The practice of personal Bible study seems sadly to be on the decline in many of our churches. So, as pastors, we need to be aware of good quality resources to stimulate the individual members of our
congregations to pick up their Bibles for themselves, in order to
develop their understanding and personal application of God’s unchanging Word.

One such excellent resource, out of Australia, is “A Better Way To Live” by British author, Graham Hooper.

Graham is a Consultant and former Senior Executive for a global infrastructure company. His work has taken him to more than 20 countries. Now retired and living in Melbourne, he speaks and writes regularly on matters relating to Christian faith in daily life.  His first book, “Undivided: closing the faith life gap” was published by IVP in 2013.

Graham brings a life time of experience in the business world to bear on the central challenge of developing a life of wisdom and integrity amid all the pressures of contemporary life.

The book comprises of 52 studies in Proverbs and Psalms which combine careful, thoughtful exposition of the Biblical text with reflections and applications to everyday life. Each of these studies is fresh, engaging, challenging and strengthening.

In his Preface, Graham writes, “There is nothing quite so attractive and so powerful as a godly life ….  a way of integrity, love and faithfulness; a way of worship, thankfulness and hope – a better way to live”. That is exactly what these compelling studies portray. They can be used at whatever speed most suits the reader, and probably for many they could form a full 52 weeks of personal learning and development. He continues that the way of practical godliness is “better than the bleak emptiness of secular materialism; better than a vague spirituality which has no substance; better than mere formal religion ….  it is about God calling us to live for him in a world that rejects his authority.”

This is a book of authentic spiritual strength and conviction. It has been forged through a life-time of experience and it is this connection to the realities of everyday life which makes it such a valuable tool.

I have worked through the studies myself [DJ], with great enjoyment and profit. I would warmly recommend it to anyone as a valuable tool in helping us live ‘better’ for God before a watching world.  It deserves a central place on every church bookstall.  The book is published in Australia by Acorn Press, but is available on Amazon, Kindle and Book Depository.

 

Echoes of Exodus – Andrew Wilson and Alastair Roberts

The message of Echoes of Exodus really reverberates.

The basic premise is that the Exodus is the overture of the Bible, and its echo is heard throughout the entire Bible. In just 22 short chapters Wilson and Roberts write a delightful book explaining the symphonic nature of Scripture seen in the rich melody of the exodus.

The book is divided into four main movements. Movement one hones in on the book of Exodus all the way through to Joshua. Movement two is the prequel to the Exodus looking at the exodus themes foreshadowed in the great events of Genesis particularly in the lives of Joseph, Jacob, Abraham & Noah, casting these seismic events as exodus-esque episodes. Movement three is a panoply of other Old Testament stories resonating with exodus themes, with an all star cast including, David, Absalom and Achan. Lastly in movement four the crescendo builds to show exodus in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and cascading out into the book of Acts. The finale of this movement shows that only at Christ’s return will the exodus truly end.

This book is very readable, very thought provoking and brilliantly written. The chapters are short, the ideas are deep and, the questions at the end of each chapter help to consolidate the learning and stretch the reader. It is an ideal book to give to people to encourage them to mine deeply, unearthing the inexhaustible treasures of the Bible.

Echoes of Exodus will help people in their personal devotions, thrill Bible study groups and be a wise guide to the preacher. It is clear, careful and captivating. Echoes of Exodus is beautifully set so the symphony of Scripture can sound from its pages into the hearts of the reader.

Here is the Playlist from our recent Summer Wives Conference:

Session 1:

• Awake, Awake O Zion – Nathan Fellingham
• There is a Hope – Mark Edwards & Stuart Townend

Session 2:

• I Will Glory in my Redeemer – Steve Cook & Vikki Cook
• Everlasting God (Strength will Rise) – Brenton Brown & Ken Riley

Session 3:

• I Stand Amazed in the Presence  – Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
• Prepare our Hearts (Show us Christ) – Bob Kauflin & Doug Plank
• I Cannot Tell – John Barnard & William Young Fullerton

Session 4:

• Behold our God – Jonathan Baird & Meghan Baird
• Depth of Mercy can there be – Charles Wesley
• He Will Hold me Fast – Ada Ruth Habershon & Matt Merker

Session 5:

• Come thou Fount of every Blessing – John Wyeth & Robert Robinson
• He Lavishes Grace (Everlasting Arms) – Abby Eaton & Annie Johnson Flint
• O Church Arise – Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Session 6:

• Great is Thy Faithfulness – Thomas Obediah Chisholm & William Marion Runyan
• Everlasting God (Strength will Rise) – Brenton Brown & Ken Riley
• There is a Hope – Mark Edwards & Stuart Townend

Session 7:

• I Stand Amazed in the Presence (of Jesus the Nazarene) – Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
• Holy Spirit Living Breath of God – Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
• My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone – Aaron Keyes & Stuart Townend
• O Great God of Highest Heaven – Bob Kauflin

Special thanks to Elisabeth Epps for co-ordinating the music at this great conference.

The recent Summer Wives Conference was the last Summer Conference that Captain Carolyn (Ash) will head up.

Carolyn has laboured incredibly hard in ensuring that these conferences are an encouraging and open oasis from the busyness and tumult of ministry family life. Carolyn works tirelessly to ensure that all those that come are cared for, loved, supported and spurred on in the work that God has given them to do alongside their husbands.We are so thankful for Carolyn and all that she has achieved.

Carolyn leaves very big shoes to fill, but we are relieved that Ursula Stevens has very big feet (metaphorically). Ursula will take over the leading of this conference alongside the PT team and Summer Wives Committee.

We want to continue to strive to make Summer Wives a place where people are encouraged, equipped and energised for the work that God has called them to.

Next year Summer Wives is 1st July – 4th July booking are now open.

 

One of many highlights at EMA 2018: The Unsearchable Riches, was singing together.

Here is a recent blogpost containing the setlist of everything that was sung at EMA 2018.

https://www.music-ministry.org/2018/06/ema-2018-setlist/

See our new Mannequin Challenge Promo Video for EMA 2018 here 

There are just 27 days until our flagship, Evangelical Ministry Assembly Conference 2018, at the Barbican Centre.

The programme is looking really good with Vaughan Roberts, James Hamilton, Andrew Atherstone, Sam Allberry, William Taylor, Adrian Reynolds, Christopher Ash, Carrie Sandom, Andrew Sach, Gwilym Davies, Nigel Styles, Rico Tice and David Jackman.

Plus input from John Stevens, Willie Philip, Ray Brown, Richard Perkins, Gareth Lewis, Stephen Boon, Jonty Allcock, Johnny Prime,  Claudia Chan, Kevin Croft, Mike Gilbert-Smith & Aderemi Adedire.

Added to this an amazing bookshop by 10ofthose.com, great music by Andy Fenton plus band, lots of organisation exhibiting and all in the iconic Barbican Centre in the Heart of London.

There is also the opportunity to go on a Christian Heritage Walk around the City of London, enjoy fellowship with evangelical leaders from across the UK and around the World, hear about the work of Cornhill/CrossConnections and help with an amazing Missions Project in Zambia.

The Evangelical Ministry Assembly – 12th – 14th June

Book your tickets at www.proctrust.org.uk/conferences

We look forward to seeing you there…

This is the sixth in our Preacher’s Profile Series. This time we asked David Meredith, the Mission Director for the Free Church of Scotland some questions about his life and preaching ministry.

David Meredith, Mission Director for The Free Church of Scotland
based in Edniburgh.  After graduation from University of Strathclyde in English and Politics and Edinburgh Theological Seminary I planted a church in Smithton, Inverness.  Smithton grew into a large multi-staff resource church in the course of a 31 year long ministry.  I’m married to Nina and have 4 grown-up children.  My hobbies revolve around the internal combustion engine, I have a large motorcycle and sports car which my friends tell me should belong to a hairdresser.

When did you preach your first sermon and how long have you been preaching?

I preached my first sermon in a little country preaching station at Arnisort, Isle of Skye in 1980 and have been preaching since then.  The first text I preached on (it was all texts in those days) was Romans 1:16, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentiles.

What was your journey to preaching ministry?

While attending church in Glasgow as a student I was under the ministry of Donald MacLeod.  One evening he preached from the text 2 Timothy 1:6, ‘you should stir up the gift that is within you.’  I preached in various small churches throughout my undergraduate days and then studied at ETS, Edinburgh.

Describe the congregation/setting you regularly preach to.

These days I am an itinerant but I’m also involved in the preaching team at Cornerstone, Edinburgh. It’s essential that any itinerant is rooted and involved in a local church.  The experience of preaching to a congregation where you are not the pastor is unusual, it is certainly a different dynamic.

What are you currently preaching on/through?

Because I’m no longer in a local church situation I get to choose the passage which is a nightmare. I don’t want to be typecast as a ‘mission preacher’, not least because the story of the whole Bible is the story of mission.

What is your regular rhythm of sermon preparation, your usual process and how you schedule it in during the week?

I have a variety of administrative, teaching and speaking engagements during the week but I still try to keep Thursday mornings and Fridays clear.  I never prepare on Saturdays. I read the passage through, on a photocopied sheet I will mark out significant words, phrases and ideas.  I will then read various commentaries and write out an outline.  It’s at this point I will go on the screen and start to write.  Illustartion and application points will come at this point.  The process will take 6 to 8 hours for each sermon.

What is your drafting/editing process that you go through in finalising your sermon for Sunday?

I have no editing process. What I have written, I have written! Although I use notes I am not bound to them which enables an editing process ‘on the hoof’.  A sermon is a dynamic experience where the central theme and teaching remains but one adjusts according to circumstances.

What script/notes do you take into the pulpit? 

I use an iPad and I will have usually 4/5 A4 pages of quite full notes but never a full manuscript.

What is your routine before preaching on a Sunday?

I love to get up early, get on my own and spend time with the Lord.  The spiritual element is literally vital.  I am a believer in the idea of thoroughly well prepared exegetical work but also reliance on the Holy Spirit and unction.  Unction is not the same as shouting or cultivating the grand style, it’s deeper and more subtle than that.  The debate between word and Spirit is such a soul destroying argument, what God has joined together, let no man pur asunder.

What feedback structures do you utilise in improving on your preaching?

I am not precious about my preaching and I’ve adopted a mindset of life-long learning.  I used to use a mentor who was a very experienced and excellent preacher.  These days I seek counsel and feedback from colleagues.  I’m probably moving from a grand style to a calmer, more conversational approach.

What areas are you currently seeking to develop in your preaching?

Clarity, brevity and simplicity.  It is critical to get some good application and illustration to make the sermon memorable.  A sermon should be like bread, there is the sense that it is fresh. As I develop I want to speak more of Christ which I iught tio have done more of in my younger days.

What do you do on the days your preaching did not go very well?

I lick my wounds, recognise that my pride and ego need to be punctured but realise that it’s not the end.  I aim at a degree of consistency and so the measure of what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ can be highly subjective.  God can bring healing from spit and clay and he can use my mess to His glory.  It’s not about us.

What one piece of advice would you pass on to someone starting out as a preacher?

Listen with the ears of the congregation.  It is not about ‘you’ so we need to communicate to the people who are in front of us but also the people we would like to be in front of us.  

What are some of the best resources you have found on preaching?

I have read all the books but I also enjoy listening to masters of the craft.  I listen to all the usual suspects but 2 preachers whjo I appreciate are largely unknown.  David Turner is a layman, a church warden at All Souls.  He is a lawyer and one of the best organisers of sermons I know.  I also appreciate John Sartelle, a close friend and former senior minister at Independent Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN.  He encapsulates the word/Spirit balance.

In the same way Morocco states in the Merchant of Venice, ‘that all that glitters is not gold’, Mike Gilbart-Smith wrote a brilliant article for 9 Marks, showing that not everything called expository preaching is expository preaching.

Mike speaks broadly about 3 groups of sermons that miss the mark of expository preaching. His definition of true expository is borrowed from Mark Dever in that it is, ‘preaching that takes for the point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture.”

This post is reproduced here with the permission of 9 Marks.

Expositional Imposters Group 3:

IMPOSTERS THAT FAIL TO SEE THE LORD

11) The “Passionless Sermon”: The Point of the Passage Is Spoken, Not Preached

It would be possible to have a preacher who absolutely understood the passage, and spoke about its implications to the congregation present in apt and even profound ways. Yet the preacher delivers the sermon as if he were reading the telephone directory. There is no sense that, as the preacher delivers God’s Word, God himself is communicating with his people.

When the preacher fails to recognize that it is God himself, through his Word, who is pleading, encouraging, rebuking, training, exhorting, moulding, and refining his people through the Spirit’s application of that Word, there will often be no passion, no reverence, no solemnity, no evident joy, no sense of sorrow tears—just words.

12) The “Powerless Sermon”: The Point of the Passage Is Preached Without Prayer

So much time is given to studying the passage and crafting the sermon, that little time is given to prayer either for correct understanding, or for appropriate application.

The preacher who works hard but prays little trusts much in himself and little in the Lord. It is perhaps one of the biggest temptations to fall into as an expositor, for the more discerning in the congregation will be able to spot false exegesis or inadequate application. But the difference that the prayers of the preacher made to the impact of the sermon will only be clear to the Lord and on the day when all things will be revealed. The horizons of the Lord and of eternity must ultimately be more important to the preacher; in fact, he should only really care about the horizons of the text and the congregation because the horizons of the Lord and of eternity are invisible, yet of infinite importance.

CONCLUSION.

Expository preaching is so important for the health of the church because it allows the whole counsel of God to be applied to the whole church of God. May the Lord so equip preachers of his Word that his voice may be heard and obeyed.

In the same way Morocco states in the Merchant of Venice, ‘that all that glitters is not gold’, Mike Gilbart-Smith wrote a brilliant article for 9 Marks, showing that not everything called expository preaching is expository preaching.

Mike speaks broadly about 3 groups of sermons that miss the mark of expository preaching. His definition of true expository is borrowed from Mark Dever in that it is, ‘preaching that takes for the point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture.”

This post is reproduced here with the permission of 9 Marks.

Expositional Imposters Group 2:

IMPOSTERS THAT FAIL TO SEE THE CONGREGATION

6) The “Exegetical Sermon”: The Text Remains Unapplied

If the “unfounded sermon” totally misses the text, the “exegetical sermon” totally misses the congregation. Some preaching that claims to be expositional is rejected as boring and irrelevant . . . and rightly so! One could just as well be reading from an exegetical commentary. Everything that is said is true to the passage, but it’s not really preaching; it is merely a lecture. Much might be learned about Paul’s use of the genitive absolute, but little about the character of God or the nature of the human heart. There is no application to anything but the congregation’s minds. True expository preaching will surely first inform the mind, but also warm the heart and constrain the will.

A regular diet of exegetical preaching will make people feel that only topical preaching can be relevant, and will model private Bible reading that presumes we can read God’s Word faithfully and remain unchallenged and unchanged.

7) The “Irrelevant Sermon”: The Text Is Applied to a Different Congregation

Too much preaching promotes pride in the congregation by throwing bricks over the wall toward other people’s greenhouses. Either the point of the passage is applied
only to non-believers, suggesting that the Word has nothing to say to the church, or it is applied to problems that are rarely seen in the congregation that is being preached to.

Thus the congregation becomes puffed up, and like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable ends up thankful that they are not like others. The response is not rep

entance and faith but, “If only Mrs. Brown heard this sermon!” or “the local Methodist church really ought to have this sermon
preached to them!”

Such preaching will grow the congregation in self-righteousness, not godliness.

8) The “Private Sermon”: The Text Is Applied Only to the Preacher

It is easy for the preacher to think merely about how a passage applies to himself, and then to preach to the congregation as if the congregation is entirely in the same situation as the preacher. For me it is certainly easiest to see how a passage of Scripture applies to a white British man in his forties with a wife and six kids who works as a pastor of a small congregation in West London. That may be great for my quiet times, but not much use to my church, as nobody else fits that bill.

What are the implications of the text to the teenager and the single mother? The woman in her forties who’d love to be married and the immigrant? The unemployed and the visiting atheist or Muslim? The congregation as a whole and the bus driver or the office worker or the student or the stay at home mum?

 

The private sermon can lead to the congregation thinking that the Bible is only relevant to the “professional” Christian, and that the only valid use of their life would really be to work fulltime for a church or other Christian organization. It can cause the congregation to idolize their pastor and live their Christian lives vicariously through him. It robs the congregation of seeing how to apply the Word to every aspect of their own lives, and how to communicate it to those whose lives are quite different from theirs.

9) The “Hypocritical Sermon”: The Text Is Applied to All But the Preacher

The opposite error to the “private sermon” is the sermon where the preacher is seen as the one who teaches the Word, but does not model what it means to be under the Word.

There are times when a preacher needs to say “you” and not “we.” But a preacher who always says “you” and never “we” does not model how he is only an under-shepherd who is first and foremost one of the sheep who must himself hear his great shepherd’s voice, who must know him and follow him, trusting him for his eternal life and security.

A preacher who preaches like this may make the opposite error to the congregation who lives vicariously through their pastor: he will live vicariously through this congregation. He will assume that his discipleship is entirely about his ministry, and end up not walking as a disciple under God’s Word at all, but only as one who places others under a Word above which he sits aloof.

10) The “Misfit Sermon”: The Point of the Passage Is Misapplied to the Present Congregation

Sometimes the hermeneutical gap between the original passage and the present congregation may be misunderstood, so that the application to the original context is wrongly directly transferred to the present context. So, if the preacher does not have a correct biblical theology of worship, passages about the Old Testament temple might be wrongly applied to the New Testament church building, rather than being fulfilled in Christ and his people. Prosperity gospel preachers might claim the promises of physical blessings given to faithful Old Covenant Israel and flatly apply them to the New Covenant people of God.