What Are Sermons for, and How Can They Be Improved? (Jonathan Pennington)
Episode Summary
When it comes to preaching, less is more. If you really understand a complex issue, you should be able to write it down on a postcard. In light of this, how does one avoid dumbing down their preaching while still clearly communicating a complex message?
Dru and CHT fellow Dr. Jonathan Pennington discuss his book Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Make You a Better Preacher, how to convey rich meaning in a sermon while keeping it simple, and the significance of preaching within a worship service.
Chapters
- 0:26 Sermon prep
- 1:27Â How can a preacher avoid common pitfalls?
- 3:22Â Two schools: lofty and simple
- 7:55Â Confidence
- 9:00Â The ideal preacher’s life/snack writing
- 12:48Â Should you write your sermon?
- 17:16Â The significance of preaching in the worship service
- 23:49Â Teaching vs. preaching
- 31:06Â “Celebrification” of preaching
- 33:23Â Is preaching performance art?
Transcript
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Jonathan T. Pennington (PhD in New Testament Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland) is Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Director of Research Doctoral Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). He is the author of The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew, and Reading the Gospels Wisely. He is on the preaching staff at Sojourn East in Louisville, Kentucky, and is also the host and co-producer of the YouTube show, Cars, Coffee, Theology.
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