Smyth & Helwys Preaching the Word | SHPtW (5 vols.)

by Michael A. Smith; Prince Raney Rivers; Abby Thornton Hailey

and

4 more

Publisher:

Smyth & Helwys

, 2017–2019

Overview

Each volume of the Preaching the Word series consists of a collection of sermons preached through a book or books of the Bible. As in other commentaries, the author analyzes and seeks to interpret each passage. But Preaching the Word also exists as a testament to the Word preached, a homiletical commentary unfolding within a community of faith. Thus, this series allows us to approach the letters and histories of the New Testament as the first recipients did: as hearers of God’s Word.

Key Features

• Consists of a collection of sermons preached through a book of the Bible
• Provides a homiletical commentary unfolding within a community of faith
• Approaches the letters and histories of the New Testament as the first recipients did

Product Details

• Title: Smyth & Helwys Preaching the Word Series (5 vols.)
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Volumes: 5
• Pages: 1,200
• Resource Type: Sermons
• Topic: New Testament

Luke

• Author: Michael A. Smith
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 192

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In the early days of a movement rooted in Judaism, the author of Luke and Acts, two of the most beloved books of the New Testament, wasn’t just a newcomer among Jesus’ followers; he was also a Gentile. It’s little wonder, then, that Luke highlights religious and social dynamics throughout his Gospel, paying careful attention to how Jesus welcomes outsiders and rebukes insiders. Interpreting Luke’s account of the Jewish Messiah through a collection of sermons, Michael Smith dismantles the pious illusions behind political elitism and reminds readers that we are all outsiders in need of God’s grace. For anyone who has looked for themselves in biblical stories, this might be their book.

You are in for a challenging and exciting journey through the Gospel according to Luke led by Mike Smith. Rich experience as a pastor and Christian leader has furnished him with eye-opening insights into the Jesus story as it bears on our lives today. Be warned: Luke won’t leave you comfortable with the way you may follow Jesus now. Yet he will point you to the One who can enable you to be what God wants you to be.

—E. Glenn Hinson, Professor Emeritus, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

Reverend Michael A. Smith is a pastor, editor, and writer. He serves as senior pastor of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, Knoxville, Tennessee. Smith is active in Baptist and ecumenical life. After four decades of pastoral ministry, he still enjoys helping Christians forge connections with other Christians, worship with intention, and practice hands-on ministries in the community and larger world.

John, 1-3 John

• Author: Prince Raney Rivers and Abby Thornton Hailey
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 352

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

John’s distinctiveness may be why it’s one of the most treasured books in the New Testament. Although it contains fewer miracles than the other Gospels, and almost none of the parables, John expands our understanding of who Jesus is, beginning with the very first verse: “In the beginning was the Word . . . .” So too do three letters attributed to the same author call the worshiping church to reconsider the meaning of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. With critical interpretation and relatable language, Prince Raney Rivers and Abby Thornton Hailey delve into each of these four New Testament books, examining themes of truth and love, light and darkness, belief and life.

There might be better preachers out there than Prince Rivers, but I don’t know any. To sit in on his sermons to his beloved church as he gazes at Jesus through John’s prism is a delight—it makes me want to preach, shout, believe, and live.

—Jason Byassee, Vancouver School of Theology

Prince Raney Rivers is senior pastor of Union Baptist Church in Durham, NC. He currently serves as third vice-president of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and on the board of trustees of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

Abby Thornton Hailey serves as Pastor of Broadneck Baptist Church in Annapolis, MD. She holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Divinity from Duke University. Beyond church work, Abby stays busy doing freelance writing and editing.

Acts

• Author: William D. Shiell
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 234

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Because we are blessed with a worldwide community of faith, we easily forget that today’s Church was built person by person, congregation by congregation, beginning with Christ’s ascension. In this collection of sermons on the book of Acts, William Shiell examines the disciples’ efforts as they learned to share the gospel and foster character formation and fellowship. With characteristic insight, Shiell reveals how the resurrection of Jesus and the power of the Spirit disrupted cities across the Mediterranean—and how this message and Power are still capable of “turning the world upside down.” Finally, Shiell outlines ways the gospel challenges us as it crosses boundaries and changes lives, revealing our inherited calling to build a church for every people and every generation.

When academics presume to tell pastors how to preach a text, the pastoral context goes missing; when pastors examine the texts of Scripture the academic research is often ignored. But when an academic is also a pastor and when the pastor is an academic, the two—text and church—can be brought together in a way that floods a serious grappling with the text with pastoral theology. Which is exactly what William Shiell, now President of Northern Seminary, accomplishes in this rich and textured new approach to preaching one of the New Testament’s great books—The Acts of the Apostles. This will be a mine for pastors for decades.

—Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

William D. Shiell is the President of Northern Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, and has pastored four churches in Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. He is a graduate of Baylor University (PhD in Religion [Biblical Studies], 2003; MDiv, 1997) and Samford University (1994). He is the author of four books. Dr. Shiell and his wife, Kelly, have two sons, Parker and Drake.

1 Corinthians

• Author: Brian Harbour
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 222

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In this collection of sermons based on Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, Brian Harbour responds to two deep needs within today’s church: “biblical” preaching and help relating the church to a rapidly changing world. Through critical interpretation, Harbour seeks to explain the culture of Corinth and the strategies the church could have employed in response. This is a rich resource for those seeking the deeper insights of God’s word, who want to struggle with both the difficult and the simple texts, who want to know how God’s word to an isolated group of Christians on the cusp of change intersects with their lives today.

Dr. Brian Harbor offers to us in this contemporary contextualized pastoral treatment of 1 Corinthians just what we have come to expect from him for a generation. Generous in pastoral wisdom, apt in memorable anecdotes, accessible in narration of the text—these characterize his able biblical exposition. He joins the past historic situation of Corinth with the present situation of today’s church in an energetic and engaging conversation. To merge the horizons of long ago with the horizons of today is no easy thing and he has done this in a fresh way. This book is truly a text message for right now.

—Joel C. Gregory, Professor of Preaching, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

Brian L. Harbour retired after forty-one years of service as a pastor in churches throughout Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas. He received his PhD in theology from Baylor University. He currently serves as the president of SeminaryPLUS, a non-profit organization that produces resources for pastors and church leaders. He is the author of 17 Roadblocks on the Highway of Life and Jesus the Storyteller and writes the weekly commentary for NextSunday Resource’s Connections series. Brian and his wife Jan are the parents of four adult children. They also have five grandchildren.

Philippians & Philemon, Colossians

• Author: Bill Ireland and Dock Hollingsworth
• Series: Preaching the Word
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 200

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Although we have unprecedented means and opportunity to connect with others, our modern communication tends to be quickly, almost thoughtlessly, supplied—a sharp contrast to the letters sent by Paul and other church leaders in the first century. In this collection of sermons, Bill Ireland and Dock Hollingsworth dig into the cultures, struggles, and strengths that shaped the writing and receiving of three such letters. Through critical interpretation, Ireland focuses on how the relationship between pastor and congregation informs the theological and practical advice shared with the church at Philippi and a man named Philemon. Hollingsworth, meanwhile, examines how the Colossians, enthusiastic but new to faith, were affirmed and corrected from afar.

Too often ministers feel forced to choose preaching resources that fail to strike a balance between serious scholarship and accessible application. Every so often, though, a volume comes along that manages to bring both to bear in ways that neither compromise academic insight nor the real world of congregational life. Bill Ireland and Dock Hollingsworth have compiled such a resource, thoughtfully blending serious biblical study with effective homiletical experience. This is a practical resource from seasoned pastor-scholars who live with an eye toward the well-being of the Church. I am grateful for their gifts that shed new light onto preaching Paul today.

—Dr. Stephen H. Cook, Senior Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Memphis, TN

Bill Ireland graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv; PhD). He has served as pastor of churches in five states. At present, he advises pastors and frequently posts on his website, pastor-for-pastors.com

Dock Hollingsworth is the senior pastor of Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. This is Dock’s first pastorate following an 18-year career at the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University.