As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, the book Preaching That Matters, by Dr. Lori Carrell, has finally arrived. It is published by:
The Alban Institute
131 Elden Street, Suite 202
Herndon, Virginia, 20510
http://www.alban.org.
I highly recommend it.
Though Dr. Carrell words things differently than I do, she makes it clear that it is to everyone’s benefit when the preacher has a “clear, compelling, text-centered subject.” Getting that in mind at the beginning of the sermon-preparation process leads to more-focused research, reduced revision-time and more-focused content. This in turn enhances the whole communication process.
Once the subject has been established, the preacher should next come up with a high-expectation response aim. Again, determining this very early in the sermon-preparation process makes getting the rest of the material much easier. On top of that, it ensures that your sermons are not just informational, but transformational.
She asks her readers to look back at three or four recent sermons to see how well they did in the process. I find this to be a good exercise for all of us. I confess that my sermons don’t always make my subject and response as clear as they should.
Preaching That Matters is one of those rare books where I found myself time and again thinking, “This is really well-written. I’m so glad preachers have this resource available to them.”
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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.
