What Are Sermons for, and How Can They Be Improved? (Jonathan Pennington)

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. 

Show notes:

• 0:26 Sermon prep
• 1:27 How can a preacher avoid common pitfalls?
• 3:22 Two schools: lofty and simple
• 7:55 Confidence
• 9:00 The ideal preacher's life/snack writing
• 12:48 Should you write your sermon?
• 17:16 The significance of preaching in the worship service
• 23:49 Teaching vs. preaching
• 31:06 "Celebrification" of preaching
• 33:23 Is preaching performance art?

Show notes by Dominique LaCroix

Credits for the music TBM podcast: hebraicthought.org/credits.