7 Books on Preaching
“Preach the word of God”! Paul’s admonition in 2 Timothy 4:2 has resonated in the hearts of millions of church leaders. The preacher carries a multitude of responsibilities: rightly divide the Word; effectively engage in public speaking; exegete the text and exegete the culture; understand what the text is saying and what the text is doing; connect it to the gospel; rightly apply Scripture in context to the listeners’ context; and prepare for all these acts of ministry by first preaching and praying the text to the preacher’s own heart. The late Tim Keller wrote, “Be out with people, holding their hands, helping them die, working through tragedies with people, counselling people whose marriage is falling apart, that’s how you find the word of God really works in people’s lives. The main way for you to get good as a preacher is to preach regularly and be immersed in people’s lives.”
Pressures are multiplied for many pastors compared against “short powerful sermons” by popular preachers David Jeremiah, Alistair Begg, Tony Evans, Rick Warren, Chuck Swindoll, and Greg Laurie, or archived sermons from E. K. Bailey, Luis Palau, R. C. Sproul, Charles Stanley, and Billy Graham. But God has called and gifted some in your local church to be an incarnational voice for preaching God’s Word to your people. We should not compare workmanlike sermons week-to-week with highlight reels preached in other contexts, nor are we capable of applying a bevy of sermons that can tempt us to withdraw into mere hearers of the Word. Other resources for pastors and preachers can blur the lines with canned sermon topics, sermon ideas, sermon notes, sermon illustrations, and sermon outlines, rather than the cultivating work of studying the Bible to hear from God for your church while using supplementary resources and commentaries. “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth ” (2 Timothy 2:15, NLT).
The call to preach is a call to preparation. The following books are worthy resources for an aspiring preacher, a developing preacher, and even an experienced preacher who could be honed sharper. “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1-2, NLT).
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Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers For Bavinck, in order to preach well, one has to be a particular kind of person: someone who lives coram Deo, whose conscience and imagination are open to being powerfully stirred by both Creator and the creation, and who is steeped in Scripture. These texts demonstrate both how Bavinck himself preached, and how he understood preaching within the worship service and the wider life of the church. |
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The Elements of Preaching The Art of Biblical Preaching - Clearly and Simply Presented In a practical, no-nonsense approach, this book spells out the basic preaching principles as well as the prohibitions that will help sharpen and focus the skills of every pastor and pulpit speaker. |
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Intentional Preaching In preparing and delivering their sermons, preachers make dozens of decisions, some intentionally, many perhaps less so. Why not make thoughtful decisions for everything that goes into preaching a good sermon? Targeted at preachers, the book consists of 117 “squiblets” ranging from a sentence to three or four pages, each on a particular aspect of preaching. |
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Letters to a Young Pastor Eugene Peterson, author of more than thirty books including his bestselling memoir The Pastor and his groundbreaking Bible The Message, here reflects on pastoral ministry in all its complexity—from relationships to administration to the sheer audacity of leading God’s people in a particular place. This is Eugene Peterson at his best—lifelong wisdom written with deep love. |
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Inspirational Preaching Here leading pastors offer specific guidance from both personal and biblical perspectives on themes of vision, desire, integrity, emotions, and transformation. In so doing, the contributors show that the ability to inspire people through preaching flows from one thing: leading them into the presence of Christ. The writers in this book share the bounty of decades of experience to help pastors do just that by delivering more effective and inspirational sermons. |
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Sermon Preparation On top of all the responsibilities that comprise their vocation, pastors must write sermons that are original, insightful, useful, challenging, and comforting--once a week. Sermon Preparation explores the art and craft of sitting down to a blank page and writing a message that nourishes and speaks truth to the listener. Every chapter, written by an expert in the field, provides insights and techniques that are the result of years of sermon preparation. |
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Preaching the Four Gospels with Confidence The gospels hold the key to why pastors get up every Sunday to preach. They are the “good news”--the pinnacle--of the Christian faith. But in order to preach from them with truth, clarity, and confidence, you’ll need the right tools. This not a “how to preach” book; it is a how to preach well handbook that you’ll want to reference again and again as you prepare sermons from the gospels. |
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