Let the Earth Hear His Voice

Strategies for Overcoming Bottlenecks in Preaching God's Word

by Greg R. Scharf

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Pub Date Dec 11 2015 | Archive Date Nov 18 2015

Description

Much evangelical preaching fails to recognize that preachers speak for the same God who once spoke through prophets and apostles. Thus sermon preparation and delivery is a weighty responsibility—and can be richly blessed despite a preacher’s weaknesses.

Uniting theological encouragement with practical advice, Greg Scharf identifies eight common bottlenecks that can clog a sermon’s fruitfulness and faithfulness—humanly speaking—and gives diagnoses, strategies for addressing the problems, and exercises to overcome them. This is not a simplistic “how-to” book. Seminary students, occasional preachers, and seasoned pastors will be given profound tools and insights for preaching faithfully, clearly, and applicably, all while being reminded to pray for the Holy Spirit’s anointing of their work. A cross reference allows the book to be easily used alongside Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.

Advance Praise

“If you are asking, ‘Why is my preaching not having the effect that God’s Word ought to have on its hearers?,’ I urge you to read this book with a torchlight on your own heart. There may yet be hope!”

—Conrad Mbewe, Chancellor of the African Christian University, Lusaka, Zambia

“Both preachers-in-the-making and seasoned shepherds who want people to hear God’s voice through their sermons will benefit from digesting this book slowly and thoughtfully.”

—Dennis E. Johnson, Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California

“If the core conviction of this book were more widely believed and its clear strat- egies were more consistently practiced, preachers, preaching, congregations, and churches would be transformed.”

—Colin S. Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard Evangelical Free Church

“I think highly of this book! . . . Its strengths are biblical/theological grounding, practical exercises, and a lack of posturing. Greg Scharf takes his craft very seri- ously, but not himself. He models humility, zeal, and wisdom.”

—Jeffrey Arthurs, Professor of Preaching and Communication, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

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