Delivering sermons is certainly not child’s play.
Standing in front of a room full of people being expected to talk for 20-50 minutes on a portion of the Bible (or a topic) is daunting. I can remember how warm my face felt the first time, and how inadequate I felt. It’s even harder if you’re a church planter and one of the only people in leadership.
On one hand, preaching is simply opening God’s Word and speaking from our hearts, by the help of the Holy Spirit through His gifting, on what we think of it.
On the other hand, preaching is an incredibly serious matter – one that Paul says results in a higher standard of judgement. We must take it seriously and be wise in how we teach the Bible to our congregations.
If we’re going to preach effectively and accurately, we need some assistance. So we’ve pulled together four really great books on preaching – each tackling the subject from a slightly different vantage point.
If you could only pick up one, and you’re fairly new to preaching, we’d probably recommend Creative Bible Teaching. If you’ve been in the game for a little while, we’d recommend Preaching and Preachers. And if you like Tim Keller, we’d recommend his of course.
Keep fighting the good fight!
Our 4 Favorite Books on Christian Preaching
Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism
Written By: Tim Keller
This is probably the best book on preaching in the 21st century. Tim Keller, who pastors a church in Manhattan, is very familiar with our cultural moment. He's full of wisdom and grace – and one of the greatest communicators of our day.
In this accessible book for both pastors and non-pastors, Tim Keller helps readers learn to present the Christian message of grace in a more engaging, passionate, and compassionate way.
Preaching and Preachers
Written By: Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones
Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached at Westminster Chapel in London for more than 30 years. Some consider him one of the greatest preachers of the last 200 years. This book is a collection of his essays on preaching.
In the 40th anniversary edition (linked) you can also find additional essays on preaching from Mark Dever, Kevin DeYoung, Tim Keller, John Piper, and a few others. It's a really helpful resource for preachers.
Creative Bible Teaching
Written By: Lawrence Richards & Gary Bredfeldt
Communicating the Scriptures is much like building a bridge. And in our day, the teacher must span both cultural boundaries and long periods of time. Though God’s Word is always relevant, the teacher must help students see the truth of scripture as heard by its original audience.
Lawrence Richards and Gar Bredfeldt do a fantastic job of this, providing lots of resources to help Bible teachers today communicate God's Word in a way that sticks.
Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches Book 7)
Written By: David Helm
This book is a wealth of wisdom on expositional preaching. He offers practical guidance for preachers, and he also helps us to recognize good preaching as we sit in congregations and tune into podcasts.
If you value teaching straight through the Bible – or you're not sure whether you value teaching straight through the Bible – I would pick this one up.
