Alumnus Spotlight: Preacher to Preacher
I fell in love with the art of preaching at a young age. I grew up listening to and imitating preachers. I heard my uncle preach on a regular basis, and I listened to sermons on the radio and on tape just about any time I got the chance. I’ve listened to everybody from John MacArthur and Steve Lawson to E. K. Bailey and Charlie Dates. When I was as young as five years old, I could be found in the pulpit after Sunday service imitating the gestures from the preacher that day.
It should be no surprise, then, that from the time I was a kid, people have told me that they thought I would be a preacher. At this point in my life, I have been preaching close to 20 years and pastoring for 14 years. Some of the same voices that first predicted that I would preach, have also noticed that something has changed over the past few years—a change for the better. The Master of Christian Studies program has brought about this change.
“Some of the same voices that first predicted that I would preach, have also noticed that something has changed over the past few years—a change for the better. The Master of Christian Studies program has brought about this change. ”
The members of Greater Experience Community Church, where I pastor, let me know how much they appreciate where I am in this season of preaching. Recently, my pastor told me that whatever I am doing in my preaching preparation, to keep on doing it. Others that have known me for a while agree that something has changed within my preaching. But a change for the better must be measured by what is good. So what is good preaching?
This is a question that I continually ask myself. Many have offered definitions of biblical preaching. Some short, some long. Some good, some bad. For example, Haddon Robinson defines biblical preaching as “the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers.”
Bryan Chapell believes that biblical preaching happens when “the meaning of the text is the message of the sermon.” Chapell adds that our goal is making sure we are not just giving human opinion; we are not going to preach the Word in such a way that it can be interpreted as our opinions rather than what God intends to say to His people.” Similarly, HB Charles, Jr. defines preaching simply as “explaining what the text means by what it says.“ Many other definitions have been put forward, but a central aspect to all good definitions of preaching is that preaching must be driven by the biblical text.
“The Master of Christian Studies program has shaped me into being a text-driven preacher. I am more engaged with the text than ever before, which means that I am also more Christ-centered and cross-focused in my preaching as well. ”
Every preacher owes it to God to understand what preaching is and what preaching is not. For me, preaching must be text-driven, Christ-centered, and cross-focused. The Master of Christian Studies program has shaped me into being a text-driven preacher. I am more engaged with the text than ever before, which means that I am also more Christ-centered and cross-focused in my preaching as well. It is amazing to see our small congregation adapt to text-driven preaching. They are looking for opportunities to take notes. Interestingly, they are even taking notes during “Call and Response.”
Sometimes preachers take congregations for granted and feel that parishioners do not have a desire for text-driven preaching. The parishioners of Greater Experience are not shy about telling me how well the sermon went over. And their idea of a sermon going over well is being able to follow the preacher in the text.
I would encourage any preacher to become a student in the Master of Christian Studies program at Union University. Is it challenging? Of course. Yet, it is a challenge worth engaging. Do you want to become better equipped to do what God has called you to? If the answer is “yes.” Then the Master of Christian Studies program is for you.
