Making a Difference in Preaching

Sorry it has been so long between posts. The ice storm we suffered really set me back in my work. There has been cleanup, then more cleanup, and still more to go. I have been working at West Kentucky Youth Camp cleaning downed trees and limbs and helping my dad with cleanup on his farm.

I want to use this blog to share a valuable book. I have been interested in biblical scholarship for almost ten years now. This love of scholarship often has drawbacks when it comes to presenting biblical material in a sermon. I must admit that I have struggled in the area of application for years. Recently, I was introduced to the Haddon Robinson style of preaching and I feel as if the Lord sent his writings to me. I recommend his book, "Making a difference in preaching." It has been out for about a decade, but the information in this book is timeless. He gives practical advice for developing the sermon from exegesis to exposition. He warns against the dangers of being too general and too specific. His big idea approach has really influenced my preaching in the last 2 months. It has truly helped my communication skills. I have since set out to transform my preaching style. The comments have been quite positive. I know we must keep in mind, as Robinson notes, that our members responses "are often little more than code words to get past the minister as he guards the door." But these comments are coming from members who either don't usually comment or are members who always are suspicious of preachers in general. When this type of member talks, there is something to listen to.

The secret to this method and this book is the philosophy of preaching. Once you have an ideology of preaching, what you hope to accomplish, and who your audience is, the rest falls into place.
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Difference-Preaching-Robinson-Biblical/dp/0801091470/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238329207&sr=8-10