A Book Review
The Elements of Preaching
By: Warren and David Wiersbe
I first heard about this book in a sermon from a Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor’s conference CD that my pastor let me borrow. I can’t remember who the teacher was (I think it was Skip Heitzig of Calvary of Albuquerque…which by the way is a Calvary Chapel. So is Harvest Christian Fellowship, Horizon Christian Fellowship, and Applegate Christian Fellowship.)
This book was referenced so much during the presentation on preaching, that I had to put it on my wish list. When I received it for my birthday, I was excited to dive in. It’s only a little over 100 pages and it took me about an hour to read it. So if you have trouble reading long books, this is a perfect book for you. Here’s some good nuggets of info that I got from the book.
- Have a specific aim for each message and be sure to tell your congregation what it is
- It is an unpardonable sin to develop and outline and then force it upon a passage of scripture
- Check every reference before you finalize your outline.
- Good preachers own wastebaskets and use them. They realize not every choice idea can be worked into the message, lest the sermon become a monstrosity.
- You do not refer to matters you would like to discuss if you had the time. That just wastes more time!
- To paraphrase the words of the text is not the same as preaching the truths on the words.
- Plan your preaching (i.e. have a preaching calendar)
- All preachers say just about the same thing, if their preaching is at all biblical; but some say things in more interesting ways
- Negative preaching…can border legalism.
- In regards to personal study “…Don’t settle only for writers who agree with you; read some that disagree with you. They may teach you more.”
- Don’t carry your personal complaints into the pulpit to make them a port of the sermon
- Preach to express, not to impress.
Ok…I’m done. This book is seriously chalk full of quotable lines that it’s not funny. If you are just starting out as a preacher or teacher of God’s Word, you need to pick this up. If you have been doing it for a while and feel like you’re “pretty good”, pick this up – you may find that your strengths have been covering the mistakes you’ve been making as a preacher. If your desire is to become an effective preacher of the Word of God, then I totally recommend reading this book.