At any one time in a gathering there will be Christians and non-Christians present. This presents the preacher with a challenge. Does he primarily focus on preaching to the Christians to edify and build them up or does he focus on evangelising the enquirers. Either way, he risks leaving part of the audience behind. Or… Continue reading How to listen to evangelistic sermons (when you already are a Christian)
Tag: expository preaching
How to listen to topical sermons
Instead of focusing on a specific Bible passage and drawing out the things it has to say, a topical sermon starts with an issue and tries to find out what the Bible says about it. For example, the sermon might deal with an issue in church life such as prayer, giving, worship or evangelism. A… Continue reading How to listen to topical sermons
How to listen to doctrinal sermons
Sometimes the aim of a sermon is to help us grasp a specific Biblical truth more clearly. This should not surprise us. We keep insisting that what we believe affects how we live. We may use a one off sermon or even a short series of sermons to teach on a particular doctrine. For example,… Continue reading How to listen to doctrinal sermons
How to listen to expository sermons
Are you sitting comfortably? The answer is “probably not” if you are in the typical church pew or crammed into a packed hall with little leg room. So hopefully the sermon will be short, sharp and snappy though you’ve got a feeling that it might not be. Expository sermons have a reputation for being long… Continue reading How to listen to expository sermons
“I don’t need no sauce on the word”
This tweet with media clip needs little explanation. Kanye West fantastically explains what expository preaching is and why we need it. For all of us preachers who are going to be tempted from time to time to be entertainers, it is worth hearing a strong exhortation from an actual entertainer that this is not our… Continue reading “I don’t need no sauce on the word”
Preaching longer passages
A recent FIEC webinar on church life during lockdown discussed preaching and one of the questions was around whether or not you can preach on longer passages online given the shorter attention span that online engagement causes. I am going to engage with the question of online preaching in my next article but in face… Continue reading Preaching longer passages
The difference between an exposition and a meander
I believe in the importance of systematic expository preaching which means that we work through a book of a Bible passage by passage each Sunday. I believe this is the best way to feed a congregation on God’s word. It enables the church to hear and engage with the whole of Scripture. It ensures that… Continue reading The difference between an exposition and a meander
Food for the long haul
The work of the word is long term and wholistic not short term and piecemeal Relevant? As we have been discussing, facing a major crisis like a pandemic and a lockdown will take more than occasional disjointed thoughts. We need to see the big picture of who God is and what his plans and purposes… Continue reading Food for the long haul
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