregation. When was I going to develope a Sunday Morning and Evening sermon besides everything else. I listened to and took notes of every chapel speaker we had. I read sermon books. I memorized a book by Clovis Chappel and Willie White. I did acknowledge their work and still do in the pulpit. Had I not had the men before me dig deep wells and show me how to construct a sermon and what to put in it, I might have failed in the pulpit. It was my third and fourth year in Bible College did I get to take the classes for sermon preparation. I have pads of notes to this day with sermon ideas and thoughts. To all the great preachers of the world, I repent for my sins of either quoting or not quoting you, but every sermon ever preached I gave God the Glory. The working of the Holy Spirit in the pulpit and out of the pulpit is your own. If I have used some of your material to put together a sermon that might have indirectly caused a person to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour then AMEN and give the credit to God. We all know what it is like to be at the Saturday deadline for a sermon and have not felt that this is the one to preach on Sunday. We regroup, we reread, we dig more wells and we let the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and speech. Please forgive me if I keep reading your sermons and use a piece of it to help get across a point I am trying to make. May God bless all the sermons preached every Sunday to win souls to Him.

January 20, 2011

78. Jeff Strite says...

Three thoughts: 1. Sermoncentral is a great site for getting ideas from others. I put my sermons here so that others can benefit from my research... and so my congregation and friends can visit and read sermons they may have missed. I personally visit sermoncentral myself to benefit from the research of other preachers and when their insights help me I vote postively for their sermons to encourage them... I also do my best to credit them for their insights. 2. When we quote from a preacher on this site we should be honorable enough to give credit where credit is due. That's what honest men do. Don't plagerize... it's dishonest and it reflects badly on the God we serve. 3. A great many preachers/missionaries, etc. have been known to have feet of clay at times. Just because they falter in plagerizing another preacher's sermon shouldn't condemn them to abandon their posts. Or have we forgotten the weaknesses of Peter, Timothy and others in our Bible. As I've written before, if your preacher has been tempted in this - lovingly confront, give an opportunity for repentance and restore the preacher with an understanding that it shouldn't happen again.

January 19, 2011

77. says...

I have been blessed to have known the Lord most of my entire life. I am not a pastor, a minister, or a church leader. I am simply a follower of the Lord. With my non-pastor background I am 100% in agreement with the authors. I recently came to find out my pastor has been plagiarizing most of his sermons and have elected to move my family to another church. Why would I attend a church where the very principles I have been teaching my children (honesty, integrity, and trust) are not followed? In my profession (healthcare), we are bound by ethics and peer review. Whenever I make a presentation, I give reference to material that is not my own. I believe the church suffers from a lack of oversight and peer review. The authors attempt to challenge many church leaders to re-consider what they are doing and the blogs contain many comments implying it is OK to disregard honesty. One even goes as far as quoting Solomon about nothing being new under the sun. Don't kid yourselves, God is credited when church leaders raise the bible or quote his Word. He is also discredited when a person violates honesty and trust and even more so when a church leaders does so. But it is his place to judge what is right and wrong. For me, my family and I will attend a church where the pastor is open, honest, and has the highest integrity.

January 19, 2011

76. Faith Morgan says...

All this discussion about someone reading your sermon, & God quickening it to their hearts and they present it to their congregation& you're not getting the credit is pitiful. I feel the same way about these ministries who make their tapes & CDs and copywrite them. Well, please take note ... I've been preaching someone else's sermons since I first stepped behind a pulpit, and the author was the Apostle Paul, Peter, James and John the Revelator. You that have to have the recognition need to search your heart. Just why are you preaching anyway?

January 19, 2011

75. ismael melendez says...

My Thanks to all the ministers that put their sermons on this site and other sites. Solomon said "there is nothing new under the sun." I have expanded a thought from someones message and never felt it was stealing or SIN. God has known my purpose and my hearts desire. I think if you don't want others to glean from your messages why publish them?

January 19, 2011

74. Brent Ralston says...

A couple of weeks ago in my sermon, I took one of my three main points from another sermon. I also gave an illustration and told a joke...all that I "took" ("stole") from SermonCentral...and I did not cite any of it. According to one of the writers, I should resign from my 21 years as a missionary in disgrace for the "reprehensible" act of plagiarism. It doesn't make any difference that the Gospel is going forth, souls are being saved and churches are being planted. Could it be that this debate generally falls between academicians and practitioners? This last week my wife told me, "Your sermon really hit home with people." I, of course, asked how she knew. In the ladies Bible study at the church they were quoting from my sermon and sharing how it was helping them. I asked my wife (tongue in cheek) if they gave me credit and she said No (I really need to talk to them about their sin of plagiarism). Was I upset? Absolutely...NOT! I was thrilled that they actually listened, took notes, and were applying the principles to their own lives. What can make a preacher more thrilled than that? I study, I prepare, I do my due diligence, but oftentimes I find someone who has a similar thought as my own but says it in a better way, or has a great illustration which really hits a home run with the point I'm trying to make. I make no qualms about using it...and the Lord seems to bless! So for all of you who submit messages on SermonCentral, I apologize if I have not given due recognition. But I also want to thank you for not taking me to court, but more importantly for allowing God to use you and your sermons, or even a single idea from a sermon, to be used around the world to bring glory to God. Now if I can just get back to SermonCentral and "lift" another sermon for my message this Sunday :-)

January 18, 2011

73. Wayne Lawson says...

I imagine that this discussion is drawing to a close. I am very concerned over the use of the word "sin" if a minister uses the manuscript or outline of another to feed their sheep without giving proper citation or credit. I am not fully convinced that this is "sin." I do agree that the minister should make mention, yet, I struggle with the understanding of "sin" especially when the Word of God is being preached and delivered, and prayfully souls have been saved and believers have been strengthened. I have been a contributor for many years to sermon central. I submit my sermons that the many sermons may be a blessing to the household of faith. If I did not want others to draw from them, I would simply no longer submit my sermons. To those that may have drawn from my messages (none are original) what a blessing. I was raised in a Christian home, where my father was my pastor, I have been blessed to "earn" Associate, Bachelor, Master, and PhD degrees, I was taught that you should always have a book to read in you hand. I have gleened so much over the decades that I am more afraid to claim originality that I am to claim it as "sin" for anyone to use my sermons, even in its entirety. Every Blessing On You,

January 14, 2011

72. Mark Witherden says...

Would it be possible for Sermoncentral to organise a response to all these comments from the same contributors who wrote the original article? It seems that there is a chasm of difference between the content of the article and the content of the responses. To me it is a bigger crime that a Bible carries a copyright and cost so much to buy. The NIV for instance is ultimately owned by Rupert Murdoch. In the UK the King James carries the Crown Copyright and so can not be reproduced without permission except outside of England . (Please correct me if I am wrong)

January 12, 2011

71. Robert Harmon says...

I understand the need avoid plagiarism, however, when something is inspired by the Lord, we need to be willing to freely share it. I know I have 3 sermons on here, and I could care less if I get credit, stars, whatever! The full credit goes to the same Christ that died for a foolish sinner like me...Instead of worrying about intellectual property (which the last I checked God had the monopoly on when it came to His Word), let's be ONE body seeking to reach the lost, and allow them to see Christ in EVERYTHING we do and say!

January 11, 2011

70. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

Oh and to add... I AM LOOKING FOR A SITE THAT IS MORE DIDICATED TO GOD THAN MAN TO SHARE SERMON TOPICS AND IDEAS, ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THOSE ON HERE WHO SERVE GOD AND NOT THEMSELVES??

January 11, 2011

69. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

I have to sound like a broken record here: I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT CHRISTIANS CAN BE MORE CONCERNED OVER THIS THAN SOULS!! I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING NOT USING THIS SITE ANYMORE. GIVE GOD THE CREDIT OVER ALL THINGS...

January 10, 2011

68. Bruce Ball says...

There is a vast difference between having a relationship with Jesus Christ and having a religion about Jesus Christ. I cannot help but wander .... do all the people who clamor and demand personal credit - do they have a relationship, or do they have a religion? The Pharisees loved it when they got notoriety, and some people today still love the same thing. Myself, I always thought that the whole reason for preaching was to win souls .... not to give personal credit where none is due.

January 10, 2011

67. Mark Witherden says...

This topic has certainly created a lot of response. I would just like to say that I was listening to one preacher the other day from a sermon preached earlier in 2010. In the sermon he made a comment, and a very good one too and attributed it to a well known preacher here in the UK. I listened to that sermon after I had read this article on plagiarism and had to chuckle to myself. I heard this same comment as a teenager over 20 years ago. I am sure that the comment must have been around before I heard it too. I had to smile to myself due to the fact that the preacher quoted and named is about my age and was not the originator of the comment. Is this just name dropping or was it a case of someone trying to cover their tracks so as not to be seen as an intellectual thief. I learnt a prayer some years ago that I use, when I say it should I give credit to the book and author? When it comes to my own material can it be anything more than filthy rags to God? Is it not the Holy Spirit who takes what I bring and makes it acceptable and useful to His kingdom. I have to confess that I do struggle with the idea of copyright especially when it comes to the Bible. should anybody have any rights over what God has inspired?

January 9, 2011

66. Jonathan Bujan says...

While I agree that taking a sermon that was preached by someone else and representing it as God's revelation to you is wrong, I think we are going a bit overboard by calling a sermon intellectual property. The facts as I see it are as follows: 1. The need of every group of believers is different. Therefore the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the minister to seek the heart of God for what He wants to say to the people. If a minister fails to do this then they are flaunting the responsibility given to them by God. It's not right because, although the information may be excellent, it may not be relevant to the needs of the people you are ministering to. 2. Although we are the vessels that God uses to bring His word to His people, we can't at any time begin to believe that we hold copyright to that word. Just like the Bible, your sermons are the inspired word of God. God is the source of the revelation. He is the author of the book we all use as our main resource. It has happened to me on more than one occasion that I turn on the television and the same revelation I preached at some point in the past is being preached by the person on TV. Do I then turn around and file a plagiarism suit against God for giving someone else the same revelation? I hope it sounds as ridiculous as it is. We don't own the copyright to revelation that God gives us, it's given to the Body.

January 8, 2011

65. Asaph James says...

If what has been said by the 5 leaders is true, then what rankles me is the use of Scriptures. Every time a preacher uses the Scriptures is it plagairism? Because once the Word of God is out, it can be used by anyone. Do the preachers take God's permission every time they open His book to use His Word in their sermons?

January 6, 2011

64. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

So sad, reading these comments, especially from some of the "scholars" makes me want to no longer have any part of Sermon Central. Dr. Emmert, you say that you read basically that people commenting are saying it is appropriate to COPY and use in it's entireity a sermon prepared by others. I have not read that on here. I have read where we state that using text or topic ideas (not copying them) or in a since using this site as a research tool (which I do). Again, if God lays on my heart a topic and he lays the same topic on a pastors heart down the street. We both preach a very similar sermon, whould you then call that stealing?? I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT CHRISTIANS CAN BE MORE CONCERNED OVER THIS THAN SOULS!! I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING NOT USING THIS SITE ANYMORE.

January 6, 2011

63. Martin Dale says...

D. A. Carson writes: "Taking over another sermon and preaching it as if it were yours is always and unequivocally wrong, and if you do it you should resign or be fired immediately. The wickedness is along at least three axes: (1) You are stealing. (2) You are deceiving the people to whom you are preaching. (3) Perhaps worst, you are not devoting yourself to the study of the Bible to the end that God’s truth captures you, molds you, makes you a man of God, and equips you to speak for him." I am sorry but what D A Carson says is ridiculous. One should resign if your plagarise? It is GOD who calls you to minister - and if you use a thought from someone else it doesn't mean you are not praying and studying the text yourself. How often, despite having a patent law training have I found someone's turn of phrase so much better than my own The other year, I read a collection of stories by J John and Mark Stibbe - emn I greatly admire who quoted a story verbatim of mine - unattributed. I know that because I went back on my computer and found it there word for word in my words - and I had heard the story directly from a Korean pastor when I was in Switzerland! Was I worried. No Because I am a servant of God - and if the story helps someone - Hallelujah. We are not in competition with each other D A Carson, your article is how the world of academia thinks - but I wonder if you are acting as a Christian pastor. Rather thank God that your words have helped a fellow labourer in the harvest field. And that they have been worthwhile. A little humility rather than calling for resignation Mr Carson would be my suggestion Anyway if you have been to theological college how can you be sure that the ideas you present have not somewhere been sown by tutors and students at the college. In short, we are called to have different standards to the world. I wish you God's blessing

January 5, 2011

62. Anonymous says...

every time each and everyone of you open your bible and preach from the text unadulturated you are plagerising. If you have problems with people or if you think that that your sermon is unique to the gospel message the shut this site down....... Again if unless you're preaching a new gospel, then the message that you put out here on Sermon Central isn't unique at all and you should be appalled for even thinking that it is!

January 5, 2011

61. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

Additional thought: To Dr. Emmert, as full time Pastor, who also works and is a single father of a disabled child. I agree that it takes time to study, however, I will also add, that if you allow GOD to lead, there have been MANY services, that I studied hard all week and DID NOT USE ONE SINGLE NOTE OF THE STUDY, why?? BEcause it was not what GOD wanted. With the leadership of the Holy Ghost, we had one of our BEST services ever and the message that God gave me to preach that service came to me 5 minutes prior to services. NOT HOURS, OR EVEN DAYS. This is what is wrong with the churches. Pastors are AFRAID to allow God to supply, and they feel they must "write" the PERFECT sermon in order to grow their church. This goes back to the churches becoming so full of the world that they can not feel the word. ( I am paraprhasing my own thoughts ).

January 5, 2011

60. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

One more thought; as I continue to read comments I find that many are still stuck on 'giving man credit instead of God'. Ultimately, if we ALL are in prayer, then chances are, many, if not most of us will at some point "preach" the same idea. I have in past brought forth sermons, and found that the topic I chose was the topic of many others that same Sunday. For example, I preached this past week in a CD recording about "being more than a conqueror", the Title was: More Than A Conqueror... How many other pastors, preachers, teachers, etc. have used that title? I venture to say, many. I know of one in particular who had the very same topic this weekend. In fact, we used the same scriptures, same thought structure, etc. Did he plagiarize me? Or I him? NO. We did NOT know the other was doing it. It was of GOD.

January 5, 2011

59. Jim Kilson says...

The Gospel has been preached for over 2,000 years now, and with that fact comes another; none of us preaching today will ever have an “original” thought concerning scripture. If we’ve thought it, chances are someone before has had the same thought and put it into a message. Many different people can read the same passage and in turn draw similar if not identical conclusions. All of us who are called to preach the Gospel are indebted to those who have gone before us, and have left their legacy for us to draw from. Using someone else’s sermon and claiming it to be one’s own is indeed intellectual theft, and is without excuse. The great preacher Batsell Barrett Baxter in his excellent book “Speaking for the Master,” stated unequivocally that “no man has the right to stand before an audience and consume it’s time without careful and painstaking preparation. He must EARN the right to speak” pg. 80 (emphasis mine). In my personal preparation do I use the materials of others? Sure I do, I have a library full of commentaries and sermon books from past generations that I draw inspiration from on a regular basis. Do I claim their work as my own? No I don’t. My personal study of Scripture is primary, the works and thoughts of others are secondary. The simple answer to the problem of “plagiarism” is simple “don’t do it” and if you do use the work of another, simply cite the source. Direct Quote… cite the source! Borrowed Outline… cite the source! Model a sermon on that of another… cite the source! Being diligent in area serves to keep us honest and helps us avoid messes such as this! When it comes to the work that I do in sermon preparation, my opinion has always been. “What is freely received is in turn freely given.” I have benefited greatly from the work of others therefore I put my work out there that others may benefit from it. Soli Deo Gloria!

January 5, 2011

58. Ron Forseth says...

Editor's note regarding Sara Walker's comment: All 125,119 sermons on SermonCentral.com are available for free. Our site does not sell sermons. We want to be clear about this because that is our promise to our generous contributors.

January 5, 2011

57. Sara Walker says...

I find it interesting that this would even be addressed. These documents are placed on the internet to sell, when I buy something, I presume that it is mine. I subscribed to this site recently, and I admit, there are some very interesting and thought provoking sermons, and some have triggered my thought process. We know from the scripture that there is "nothing new under the sun", therefore unless it is a personal experience, I would probably use some of the material, but would always add my own personal, God given thoughts.

January 5, 2011

56. Jeff Beer says...

It is simple, spend time in the Word of God first, developing what you are going to speak on, what passages you are going to use, then seek out commentaries to confirm your convictions and other theologians and pastors to support you or further your ideas. This way the majority of the content is from you, and you can cite the content that you use from others. Personal stories of your own life show vulnerability and should be used the majority of the time. The deepest problem here should not be about the plagarism, but more so about pastors not spending enough time in the word of God and allowing the Holy spirit to speak to them through the Holy Scriptures!

January 5, 2011

55. Daniel Vandenburg says...

Plagiarism, in its loosest definition, is simply passing someone else’s work off as your own. Taking a sermon, even off Sermon Central, and stating that you labored over it, you did all the work, everything comes directly from your hard work, is inherently wrong. Yet, if you view many pastors’ sermons, see various points that you like from multiple sources it is truly considered research. Many times you can have an idea in place and you see it phrased better than what you had, and you use it, does that define plagiarism? No it doesn’t. For those who feel you have to cite someone every time you use an idea from them, think how the sermon would sound. For example, how many have preached on a new creation or a new beginning this past Sunday. I would venture to say, many pastors did. Think what the sermon would sound like if you cited every idea that you got from some one else. “Today the sermon is on a new creation. My first point as Rev Joe Schmoe stated, ‘To be a new creation is to be something different than what you are.’ This is emphasized in sub point A, by Pastor Paula Rosenblattski, “A new creation is what we become in Christ.’ In sub point B, Evangelist Snedley Nerfherder states, ‘We become a new creation when Christ comes into our lives.’ To illustrate this point, Minister Raphael Blutarsman, quoting from St Augustine, ' A new creation is a metamorphosis into a different creature, much like a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly,' as emphasized in this analogy by Polycarp who is quoting from the apostle John.'” We continue ad infinitum with the citations throughout the sermon. If we do that, the congregation will immediately tune us out and begin counting the cracks on the floor and the amount of ceiling tiles in the sanctuary. If you quote from an article or a book, yes do give credit to the author. If you use an idea from another, it becomes tedious and pointless. As it is with most (all) sharing cites, if you don’t want someone to use it, don’t post it. If you want the credit, remember this, “So when you give to the poor, (post a sermon online) do not sound a trumpet before you, (do not demand credit for it) as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” (paraphrase of Matthew 6:2 NASB) Your reward will be by men, and is that really what you desire?

January 4, 2011

54. Rutu Rata says...

To Dr. Bruce Emmert, I would not agree that using material others have preached is like taking someone's cattle and saying it is ok because God created the cattle. If I take a cow that belongs to someone, I am possibly taking someone's food or farm equipment for my own gain and for his/her loss. Taking someone's cattle is never for the purpose of glorifying God. I cannot take the pants you are wearing and leave you naked and justify that by saying the pants are ultimately created by God so they belong to everyone because I will be leaving you naked for my own selfish need of wanting your pants. The point is that your cow example and the pants example do not involve God. Preaching and sharing should never be about us but it is all to God's glory and using what I happen to have heard or read from you (which other millions of people have said) is for the glory of God. That is why we go to bible study, listen to each other, ask questions, pray, study and learn from God. I am sure most speakers do all these things in some form and everything we learn is from the combination of these experiences plus copying and pasting...if relevant to the spreading of the gospel at that time.

January 4, 2011

53. Jerry Richards says...

I have long wondered how much integrity can be found in the modern pulpit. The discussion flowing from this article clearly demonstrates a serious lack thereof. Plagiarism is also known as "academic crime". It seems inoccuous, but, in fact, it betrays a setting aside of moral standards. Do I use the materials of others? Clearly I do. Will I claim the thoughts of others as my own? Hand on heart, I will not! It saddens me that so many of these articles draw out the attitude of name calling and viciousness that betrays a far deeper problem -- namely that we truly seem to have forsaken the greatest of all commandments that we love one another. For by this measure alone are we known as the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you use the materials of others, simply cite the source. It gets us out of all of this mess! If God inspired Spurgeon to write a particular thought, it is ridiculous for me to pretend He inspired me to read it. I become a fortunate beneficiary of the great preacher's ideas. I grew up in a non-Christian home, and yet still learned that "honesty is the best policy" (source unknown). We have a mandate to demonstrate Christlikeness. When Jesus cited the Prophets and the Law, He did so in a cultural environment that expected it. Why risk appearing to be like any other person (the unbeliever)? It is a simple matter to say, "This week I read a quote from ..." and then to use the words. This is not legalism! It is a matter of respecting the work of others, our own itegrity, and the reputation of the Lord Jesus Christ!

January 4, 2011

52. Richard Horn says...

I find this article to be biased. Is it possible that the writers of this article are professionals who do not want people to use what is their "bread and butter"? I am sorry but sometimes when you study a passage of Scripture and pull an outline direct from that Scripture there is no way you can possible know how many others pulled the exact same message and outline from the same passage of Scripture. Technically we all plagiarize from God. We are using His Word to teach His people. We quote from the Scriptures, we paraphrase in our own words, we use the basic thought patterns that God put their for our use. If God has given me something to use to reach His people how could I consider it as my own and not share with others so they can preach the message to God's people in their congregation. Freely we are given, freely we should give! On a similar topic, what of the Pastor Annuals put out by Zondervan and other companies that give teaching outlines along with illustrations and even relevant hymns to use in preaching a whole year of Sunday and Wednesday messages? Or the sermon outline books which can be bought at any Christian bookstore? We are all human. A minister is nobody special, he or she just has a special purpose to be used by God to preach the Word in a way that will change the hearts of those who listen. That means we live ordinary lives like others and sometimes those lives get overly busy - life happens. It is good to know that there are helps out there to get us through a busy time of life or a dry spell in our lives where we just don't know what the Sunday morning message will be and it is Friday night already. I think the focus should be that we need to support and help each other, and if that means sharing outlines then I say go for it. Our job and purpose is not to make money or protect our intellectual property, our job and purpose is to feed the sheep God has entrusted to us and that means preach the Word in any way and every way we can.

January 4, 2011

51. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

I have read most of these comments, it is amazing that probably over 90% of the readers agree on one thing, MAN does NOT deserve credit for what should be inspired by God. When I preach, I always give GOD the credit for my sermons. The problem with the church world is this, the church is becoming so full of the world, that it is not reflecting the WORD. We need to get away from the academics and get back to the spirit. Let me add one more thing; I have in the past preached a sermon, then 2 days later I find out that 3 of my pastor friends preached almost the identical topic and message, then I go on TV and hear 2 or 3 ministers preaching the same topic. (NOTE: myself nor my friends at that time used any sermon helps). ALL of these messsages were inspired by GOD, were they under plagiarism because they were so similar? NO. Why? Because GOD ordained them!! Donald Owens summed it up right (post #6) with these verses (KJV) Ecclesiastes 1: 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

January 4, 2011

50. Rev Michael Wilhite says...

While I can appreciate this post, I think it is missing the point in many areas. I think we need to be careful to not enter into legalism. Our preaching should never be to impress other people, but only the Biblical truths found by plummeting to the depths of the text. I agree that we should never take another person's sermon and preach it as our own. That is wrong on many levels and not just on stealing. It's wrong because it cheats you out of your sanctification and it cheats your congregation out of the power of God working in you. I believe that God's annointing doesn't go with someone who does that. On the other hand, saying that we have to quote people just because we take part of their outline...there is nothing new under the sun. Their outline wasn't original to them even if they thought it up. Somebody somewhere along the line probably used that same outline. I have a hard time saying that a preacher has plagarized simply because the points of the sermon are the same as somebody else, especially if everything else is unqiuely their own. I think we need to use common sense and I don't see a lot of common sense in this article! I see a lot of academic talk that frankly doesn't relate to the type of Biblical preaching that my congregation needs.

January 4, 2011

49. Bruce Ball says...

May I add one more comment? We have been handed a sacred calling; a Godly desire to tell others about Jesus. As men, however, we have morphed that calling into something akin to evil. We use the words of others and then pretend it is our words. We write what God has given us and then get angry if someone else uses them without exalting us by giving us credit. And in doing all of this, we actually reject the intention of the Gospel we are supposed to follow. We have become as legalistic as we can be, and as self-focused as we can be. We all need to repent and become a lot more humble of heart. If Jesus did not come to condemn but to save, why do we think we have the right to condemn? We don't. The bottom line is that God has given us everything, because we are not smart enough (even the religious intellectuals among us) to come up with anything original to ourselves. What do the kids nowadays say? "Chill out and get over it!"

January 4, 2011

48. Tofu Asaeli says...

Whatever papers I write for my college courses at Northwest University that are uploaded online are first sent to a separate site that checks them for plagiarism before the professor gets them to grade. Perhaps Sermon Central should subscribe to such a service and submit all sermons for a check. A score above say 15% should be cause for rejection – and we may find that no sermon will pass the test! I'm sure that even those who cry foul on this issue will be surprised that they are not in the clear either. I would venture to say that even the opinions expressed in the article are not original, so now what! I truly appreciate the sermons on this site and have gleaned from them in the past. I have cited at times and at other times when I feel it's disrupting to the flow, I did not cite. Moreover, trying to translate my citations into the Samoan language does not go well and I usually leave them off. I am guilty according to the definitions cited in the article and in the past, I have asked God for forgiveness in cases where I know I could have done better. Blessings to you all…

January 3, 2011

47. Joji Jacob Kaden says...

It is interesting to see that we as humans long to be credited for whatever little we do. But unfortunately, in the ministry of the Gospel, we have been handed over the message to be proclaimed. We are called to preach the same gospel message to the people and the same biblical teaching and admonition to the Church. Anyone who preaches a gospel other than what is given by the Apostles is accursed. There is only one original message, the message of the Bible. The difference is in the way one presents it, the vocabulary, the style, the articulation, the explanation, the interpretation (whether right or wrong). These days people are making money by selling the Word of God and the message of the Bible, which is freely given to us. Let them settle it with their Master, who is the original author of the message. People are trying to take credit for passing on the message they freely received. They are trying to impress up on others that they have received it directly from God as a special revelation, which is heresy. We are called to pass on the message handed down to us. We should never forget that are just doing errands at His command and He is the author who deserves all credit, glory and fame.

January 3, 2011

46. Diana Ball says...

Paul talks about not being personally rewarded when preaching. He also talks about standing on the shoulders of others. We can assume that Paul preached ONLY because he wanted others saved through Jesus Christ. Today, we find some preachers who get upset and condemn others who use their materials. This is pure selfishness and is very prideful. Do they get upset when they use God's word to build their own messages? Remember, when you point a finger of blame toward someone, there are three more fingers pointing right back at you! (An old saying, but it fits.) If you do not want someone using your materials, either with or without giving you precious credit, then don't post your materials in public places. And for those congregations who would fire a pastor because the pastor used someone else's sermons .... they have no clue as to what a pastor's job really is, and they are living in total legalism. I am sure they really make God very happy, don't you agree?

January 3, 2011

45. Gail Cameron says...

I am a lay speaker for the United Methodist Church in South Georgia. I am also a single parent of two girls and I take care of my aging mother on top of working, right now, 3 part time jobs. I am often called upon to preach with very little notice. Though nothing takes the place of personal study, online resources are a valuable tool when I am called Saturday to preach on Sunday. Most of the time I will use online resources to research a specific scripture or topic. One time, however, one sermon did move me to the point that I printed it and used it as my outline, letting the congregation know that I found the sermon online and it spoke to me and I wanted to share it. I do often, however, use truths brought to light from my research without giving 'credit' to whomever brought that truth to light, because when I do research online I read through many sermons, taking this from one and that from another, to stop my sermon everytime I used something from another person's sermon would definitely quench the Spirit, giving credit to man, not God. However, I do agree with not using illustrations or stories without at least acknowleging it was from someone else, and I will tell you why: My girls and I were at a Christian festival this summer. There was a very dynamic speaker who had the audience, including me, captured. Then he began to tell a story that he said he experienced himself. The problem is is that I have a tape of an interview I did with someone over 20 years ago who told the exact same story almost verbatim. At that moment, I turned the speaker off and didn't listen to anything else he said, because I no longer trusted him as real. He may have spoken truth before and after his story, but I couldn't tell you, because all I knew is that one part of his 'talk' was a lie. That experience taught me the importance of integrity of the stories we tell when we are preaching. As ministers of the gospel we have to connect with those we are speaking to. They have to trust us in order to receive from us. When we betray that trust, we build a wall instead of a bridge. I believe that is something we have to answer to God for. If I am going to preach God's Word, I believe he holds me to a higher standard and I take that seriously.

January 3, 2011

44. Ron Matthews says...

mark massey says... "If my bullet fits your gun, use it and if your bullet fits my gun, send it to me and I'll use it. Give God the credit not me and we'll give God the glory when we get to heaven for all the people who were blessed or saved" - Rick Warren The purpose of Sermoncentral was to assist preachers who worked and serves in the ministry. Verbatum no but to use part of someone's sermon or outline is okay as long as God is glorified and not we ourselves.No one speaks of the number of conventions we attend whereas ministers have booths and are selling their sermons. If you do not wish to share your messages, it's okay. But to share and then complain, remember that our calling is to save souls and not be worshipped for inspired words from God. I agree with Mark Massey & Rick Warren.

January 3, 2011

43. Andres Moroz says...

Interesting comments. One thing I am unable to comprehend is how someone can claim they have received something from God and then quickly run off and copyright it! If the Lord gave it, isn't it His? And, if He gave it, doesn't it follow that He gave it so others would benefit from His "free" gift? What gives me exclusive rights to it? As it has already been pointed out, I don't really care who uses my material or if they ever give me credit for it because, ultimately, it isn't mine at all! It is His. The Lord has the rights to it and, one would assume, to us as well. Let's face it, if God can use a dumb ass to speak to a backslidden prophet, He can use anyone! (One wonders what would’ve happened if Balaam's donkey knew about copyright laws). Let's not be so arrogant as to think, "This is mine!" Jesus certainly doesn't mind us using His words and neither did Paul. In fact, both Jesus and Paul encouraged the saints to spread their words far and wide. I don't see Paul fretting about not getting any credit for his words either. People ask for my notes and outlines all the time and I’m happy to give them to anyone who asks and encourage them to pass them along to others. My attitude has always been: there is a whole lot more where those came from. We drink from an inexhaustible well and we do so freely. And, as we do, the Lord expects rivers to freely flow out from us to satisfy the thirst of others. It is in giving that we satiate our own thirst.

January 3, 2011

42. Rev. Todd Kezerian says...

If you take another persons sermon verbatum and use it under your name then that is not doing the work of the ministry. I don't really think that is going on though; at least not in any great numbers. I confess, I do not understand the idea of copyright among believers. We are working together and if my ideas get people in your altars on Sunday (whether I get the credit or not) I would feel blessed, not slighted. Those who would complain of nor recieving the credit really need to get over themselves. It isn't about you. I would bet that any preacher who has to rely heavily on the ideas of another is not out for fame or fortune, but ony to feed the Lord's sheep. Glad I could help you brother and let me know if I can help you more. Sounds like the right response to me.

January 3, 2011

41. Gerald Woodward says...

Reading all these comments crack me up. When pastoring as a Dual Vocational pastor often I had to use any help I could get. I made sure to cite my references, however, the congregation had no idea who I was talking about. Unless you are citing the Rev. Billy Graham they had no clue. I have since had to close the church because the work load and lack of help took me down. Wise afterthought, I will in the future just use the terms I read or I heard ... and go on. This keeps my honor without disrupting my thought. Remember, most people will have no idea who you are talking about when you cite names.

January 3, 2011

40. Donald McCulley says...

Dr.Don McCulley says: Some excellent thoughts and insights on today's post.Many times SermonCentral has been a source of help to me.Three weeks I ago I posted my first series on a study I did from Jeremiah.Why? Because I enjoyed writing them and wanted to share them with others.If they help someone else-great.As I have been reading I thought about a time I was outlining a text and decided to see how a particular preacher had outlined it.What I discovered was that he had done it the same way.What am I to do now?I didn't steal anything from him! I surely wasn't going to change it just because it was the same.I have also found it rather interesting as I have been preaching through the 119th Psalm that the thoughts and ideas of John Phillips and C.H. Spurgeon are strangely similar and I have the utmost respect for both men's writings.Now who gleaned from who?

January 3, 2011

39. Maurice McCarthy says...

There is nothing new under the sun. (Source Solomon son of David). A long time ago I heard the addage: originality is the art of concealing your sources. I am the sum of everything I have read and heard, I don't have time or the ability to source out everything I know. If I were selling your work as my own that would be stealing. But to borrow points of an outline, or a couple lines here and there that are in the public domain anyway. I don't think so. Besides,What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?".That is from Paul who got it from God. Do I also need to say I am quoting from the NIV? The amount of time we have to preach is limited there is no need to clutter or bog it down in incessant citation of sources, I am not delivering a thesis but sermon.

January 3, 2011

38. Gene Jones says...

I don’t use the messages on sermon central, but I have used things I’ve learned from others. If you have read Spurgeon, Moody, and others you have no doubt used some of their work. Maybe without even remembering where you learned it. Many years ago I went to a town about 90 miles from my home to buy some books off of a preacher. We got to talking about what others had written and preached and he told me a story that happened in his fathers life that was also a preacher. He said that a young preacher had come up to his father and said “do you remember the sermon you preached last year at a certain revival” and his father said “yes I remember that sermon” the young preacher said he had preached that same message last night an 6 souls were saved & he hoped the older preacher didn’t mind. The old preacher said to him “I don’t mind at all, you be their dad and I’ll be their grand dad.” Everything you have or ever will have was given to you. Maybe those who Want to make a name for themselves and pretend that they didn’t receive what they have from God ought to read James 1:17 and what Paul said to Timothy in II Tim 2:2. If you don’t want anyone using what you think you've come up with don’t put it out there because someone will most likely use it or part of it. God is keeping count of our sermons.

January 3, 2011

37. Tracy McIntyre says...

I had a unique message once in 20 plus years of pastoring. I had pondered for some time that Jesus was not a means to some other end, Jesus was the end. He wasn't to be used to get something else that we really want, but He is to be what we really want, He is the end. As I was preaching the message a nagging thought was in the back of my mind "I've heard this somewhere before". Sure enough, as I thought and thought, I remembered sitting through a Sunday School Class on a book by Roy Hession, called, the Calvary Road. He had expounded upon that idea in the book. Alas, my one "original" sermon, not so original. But, I think what I'm understanding from all of this is to not "steal" a sermon of Bill Hybel's, preach it as if you labored over it and use his illustrations as if they were your own and try to pawn that message off as a product of your own. If you love a message by Bill Hybel's and you think your congregations needs to hear it, just say - "I read a sermon by Bill Hybels, it is so excellent, that 90% of what I'm going to pass along to you today comes from that message, but I think it is timely for us to hear". There you go, integrity in tack and no misleading going on.

January 3, 2011

36. Andres Moroz says...

If preachers were to fully adhere to the expert's opinions expressed here then, ultimately, anyone who stands before people and cracks the Bible open to preach a sermon is committing plagiarism of some sort because they are using someone else's words and ideas. After all, isn't that what the inspired words of Scripture are? And ... how about preachers granting themselves the license to freely quote and/or paraphrase passages from the Bible without giving a Bible reference or naming the author? Isn't that a form of plagiarism? Or... using a Bible passage out of context, because it seems to "fit" their particular train of thought? Heaven knows that entire sermons series have been constructed on that basis. Even the staunchest objectors will admit they have done it a time or two themselves. Lest we forget, Solomon reminds us that, ultimately, "...there is nothing new under the sun." Eccl. 1:9 (NKJ). So, unless the preacher claims to himself the lofty title of "prophet" or "apostle" in the classical sense of the word, chances are that the "new" and "fresh word from the Lord" he boasts of, is already someone else's thoughts and has been preached many times times before.

January 3, 2011

35. Jess English says...

. . . Something to be said for knowing the sermon inside out through your own diligence: 1 Timothy 4 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[a] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

January 3, 2011

34. Jeff Strite says...

Having read Dennis L. Bates Jr comments (post 35), I agree. I also skim the sermons here on Sermoncentral for ideas. If I quote the sermon I try to give credit when I post my sermon online (though I don't always as I preach) and I've even given credit to sermons I didn't quote but which jogged my thinking in powerful ways. To my mind, that is why sites like sermoncentral exist: to get the creative juices going and to allow me to read what insights others have gained from God's word. I tried preaching another man's sermon once... and it was a disaster. Besides if I don't allow God's Word to go through me I miss out on all the fun of seeing what the Bible has to say to me.

January 3, 2011

33. Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., PhD. says...

I have to agree with Mark Massey and Sharon Thomas especially in this matter. Brother Mark said "When Jesus preached, he used the words of OT prophets in his messages. I do not recall his stopping and citing His source in his message to his hearers on every occasion." This is true. I agree whole-heartedly, and frankly I am sure that God finds it even more distressing that HIS ministers would be more concerned over whether a preacher "cites" another rather than citing THE WORD. I do use Sermon Central as a resource for ideas, usually (as in 99.9999% of the time) I have my key topic in mind that I have already received from God, I utilize the search engine here and enter my topic idea and then SKIM through multiple sermons, mainly to help find my key text from the BIBLE. Rarely do I use any sermon directly as a source. Frankly, when I get up to preach, most of the time my notes end up left on the pulpit while the Holy Ghost leads the service!! LOL, I agree with many on here and some I do not. I agree, there should be some guidelines set, maybe as one stated, there should be a seperate section, for those whose sermons are free of copy-right issues to those who do not want their material repeated without citations. I like what Tracy McIntyre says, and I agree. For example, while listening to a minister in song the other night, he began to testify, he stated some things that struck a "chord" and immediately I began researching text. Again, another example, while reading a post on Face Book, a friend made a statement, quoting a verse, the key verse he quoted struck that same "chord" and I added to. Using some of their words, some of their ideas. I have to point this one thign out; in the front of every bible I own, there is a copyright and the words "all rights reserved". How many pastors, preachers, teachers, evangelist, etc., use a digital version of the bible and "copy and paste" verses into their outline?? Is this plagiarism or this using the word of God as HE intended? Man may say it is a copyright violation, but I am sure GOD would say USE MY WORDS AND TEACH...

January 3, 2011

32. Richard Hopper says...

I can understand the concern of colleagues who have worked hard to formulate their ideas and record them for posterity. I have often been inspired by preachers of former decades and centuries but never in my 30+ years of preaching have I deliberately taken any of their material intentionally. Giving credit where credit is due has always been my motto, but I would find it incredibly difficult to sight every thought and word to the correct writer. If we do the best we can in sighting authors for their material then so be it, but don't stress out about things that can easily be left to the Lord and the critics.

January 3, 2011

31. Dr. William Melton says...

As we work side by side in our Lord's vinyard, if you see somthing that I am doing that will help you harvest better or faster, by all means try it. The goal is to get the harvest in before the master returns. Considering the lateness of the hour it seems silly to argue over mechanics. Why is it an issue when the main goal is to reach the lost. Every good gift comes from God. Because He is very giving, I feel no imposition in sharing with you what I have been so graciously given. I do think it most important to always be honest with the listener when relating life experiences and not say something happened to me when it didn't. That might hinder the Spirit and ultimately allow an opening for the devil to convince the listener that the rest of my message was false as well. It would defeat the whole purpose wouldn't it? Bro. Lavon Hayden's post best describes my feelings on the matter. And, as for the bi-vocational pastor who posted, God bless you and use every honest tool at your disposal for the work at hand. If the Holy Spirit dosen't burden you about it, go full steam ahead. The Lord is your direct report. Remember "Sometimes the dogs bark but the train still goes by". Didn't Oral Roberts say that?

January 3, 2011

30. Phil Kitchin says...

Let's be honest. None of us has ever had an original idea in our lives. If you think you have, please re-read the verses quoted below from Ecclesiastes. To write piously that a pastor ought to resign or be fired for using material gleaned from someone else is the epitome of pride and hypocricy. D.A. Carson and Sandy Wilson should be equally chastened for lying. Everything they know, preach or espouse has come from someone else or somewhere else ... teachers, parents, friends, mentors, the Holy Spirit, preachers of the past and, hopefully, the Holy Scriptures. For Sermon Central and other sermon websites to gain financially from selling sermon material and then rather piously add a paragraph stating, "Oh by the way, please don't use all this material other than for reference, because that would be wrong!" is nonsense. I grow weary of this debate. And oh by the way, what's wrong with that Apostle Paul? He didn't pay tribute to any of those songwriters whose songs he quotes. Especially that great gospel tune Philippians 2:5-11!

January 3, 2011

29. mark massey says...

"If my bullet fits your gun, use it and if your bullet fits my gun, send it to me and I'll use it. Give God the credit not me and we'll give God the glory when we get to heaven for all the people who were blessed or saved" - Rick Warren, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 (Purpose Driven Church Conference, Saddleback Valley Community Church.) When Jesus preached, he used the words of OT prophets in his messages. I do not recall his stopping and citing His source in his message to his hearers on every occasion. Maybe I just have the wrong translation of the Bible. All the plagiarism hunters need to realize that all the D.A. Carson's of the world do exactly what they condemn just simply rewords some work they read from someone else last week or 40 years ago. The guy they read it from the did the same thing 100 years before that. The gospel ministry is not a science where new discoveries are happening everyday. We deal with the Word of God. It has the same number of books today that it had 1000 years ago. If you guys are so worried that someone is going to use your "original" thought, which probably is really original, don't buy commentaries, bible software programs, or sermon books and for sure stay away from this web site and others like it. Study the Bible, think up your on stuff, use other guys stuff if it will help reach someone, give God the glory and get over it!

January 3, 2011

28. Oscar Moreira says...

I agree that repeating a sermon or part of it in front of a congregation and claiming it as their own is totally wrong, but based on the difference of opinions expressed here I have a favor to ask to all preachers who believe that if another preacher uses a thought or idea of their sermon is stealing: Please refrain from posting your sermons as aids to other preachers. Those who believe that the use of their sermon leads to sin then please don't enable your brother from falling into it. As with any copyrighted book or material they should disclose that their ideas are proprietary and state their terms of use. Here in Sermon Central there could be categories of sermons, those whose authors agree to freely distribute them, those that have disclosure requirements, and those which are not intended to be used in sermon preparation. Thank you.

January 3, 2011

27. David Long says...

I agree with all, but if that is the case then what's the purpose of having these sermons display online? Knowing that people will use them.

January 3, 2011

26. Jess English says...

I may be missing something as I have not read all the posted replies here. Let me first say that I have never taken a sermon from another minister. While there is something to be said for the need of a minister to be well studied and knowledgeable, please consider this: If you are given words of the HOLY SPIRIT, what pride have you in calling a sermon your own? When we read of Paul or Peter, do we not repeat what they had said? Paul himself used a simialar speech as given by Stephen before he was stoned to death. (To which Paul [Saul] was a witness) What of Matthew Henry? Scofield? Be mindful of what the Lord puts on your heart, not in dispute over things such as this.

January 3, 2011

25. Thomas Donelan says...

I understand the need for preachers to be honest with themselves and their congregation. I use to serve under a Pastor who was always “to busy” to study for his sermons and constantly bought sermon outline books or downloaded sermons to use as “his own” but the truth of the matter is that they always degenerated to one of his five basic sermons. So lack of preparation always will show up. My simple policy is to give credit where credit is due. You will always find endnotes on my sermons if I used somebody else’s material. This is not for their sake but to keep myself right. I personally do not care if somebody uses a quote or illustration of mine and “forgets” to credit the source. My thought is this: there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9) so even if the thought seems “original” to me, (like the illustration came to me suddenly and not from researching somebody else) somebody else has used it before somewhere and God just blessed me to have it to use. So go ahead, read the sermons at sermon central, but remember the main source for our sermons is the Bible.

January 3, 2011

24. sharon thomas says...

FRANKLY, I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SUCH AN ISSUE! I AGREE WITH WHAT LAVON HADEN SAID - IF A SERMON IS ANOINTED THEN THE SOURCE ULTIMATELY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. I LOVE IT WHEN MINISTER FRIENDS USE MY MESSAGE DIRECTLY (AND I DON'T EXPECT THEM TO GIVE ME CREDIT) I KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE MESSAGE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HE WANTS IT USED. I BELIEVE THERE IS A LOT OF PRIDE INVOLVED WITH ALWAYS HAVING TO HAVE YOUR NAME MENTIONED WHENEVER OTHERS TEACH WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN, WHEN SOMETHING THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE YOU IS USED. WAKE UP PEOPLE - GOD IS THE SOURCE LET'S JUST GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!

January 3, 2011

23. Bruce Ball says...

Kudows to Howard Strickland! I agree fully. I find the whole subject of preachers needing to "get credit" offensive. All of us should be focused on giving to others what God has given us. I have used other preachers concepts, and even their words at times, in my sermons. I have always either given them direct credit or have used, "Other preachers have said ....." Too many "men of God" self-righteously focus on their 'elite position' rather than viewing themselves as God's holy servant. That is what the Pharisees did. This serves only to exalt them before other men. If someone uses my materials, I thank God I was able to do something that might go forth and touch more people through others. All inspiration and all words originally come from the LORD. Should we not be using our energies and time giving Him the glory rather than trying to keep our own self-righteous glory? That being said, if I preach a sermon I get from someone else, and do not give my congregation the information as to where I got it, then I am guilty of not being truthful with them. Let's stop the game playing and once again view ourselves as, not great orators, but as humble servants of a mighty God, and as servants, we freely give what we have freely received. And let's just be honest where we get our words. Besides, if someone gives your sermon and it brings someone to Christ .... isn't that what it's all about anyway? We will get our just rewards for what we feel in our hearts, so let us be very careful to exalt God and not ourselves.

January 3, 2011

22. Howard Strickland says...

Everything I do, I feel as though I do for God. I am not my own; therefore, as I publish for Sermon Central for other men of God to read, or I read someone elses sermon, devotion, Bible, a song, prayer, or anything else, if the HolySpirit quickens me it becomes property of the Spirit within me. I have never preached someone else's message verbatim, and wouldn't attempt to try. Before I can be comfortable with any message the Spirit has to quicken it within. However if anyone desires to use any sermon I have posted on Sermon Central please do so. Freely give, and freely receive.

January 3, 2011

21. Cynthia Jennison says...

I always write out a complete manuscript for every sermon. Some people don't like this style; they think you should "preach from the heart." However, there are several great advantages, including the ability to not only orally cite general sources, but also to fully cite specific sources in footnotes. If anyone wants a copy of my sermon--there it is, with complete citations. This would be a strong defense against that disgrunted member's charge of plagarism (as mentioned in comment #13). I do think it is wrong to copy full sermons or to pretend another's personal illustration is one's own. But here's a question for everyone: is it self-plagarism to reuse a previous sermon I have written?

January 3, 2011

20. Gary Vaughn says...

Why do we have websites such as "sermoncentral"? Why do we have pastoral help books in book stores? If we take the logic of the writers, then theses sources of information would not even exist. I agree that we should not preach a sermon word for word, but to say the one who uses another persons material should be fired/ resign is wrong. I'm a bi-vocational pastor at a small rural church, I work 40hrs a week at a secular job, pastor a group of 30/40 people on a weekly basis, expected to have three sermons a week, plus any unexpected funeral messages, plus I have a family. Thank God that He has given these resources to HELP someone like me, who is called by God to preach HIS WORD!

January 3, 2011

19. says...

I really don't understand the scientific point of view of D.A. Carson and Sandy Willson. Besides that I am from the Netherlands and have to translate anything I would like to use from an English source, I don't understand why you should not use anyone's sermon. I am of course not allowed to be a lazy preacher who does a word by word preaching of someone elses sermon. But that's not so clever anyway. If you would like to communicate it is better to use your own words. So what stands for me is the outline of someone elses sermon. I almost never cite anyone in my preaching. My audience is not waiting for a scientific approach to learn lifechanging truths. They are waiting for the word of God in their situation. If that's a sermon outline from some good preacher that helps to bring out the message, than what's the deal. Anyone who would like to use my message and find it appropriate to his/her congregation after spending time to know from God if this is the case, could use it without ever quoting my name! What they of course should not do is telling my life story as their own. So I like more the approach Tim Keller gives in his answer. Always ask yourself: am I serving my congregation with the best that's in my ability? And am I really honest with the examples I give. We are giving testimony to Gods Word. We should do that with real life examples. The best sermons are that ones where people are seeing that we struggled as their fellow Christian in the same area as they do. If you haven't experienced nothing in the area you are preaching about, why not seek someone in you congregation who could give a testimony. Besides that I should use every word of information I can lay my hands on. By the way my situation is that I am not a fulltime pastor, so I haven't so much time to prepare a sermon anyway. Mostly 5 to 10 hours. So it helps a lot that others have done some of the creative process. I thank God for that and use it gratefully as His gift.

January 3, 2011

18. LAVON HADEN says...

IN A DAY WHEN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST NEEDS TO BE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD MORE THAN ANYOTHER TIME IN OUR LIVES, AND AS MEN CALLED OF GOD TO DO SO BY WHATEVER MEANS POSSIBLE (TAKE UP YOUR CROSS) (BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN THAT I MIGHT SAVE SOME) AM I NOW HEARING MEN OF GOD CLAIMING RIGHTS TO HIS INSPIRATION AND NOT GIVING GOD THE CREDIT. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT PLAGIARISM, LETS TALK ABOUT TAKING CREDIT OURSELVES FOR WHAT RIGHTLY BELONGS TO GOD. WE HAVE MUCH GREATER THINGS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAN WHO GETS CREDIT OR TAKES CREDIT. IF YOU HAVE A SERMON YOU WANT TO BE SURE NO ONE HEARS IT WITHOUT YOU GETTING CREDIT OR BEING PAID FOR IT, IM SORRY BUT YOU HAVE MISSED THE WHOLE MEANING OF GO PREACH. HOW ABOUT WE GIVE "ALL" THE GLORY TO GOD AND BE LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL WHEN HE SAID "WHETHER IN PRETENSE, OR IN TRUTH, CHRIST IS PREACHED; AND I THERIN DO REJOICE, YEA, AND WILL REJOICE." THIS IS A SUBJECT FOR THE SELFISH WORLDLY PEOPLE THIS WORLD HAS BECOME, NOT FOR MEN OF GOD.

January 3, 2011

17. David Hilty says...

Hopefully none of us is preaching in order to impress our congregation with our creativity or oratory skills. The most important thing is that we communicate biblical truths to our congregations. So as long as the preacher I'm listening to does this I really don't care where he got his idea or information. If it's biblical, preach it. Personally, I wouldn't care one bit if someone chose to "re-preach" one of my messages.

January 3, 2011

16. Betty Johnson says...

I agree that it is wrong to take another's message verbatim and palm it off as one's own. However, when I post a message on sermoncentral, I give up my rights to that sermon, whether I do so legally or not. Just as when a couple has sex, they give up their right to be childless. Credit is fine if a colleague wants to give it, but to me, wanting credit for whatever reason is pride, and that may be argued is a "worse" sin than plagarism. Laziness in using another's material, that is sinful. But every pastor who is worth anything knows there are those weeks when the amount of preparation and study of God's word as indicated by some here, is simply not possible (3 funerals in one week?). During those times, that is what community is for - that is why I post my sermons (albeit not many of them compared to some!), but with the intention of offering the gift of a message God has given me, to colleagues who may need a "boost" in an already difficult week. Grace, grace, grace - with responsibility!!

January 3, 2011

15. Ron MacArthur says...

Isn't the whole idea of preaching to deliver to your congregation the exact message the Holy Spirit has for that particular congregation at that specific time? How can that be done if the pastor has stolen a message from another pastor no matter where he steals it from? Preaching is delivering God's will and direction to that particular congregation and "working smarter not harder" is a sorry excuse for plagerizing sermons. You short change God and the congregation when you do that. Pastoring should be a calling, not a job and messages should be original. Unfortunately some think messages must be perfect so they steal them. God can use the simplest of messages to reach hearts. How sad that preaching has come to using others material rather than hearing from the Holy Spirit. If a pastor can't produce anything on his own for pete's sake just do a line for line study of a New Testament book. Really isn't preaching directly from the word the basic idea anyway? Please don't shortchange God and your congregation by plagerizing sermons

January 3, 2011

14. Jesse Campbell says...

If a sermon is heavily Biblical as it should be, then the material of that sermon is not yours to begin with, sir. I openly invite people to use the products of my exegesis. If I develop a sermon and preach it, it is used once and possibly never again. If others take it and preach it, then that labor yields more than what was sown and for that I praise God. I don't care to make my own name great by insisting that it be uttered to the complete strangers who hear "my" material.

January 3, 2011

13. Jay G Smith says...

I disagree totally with the response of D.A. Carson and Sandy Wilson. I agree more with Tim Keller as he has expressed where most of us small church pastors are coming from. The accusation of the "crime" of plagiarism is becoming one of the most "popular" ways of disgruntled church members getting rid of the pastor when in fact, there is no crime being committed. Legal counsel has advised me that even though using other material without giving them credit is wrong, if you are not gaining in any material way from the use of the material, there is no crime.

January 3, 2011

12. Paul DiGregorio says...

I agree with those who have posted why does sermon central exist? You put out all these sermons for what reason? If I'm not mistaken there is a fee for an upgraded membership. Some sites or pastors charge fees for their sermons. I think when you do that you lose all your rights to it. I sometimes use other sermons more as commentaries than anything else. If I ever use a direct quote I cite the credit. Sometimes I use it to get ideas.I have looked extensively into copy right and ideas cannot be copy righted.

January 3, 2011

11. Jeff Strite says...

One wit observed "I milk many cows, but I churn my own butter." Unfortunately I know of a couple of preachers who have gotten in trouble for not just milking the cows, but stealing the whole herd. They had been caught preaching my sermons at their congregations. When one of their concerned members contacted me to ask my advice, I explained that I didn't mind if the preacher used my sermons, and I didn't even care whether they gave me credit - they weren't really my sermons anyway (I felt they were the product of God's working in my preparation). However, I understood the congregation's sense of betrayal and asked that they deal with this "sin" as they would with any other - lovingly confront, give an opportunity for repentance and restore the preacher with an understanding that it shouldn't happen again.

January 3, 2011

10. Don Kesner says...

I'm a little confused myself. On one hand, I'm told to log in to places such as Sermon Central and get sermon ideas and outlines. I go to Christian bookstores and buy Pastoral Help books that have sermons and outlines, etc. I read them, I use some of their insights and add my own, changing the sermon to fit my people in a way that God leads me to do so. I have an office full of books, references and other information that I use religiously - now I get the impression that I shouldn't use any such books unless I attribute every sentence used or every idea taken, to the person in each book. If using someone else's material, (not verbatim) is wrong, then I guess multitudes of pastors are wrong, and Sermon Central is wrong for promoting the sermons of all of these pastors. Besides, where did they get their sermon from? I pray daily and listen to God. He, at times, gives me some great insights. Other times, he gives me great insights from others who have preached the same gospel that I preach. I've read many of the messages on Sermon Central and many of those in books, and I see very little that can be called "original." I don't take credit for others sermons. My people have seen my office and they know I have reference books to go by. They have seen then strewn out on my desk many times. "If I can see further than any other, it's because I've stood on the shoulders of giants who have walked before me." That is one of my favorite quotes, and I've heard pastors quote it, and attribute it to the wrong person because they heard someone else do the same. Come on, don't make pastors feel that just because they utilize your site, or use sermon idea books that they should be locked up, or be forced to quit. I'm not selling my sermons. Anything God gives me is up for grabs because, although I'm not stupid by any means, neither am I the sharpest knife in the drawer. But I do listen to God when He speaks. And I thank God for Sermon Central and for great reference books that show me things about the Bible that I may have missed in my studies.

January 3, 2011

9. Tracy McIntyre says...

It reminds me of something I heard once, copy from one source and it's plagiarism, copy from multiple sources and it's research. I have read books and formed sermons from them, I have heard great messages that inspired me and struck a chord in my heart and took 85% of their material and added 15% of my insights and illustrations and made it personal to me, I don't find that wrong and wouldn't mind if a writing or message of mine inspired someone to do the same. Now, do I take someone else's message in its entirety, print it and preach it, investing a whole 10 minutes in my sermon prep, no - that would be irresponsible, lazy and dishonorable.

January 3, 2011

8. Vincent Olaer says...

I just wonder why pastors need to copy a sermon? Perhaps you can get some idea, but not totally copy it and deliver it as yours. In this issue, I wouldn't be concern much of plagiarism, but for the incompetence the pastor / preacher is practicing. He's not devoting his time in studying GOd's words which is far more important than anything else in pastoral preaching ministry. I strongly believe that God will be giving you wisdom to get the necessary sermon that you need to deliver.

January 3, 2011

7. Tony Abram says...

Good thoughts, however, I share my sermons and outlines for others to use and have thoughts of their own. I listen and read others to receive ideals for my own messages. Once again their is nothing new under the son. We are all on the same team and should be running the same 'game plan'. We have the same 'coach'. However, I agree it is wrong to take credit for what others have done.

January 3, 2011

6. Donald Owens says...

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 says, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time."

January 3, 2011

5. Mark Anthony Tyrer says...

I agree that this can be a tricky issue, however, when creating that sermon, where did the ideas come from, where did the creativity for your message originate? Does it come from you or does it come from God? If it comes from you, why are you preaching it, but if it comes from God, then who does the sermon belong to? you or God. My opinion is that even though you wrote that sermon, it comes from God and belongs to God. If someone wants to use the sermon that you laboured over, it is more honour to you and to God. Will you not get blessed for your work and your evangelism. On the other side however, as a matter of integrity, it is always better to acknowledge the references that you have used. While the messages that I have used are generally my own work, where I knowingly reference the work of someone I give them the credit - that is fair. I do listen to a lot of christian radio, and I do attend church services and events, if I sit down to write a message, where did the germ of the message come from? Is my sub conscious regurgitating the ideas of someone else or are they original thoughts? My logic says that in either case, my words come from God. With a billion Christians on the planet, with so much creativity flowing amongst us, should we not share the better works amongst ourselves?

January 3, 2011

4. Jim Ressegieu says...

I'm 67 years of age and about 50 years ago as a senior in high school I learned a lesson about plagiarism from my English teacher. I thought I could get the oldest, mustiest books on Wordsworth for my paper--the teacher must have had the same books as my paper was full of red ink and the word "Plagiarism" written several times--I learned a valuable lesson and, thankfully, the teacher gave me two or three days to re-submit my paper! I do feel, however, that it is easier to footnote written material used for publication than to give detailed references in an oral presentation (sermon, Bible class, etc). However, I thank you for the article and the points raised by the writers--sometimes I'm probably sloppy in giving credits where due and I shall strive to get better in my oral presentations. Thanks again for the reminder of our responsibility!

January 3, 2011

3. Gerald Manning says...

I confess to having been guilty early in my ministry of failing to handle this issue properly. But over the years (now over 40 yrs of ministry), I've learned to do it better! Here is a clip from my own msg from yesterday, demonstrating how clear I try to be, nowadays, when using others' material. I do this for two reasons: 1. I send my sermons to others to read, and 2. Folks should get strokes for their work. This is a verbatim clip from my sermon: PRESTON BROWN, A Nazarene minister in Monterey, Tennessee has made a startlingly delightful sermon from Proverbs 3, that he calls "10 New Year’s Resolutions from the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived." I was unaware of his sermon until after I had already put together my several lists of 10 things ... but his linking the chapter to New Year's resolutions really needs to be repeated and emphasized! He writes, "You know, when you think about it, all New Year’s Resolutions basically fall into 3 categories. They deal with: That's all it takes. In my view, Pastor Brown is honored, God is pleased, and the folks who heard or will read the sermon get the benefit of his work.

January 3, 2011

2. says...

Begs the question Why does Sermon Central exist?

January 3, 2011

1. elizabeth k. best says...

I applaud the authors of this fine call to honesty and integrity in the pulpit and to ministry in general. Several of us have small home based ministries, but put a great deal of labor and research into our work. There is a cavalier attitude out there in the general public and unfortunately in the Church that all intellectual property of a Christian nature is up for grabs. (No wonder they think there were 3 Isaiahs). The believers who take the LORD very seriously and strive for his will, are being pushed aside often by those with a profit motive. Our motto should be 'prophets, not profits'.