Choosing to Preach

by Kenton C. Anderson

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2006

Overview

With the landscape of ministry changing, preachers need a variety of tools to effectively communicate God’s truth to today’s listeners. Beginning with a strong call to keep preaching, this practical book presents and describes five different models for doing so, also relating each style to well-known contemporary preachers.

Today, traditional forms of preaching are being scrutinized and challenged. The biblical sermon is not immune to the pressure to evolve or even fall by the wayside, leaving pastors and seminary students confused over how best to communicate to today’s listeners.

In this forward-looking textbook, Kenton Anderson delivers a strong call to current and future ministers to indeed choose to preach biblical sermons, despite the obstacles to doing so. While preaching itself is non-negotiable, the exact form it takes can be much more flexible, allowing people to hear from God as they hear his Word preached.

Rather than presenting one model or process for preparing a sermon, Anderson explains several available options. As you discern your message from the Bible, will you begin with the text (deductive) or with the listener (inductive)? Will you focus on the idea (cognitive) or the image (affective)?

The choices you make lead to five possible sermon structures:

• Declarative—make an argument
• Pragmatic—solve a mystery
• Narrative—tell a story
• Visionary—paint a picture
• Integrative—sing a song

Each model is described in detail and related to well-known contemporary preachers, including John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Eugene Lowry, and Rob Bell. This book equips you with a variety of tools for your preaching tool kit.

Key Features

• Discussion questions and practical exercises
• Discerning your message from the Bible
• Communication techniques
• Contributions by John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Eugene Lowry, Rob Bell, and Kent Anderson

Contents

• Part 1: Options
  1. Introduction: Preaching at a Crossroads
  2. First Option: Are You Going to Preach?
  3. Second Option: Are You Going to Preach the Bible?
  4. Third Option: How Will You Discern Your Message from the Bible?
  5. Fourth Option: How Will You Communicate the Message?
• Part 2: Structures
  1. Make an Argument: The Declarative Sermon
  2. Solve a Mystery: The Pragmatic Sermon
  3. Tell a Story: The Narrative Sermon
  4. Paint a Picture: The Visionary Sermon
  5. Sing a Song: The Integrative Sermon
  6. Conclusion: A Tap on the Shoulder

Top Highlights

“Our job is to connect people to the God who is already speaking and who will work to help them hear the truth.” (Page 54)

“People need preachers who will share the truth with their words and show the truth with their lives.” (Page 31)

“The sermon is not something we listen to; it is something we do. It is an event. Preaching happens in the present tense as we connect with the God who is present and who intends to act. The Bible is alive, and we meet God in it. Don’t ever let your preaching become some dry chasing after principles so as to place them under glass. When Isaiah found himself in the presence of God, smoke billowed and the doorposts shook. Let the Word loose and see what God will do as he meets the people and changes everything.” (Page 39)

“Preachers choose to preach because they love their listeners. They care too much about these loved ones to leave them in their sin. Preaching is essentially an act of love.” (Page 25)

“The key to cognitive preaching is to focus on the ideas in the sermon. While imagery is useful, the primary emphasis in the cognitive sermon is on the propositions.” (Pages 89–90)

Praise for the Print Edition

We have but one great truth to preach, but there are as many ways to preach it as there are preachers. In this important volume, Kenton Anderson teaches us to cherish two things: well-spoken truth, and our own glorious diversity.

—Calvin Miller, Beeson Divinity School

Choosing to Preach does for preachers what Baskin-Robbins does for kids. It shows us more options than we knew existed. And every one is delicious!

—Kent Edwards, Talbot School of Theology

Product Details

• Title: Choosing to Preach: A Comprehensive Introduction to Sermon Options and Structures
• Author: Kenton C. Anderson
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2006
• Logos Release Date: 2010
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Homiletics; Preaching
• ISBNs: 9780310591382, 9780310267508, 0310591384, 0310267501
• Resource ID: LLS:CHOOSNG2PRCH
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:37:11Z

About Kenton C. Anderson

B.R.E., Northwest Baptist College; M.Min., M.Div., Northwest Baptist Seminary; Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Having more than a decade of full-time pastoral ministry experience in Western Canada, Dr. Anderson understands how to effectively develop and lead vital local churches. With a doctorate in homiletics, he is well equipped to form a new generation of preachers and spiritual leaders. He is a member of the Academy of Homiletics and a charter member of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. He has developed two websites: www.preaching.org, a forum for the discussion of preaching and culture, and www.evangelicalhomiletics.com, the official site of the EHS. Dr. Anderson teaches courses in Homiletics and Spiritual Formation.