Preaching
How can I preach expositional sermons to uneducated hearers?
9MarksTeach your people why you preach expositionally. Consider preaching a sermon in which you explain the necessity and benefits of expositional preaching as well as how to listen to an … keep reading…
How can a preacher help his congregation to be dependent on the Word, and not his own personality?
9MarksHow can a preacher train his congregation to make the most of expositional preaching?
9MarksHow do we do good biblical theology in our preaching?
9MarksHow do we get from any given text to the gospel?
9MarksHow can a preacher explicitly address non-Christians in his sermons?
9MarksHow can expositional preaching be evangelistic?
9MarksWhat’s this “sermon application grid” that 9Marks keeps talking about?
9MarksIn his sermon preparation, Mark Dever uses what he calls an “application grid” as a tool to help him think how each point of the sermon relates to the rest of redemptive history, the person and work of Christ, and how it applies to different categories of hearers. Download an application grid: Blank | Completed Sample
What are the different “stations of life” a preacher should keep in mind when applying the text?
9MarksWhat are different spiritual categories of hearers a preacher should have in mind when applying the text?
9MarksYou should strive to apply your sermons to both
How can a preacher apply a text to the church as a whole?
9Marks
Can a preacher apply the meaning of a text to hundreds of different hearers? Isn’t that the Holy Spirit’s job?
9MarksThe important thing to consider here is the preacher’s work compared to the Holy Spirit’s work.
Can a preacher really preach a whole book in one expositional sermon? If so, how?
9MarksSuppose your friend asks you to summarize a two-hour movie you just saw. You could do that in five minutes or less. You would summarize the movie’s contents, emphasize what the movie is about, and by pointing to key moments in the movie.
Must a preacher’s homiletical outline match his exegetical outline?
9MarksNot necessarily. An expositional sermon should explain and apply the main point of a passage of Scripture. If a preacher is able to derive his homiletical outline directly from his exegetical outline, so much the better. This often allows the congregation to better see the structure of a passage.
Are manuscripts preferable to outlines or notes?
9MarksNot necessarily. Do whatever works for you.
The advantage of writing out a full manuscript before preaching a sermon (whether or not you take that manuscript into the pulpit) is that writing is the evidence of thought. Writing down everything you intend to say will sharpen your thoughts and force you to be clearer and more precise than you would have been otherwise.