Preaching for the Rest of Us: Essentials for Text-Driven Preaching
Robby Gallaty & Steven Smith
Description
Preaching for the Rest of Us serves as a starter’s guide to text-driven preaching. Driven by the conviction that pastors hold the weighty and honorable responsibility of explaining Scripture to their congregations, Gallaty and Smith present a clear step-by-step process for re-presenting Scripture in compelling text-driven sermons. This unique type of preaching is the interpretation and communication of a text of Scripture driven by the substance, structure, and spirit of the text. It’s not the presentation of a sermon, but the re-presentation of a text of a Scripture. For those who don’t feel trained for text-driven preaching, whose preaching template is tired and predictable, or need a preaching restart, Preaching for the Rest of Us provides a compelling reason and method for preaching texts of Scripture.
Endorsements
“Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith are both teachers and practitioners of faithful biblical exposition. What a delight it is to have their thinking on this important subject put to writing for the benefit and blessing of others. I am happy to commend this work to anyone who desires to rightly divide the Word of truth.”
—Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Gallaty and Smith are two popular preachers who have produced an excellent book on text-driven preaching that defines it, theologically grounds it, and gives a methodology under the two key headings of interpretation and communication—all in less than 200 pages. The content here is simply superb. Here is how to do it from two men who do it well! Highly recommended!”
—David L. Allen, dean, School of Preaching, George W. Truett Chair of Pastoral Ministry, distinguished professor of preaching, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“There are a lot of great books on preaching, but this one is the most straightforward and accessible one I’ve come across. In this book, Gallaty and Smith provide a clear primer for text-driven preaching, reminding us why this kind of preaching is important and how to go about crafting a faithful sermon. This is such a helpful tool to anyone desiring to preach!”
—Matt Carter, pastor of preaching and vision, The Austin Stone Community Church, Austin, TX
“Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith’s book breaks down the process for preaching text-driven sermons in a way that ordinary church members can get their minds around. In this book, you have a chance to learn from the best. Every teacher, bi-vocational pastor, and seminary student should check out this book.”
—J. D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, NC
“Here’s a very helpful book for those that desire to faithfully preach the Word. Gallaty and Smith write as pastor-scholars who love Christ’s church. Both men can articulate the philosophical and methodological components of expository preaching clearly, and they can also deliver engaging expositions practically. All of us who handle the word of truth can improve, and this book will surely help us make progress in the pulpit.”
—Tony Merida, pastor for preaching and vision, Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, NC, and associate professor of preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Preaching has fallen on hard times. An open debate is now being waged over the character and centrality of preaching in the church. At stake is nothing less than the integrity of Christian worship and proclamation. In this book, Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith provide a biblically-grounded manual for faithful proclamation of God’s Word. Their commitment to the authority of Scripture and the centrality of preaching in the life of the church is a faithful witness in the age of entertainment-driven ministry. Preaching for the Rest of Us is a practical and theologically rich resource to help you grow in more faithful proclamation of God’s word.”
—R. Albert Mohler Jr., president, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“It wasn’t until well into my pastoral ministry that I realized that we aren’t going to fulfill the Great Commission solely with preachers like me—seminary-trained, vocational and westernized. It’s going to take preachers who earn a living by their ministries and preachers who go to secular jobs every day. It’s going to take preachers who’ve been to seminary and preachers who haven’t. It’s going to take preachers in America and preachers abroad. Gallaty and Smith get that. In Preaching for the Rest of Us, these two effective and experienced pastors ‘put the cookies on the bottom shelf’ where all of us can grab and eat. They cull down the principles and processes of biblical exposition to the basic essentials. If you’re looking for a trustworthy ‘quick-start guide’ (xvii) to preaching that’s driven by both the theology and the text of Scripture, look no further.”
—Jim Shaddix, director, Center for Pastoral Leadership and Preaching, W. A. Criswell Chair of Expository Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“I know these men and respect them. Without mentioning me, they have described much of my own life and work. Would you preach well? Read this book and profit.”
—Mark Dever, senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC, and president, 9Marks
Details
Paperback
208 Pages
$19.99
Enduring Truth argues that faithfulness to Scripture is the solution to a “crisis” among African American preaching. Though misinterpreting God’s Word is not restricted to one race or culture, author Aaron Lavender identifies three factors that have precipitated the decline of black preaching specifically: racial segregation, black liberation theology, and prosperity theology.
The Christ-Centered Expositor by pastor and preaching professor Tony Merida provides a comprehensive overview of effective expository preaching that begins with the inner life of the expositor, and then moves to the essential elements of sermon preparation and delivery.
Expository preaching is an approach that is founded on certain theological beliefs, such as the role of the preacher according to Scripture, the nature of the Scripture, and the work of the Spirit. Therefore, many of the benefits for doing exposition are hard to measure. However, nine practical-theological benefits are worth noting.
There is a difference between preaching from the Bible and preaching that allows the Bible to drive the substance, structure, and spirit of the sermon.
In a conversation with British theologian Alister McGrath, former archbishop of Canterbury Donald Loggan remarked, “The journey from head to heart is one of the longest and most difficult we know.” Sometimes, the doctrinal preacher will begin with the head and move to the heart; other times the direction will be reversed. Regardless of the starting point, the end result must always be the same: the inclusivity of both.
In my analysis of the Greek text of John’s Gospel I was amazed to discover again how simple yet profound this Fourth Gospel is. Its exquisite simplicity of diction is matched by its stunning profundity of thought. As the Logos, Jesus Christ is the inward and expressed Thought of God, the unique and perfect expression of God the Father.
