The Bible is a fascinating, ancient document. What is the utility of secondary literature to understand the text? How can the preacher best utilize it in preaching?

Dave and Jeremy sit down with Scott Hafemann to discuss.

Preachers need to be aimed at far more than information distribution. How does one preach with the goal of repentance? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy wrestle with the challenge.

How does a preacher speak to the whole audience in ways that go deep without losing people and broad without being boring?

Ed, Dave, and Jeremy give some insights.

It can be a challenge to know how to speak naturally in the pulpit. How can a preacher grow in the maintenance and use of their voice? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy talk from personal experience.

Jeremy dives back into the mailbag to ask listener questions to Ed and Dave about preaching.

Is humor ever appropriate in preaching? If so, what are some principles to keep in mind as we utilize it? Hear Dave, Ed, and Jeremy, who have very different personalities, discuss.

How does the doctrine of God help in preaching texts? How do we say what we should without saying to little or too much in a sermon?

Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss, providing examples from their own work.

Why is simplicity in preaching important? Who benefits? How do we strive for it without being simplistic? Kevin Walker joins Ed and Jeremy to discuss. 

Should a preacher seek to be creative? How might such an attempt go wrong? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy revel in the creativity of the Bible and what it has to teach us about our own use of creativity with words.

Mentioned Resources
John Claude’s Essay on the Composition of a Sermon
Herman Bavinck’s On Preaching and Preachers

How does one utilize systematic theology in exposition well? What are the benefits of attempting such a thing? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy begin a mini-series on the use of systematic theology in preaching.

There seem to be moments that demand a topical sermon. What are they? How can a topical sermon be done well? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss and provide examples.

Engaging the emotions and the will can be tricky. Should we do such a thing in preaching? How do we do so well? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss.


Topics Discussed
(00:06) - Preaching to the Heart
(06:24) - The Head vs the Heart in Preaching. Is There Room for Both?
(18:01) - The Role of Emotions in Preaching
(29:24) - Aligning Our Emotions with the Word When the Topic or Text Encites Emotion

Resources
As One Without Authority by Fred Craddock
The Christian Mind by Harry Blamires

Every preacher has a sermon or two that sticks out in their mind from a fellow preacher. What makes a sermon memorable? How do we thread the needle between wanting to be memorable and legitimately helping our people remember what they were taught?

Ed, Dave, and Jeremy try to figure it out. 

It is easy to float away from the text and talk about the same things every week. We should apply sermons, but how? How do we do application without getting sidetracked? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss. 

What is going on in Asia these days when it comes to training preachers? What are the challenges and encouragements? Darrell Young, the Simeon Trust's man in Asia, joins Dave and Jeremy to discuss. 


Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

How should pastors listen to preaching without getting distracted or overly critical? Should kids ever not be present in a sermon, given the content? As for personal illustrations, is it ever ok to be the hero? Dave and Ed take listener-submitted questions from Jeremy.


Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

Preachers often have opportunities to give short talks at events from the bible. What is the preacher to do in such situations? What are the challenges? And how can these talks improve our regular preaching? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss. 

How does one preach cross-culturally? What even counts as cross-cultural? On this episode, Ed and Jeremy sit down with Walter Carter III to discuss the benefits and challenges of preaching outside one's regular pulpit ministry. 

What is the preacher supposed to do with the gospel in a sermon? How can they use it to further the point of the text and not ruin it? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy take up these questions and give examples from their own pulpit work. 

How does one go about preaching short texts? Why would a preacher consider doing so? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss these questions and more.