Expository Preaching

How long should a sermon be? As a preaching professor and a pastor, I’ve asked and been asked that question a hundred times. You can preach as long as you hold their attention.

When a sermon doesn’t go well, most of us get very discouraged and if the despair is great enough, it might cause us to question whether we should continue to preach at all.

Striking the right tone, like all aspects of preaching, requires persistent vigilance.

  Editors note: Read also part 1 and part 2 of this series Participate In Ephesians 4, Paul tells us that God gave to the church, among other things, “shepherds and teachers.” Shepherds and teachers is simply another way of saying “pastors.” Paul is saying that your pastor is actually a gift from God. He’s…

  EDITOR’S NOTE: Below, James M. Hamilton Jr., associate professor of biblical theology at Southern Seminary, discusses his new book, Exalting Jesus in Ezra and Nehemiah, with Towers editor S. Craig Sanders. CS: What is your process for turning a sermon series into a book? JH: I had been manuscripting my sermons to be published…

  In the following videos Dan Dumas discusses expository preaching and how it’s changed with John MacArthur. You and see part one of this series here.   4. When you look at your expository ministry in total, are there any regrets or things you would do differently?    5.  What has been the fruit of a long expository…

  In the following videos Dan Dumas discusses expository preaching and how it’s changed with John MacArthur. 1. How has expository preaching changed since 1969 when you started preaching?   2. How has your preaching changed since you began?   3. What is the difference between a good communicator and an effective expositor? _________ –Dan…

  Following Jesus’ example and teaching, the apostles interpreted the meaning, significance, and application of the entire Bible in light of Jesus’ person and work. Their preaching was the preeminent display of this hermeneutical commitment. When the apostle Paul declared, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” he…

Did Jesus have to be resurrected for this sermon to work? If not, start over

  Editors note: Read also Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.   Be Aware of Historical or Cultural Background Issues The 66 books of the Bible often assume a reader’s familiarity with various cultural practices, geographic markers or political figures. Thus, when an untrained reader simply opens up the book of Isaiah and…

  *Editors note: You can read part 1 of this series here.   Let Scripture Interpret Scripture The hermeneutical guideline of “Scripture interpreting Scripture” has long been espoused by Christian interpreters, going back at least to Augustine (A.D. 354-430) and Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200). If we believe that all the Bible is inspired by God and thus…

  God has preserved for us an invaluable gift and resource in the canon of Scripture. In it we have the very words of God, written over many centuries by many men, and all inspired by one divine mind. He could not have given a better gift with more profitable guidance than he has in…

  When God speaks, creation obeys. When he spoke the universe into existence, it happened (Gen 1:3-26). When he speaks into the cold, dead hearts of sinners, a new creation appears (2 Cor 5:17). When preachers exposit the Word of God and announce that Jesus is the Christ, the church is built (Matt 16:16-18). Whenever…

  Writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul looks back on his ministry and declares satisfaction that he had finished his course. Paul would be the first to insist that his entire ministry was evidence of the grace and mercy of God, but he was assured that, by grace, he had finished his race. Paul’s statement…

  *Editors note: Read also Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.  The pastor’s stewardship of the theological task requires a clear sense of pastoral priority, a keen pastoral ear and careful attention to the theological dimensions of church life and Christian discipleship. This must be foundational to the ministry of the local church,…

  The transformation of theology into an academic discipline more associated with the university than the church has been one of the most lamentable developments of the last several centuries. In the earliest eras of the church, and through the annals of Christian history, the central theologians of the church were its pastors. This was…

Editors Note: This is the third post in a series on Expository Readiness. You can read part one of this series here and part two here. And To Your Teaching Pay close attention not only to yourself but also to your teaching. This is the second imperative in 1 Timothy 4:16. My observation is that most ministers aren’t…