FORT WORTH, TX – There isn’t a preacher among us who doesn’t desire to become a better preacher. At least, there shouldn’t be! A pastor wears many hats, but the one that fits him the best is preaching the Word.
I was a pastor of two churches for 21 years and have been an interim pastor of 13 churches. I’ve also taught preaching for the past 30 years. I am the Dean of the newly launched School of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I love preaching! That’s why I am excited to be in Michigan on April 20-21, 2018 at Cedar Street Baptist Church in Holt, MI, to lead the Preaching Workshop sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM).
This will be a time of practical instruction as I speak on “How to Preach 1 John”. Other topics we will cover include: What is the structure of 1 John and how would you preach a series of sermons from it? How do you move from text to sermon? How do you outline a paragraph for preaching? What about illustrations? Finally, how can I be creative in my sermon preparation and delivery?
You will walk away from this workshop with 20 sermon outlines, one for each paragraph in 1 John. You will also receive a copy of my book 1-3 John: Fellowship in the Family, in the “Preaching the Word” series published by Crossway. This book contains complete expository sermons, including exposition, illustration, and application, on every paragraph of 1 John.
When I was a pastor, 1 John was one of my favorite books to preach through. It is all about fellowship within the church centered around Jesus. It is a message the church today needs to hear. Studies continue to demonstrate that the number one reason people choose to attend and join a particular church is the preaching. Other factors play a role, but nothing is more important than the pastor’s sermon week by week. People continue to be hungry to know what the Bible says.
That is why we must preach today with excellence and faithfulness to the Word of God. Spurgeon said, “Bible hearers will become Bible lovers.” Our people certainly won’t be doers of the word until they are first hearers of it. “And how shall they hear without a preacher,” as Paul asks in Romans 10:14?
None of us should be attempting to carve out our niche in the preaching hall of fame. But each of us should be attempting to become the best communicators of God’s word we can possibly be. I’m excited about this opportunity to join with pastors from all over the great state of Michigan to spend some time honing our skills in preaching.
To register for the Text-Driven Preaching Conference, visit bscm.org/register.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. David L. Allen is Dean of the School of Preaching and Distinguished Professor of Preaching, George W. Truett Chair of Ministry, Director for the Center of Expository Preaching, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX.